LegalZoom vs Rocket Lawyer: pricing and features compared
Data last updated: Apr 21, 2026LegalZoom starts at $0 plus state fees. Rocket Lawyer starts at $40 plus state fees. Sticker-price differences between LLC formation services rarely tell the full story, since the cheapest tier usually excludes the EIN filing and operating agreement most filers need.
The registered agent renewal is the line item that actually matters over time: LegalZoom is $249 per year, Rocket Lawyer is $250. Over five years that delta adds up to $4, which is typically a larger swing than the formation-tier sticker price.
LegalZoom offers a genuine $0 formation tier; Rocket Lawyer does not. The free tier is meaningful if you only need state filing and are comfortable applying for an EIN yourself on irs.gov. It stops being free the moment you bundle the basic documents most LLCs need.
LegalZoom has 30,014 Trustpilot reviews compared to Rocket Lawyer's 9,717. The volume gap is usually about review solicitation rather than quality, but the higher-volume score tends to be the more statistically stable signal.
For most filers, the decision between two services is decided by three things: whether you need a $0 tier or can absorb a mid-tier to get the EIN and operating agreement bundled, how much the registered agent will cost you in year two and onward, and whether the support quality matters to you (it matters more if you're paying $200+ for the service in the first place).
Key differences at a glance
- LegalZoom is $40 cheaper at the starting tier (one of them has a free tier).
- LegalZoom has the cheaper registered agent renewal ($249/yr vs $250/yr). Over five years that is a $4 difference.
- Rocket Lawyer includes a free operating agreement; LegalZoom charges for it as an add-on. For a single-member LLC that can use a template, this matters less. For anything with multiple members, a proper operating agreement is not optional.
- LegalZoom has a genuine $0 formation tier. The other does not.
- LegalZoom includes mail scanning (physical mail delivered to the registered agent gets scanned and forwarded digitally). The other does not.
Where each service fits
Pick LegalZoom when
Pick LegalZoom when you want the lowest possible day-one sticker price; you're optimizing for lower long-term cost (RA renewal is cheaper); you want a genuine $0 formation tier (and don't need the add-ons); you need mail scanning bundled with the registered agent.
Pick Rocket Lawyer when
Pick Rocket Lawyer when you want the operating agreement bundled at no extra cost.
What each service offers that the other does not
Only LegalZoom
- Free $0 formation tier
- Mail scanning
Only Rocket Lawyer
- Operating agreement included free
Both services
- Compliance dashboard
- Phone support
- Live chat support
What it costs under your specific situation
Running the same LLC through three common scenarios. Year-1 and 5-year totals exclude state fees, which are identical for both services.
| Scenario | LegalZoom Year 1 | Rocket Lawyer Year 1 | LegalZoom 5-year | Rocket Lawyer 5-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just the basics: state filing, RA year 1, nothing else You file the EIN yourself at irs.gov and skip a written operating agreement. | $0 | $40 | $996 | $1,040 |
| You want EIN and operating agreement handled too Most new LLCs end up here. Assumes $70 EIN and $99 OA add-ons where the service charges for them. | $169 | $110 | $1,165 | $1,110 |
| Standalone registered agent only (no formation) You already formed the LLC elsewhere. Just swapping to this service's RA. | $249 | $250 | $1,245 | $1,250 |
Full feature comparison
| Dimension | LegalZoom | Rocket Lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price Cheapest tier, excludes state fees | Free | $40 |
| Registered agent year 1 | Not included | Not included |
| Registered agent renewal Year 2 onward, annual | $249/yr | $250/yr |
| Free $0 tier | Yes | No |
| EIN application | Paid add-on | Paid add-on |
| Operating agreement | Paid add-on | Included free |
| Compliance dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Mail scanning | Yes | No |
| International founders | No | No |
| Banking partner | None | None |
| Phone support | Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT | Monday-Friday 6am-6pm PT |
| Live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.6/5 (30,014 reviews) | 4.5/5 (9,717 reviews) |
Pricing tiers side by side
LegalZoom
- Basic — Free
- Pro — $249
- Premium — $299
Rocket Lawyer
- One-time LLC formation (non-member) — $100
- Rocket Legal (monthly subscription) — $40 · renews $40/yr
- Rocket Legal+ (annual subscription) — $240 · renews $240/yr
Support and ratings, interpreted
LegalZoom offers phone, email, live chat. Rocket Lawyer offers phone, email, live chat. Trustpilot: LegalZoom is 4.6 across 30,014 reviews; Rocket Lawyer is 4.5 across 9,717. A high-volume sample with a 4.5+ rating is the strongest signal; a small sample with either extreme rating is the weakest.
LegalZoom
Phone: Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT.
Email: yes.
Live chat: Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT.
Trustpilot: 4.6/5 from 30,014 reviews.
Rocket Lawyer
Phone: Monday-Friday 6am-6pm PT.
Email: yes.
Live chat: Monday-Friday business hours per vendor; vendor also offers Rocket Copilot AI chat 24/7 to members.
Trustpilot: 4.5/5 from 9,717 reviews.
Before you pick either service
A few things apply no matter which one you choose. These catch enough first-time filers to be worth stating plainly.
The state fee is identical. Whether you use LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, or neither, your state charges the same formation fee. Nothing a service does lowers that number. The fee ranges from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts depending on where you form. See the state-by-state guide for exact numbers.
You can get an EIN for free at irs.gov in five minutes. Both LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer either bundle EIN filing or sell it as a paid add-on. You're never required to pay for EIN filing; the IRS charges nothing and the online form takes about five minutes. If a service is pitching "we'll handle your EIN" as a headline feature, that's convenience pricing, not necessity.
The registered agent renewal is what matters long-term. The formation fee is a one-time cost. The registered agent is what recurs every year for as long as you keep the LLC open. Over five years, the RA renewal cost usually exceeds the formation fee. Compare on that number, not just the day-one sticker.
Operating agreements are separately priced at most services. Any LLC with more than one member, and any LLC relying on its liability shield, should have a written operating agreement. It governs ownership percentages, profit splits, management structure, and dissolution. California, Maine, Missouri, and New York require it by statute; every other state treats it as strongly recommended. Don't skip it to save $99.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Which is cheaper, LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer?
LegalZoom is cheaper at the starting tier ($0 vs $40). Over 5 years including RA renewals, the gap is about $44.
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Does LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer have better support?
LegalZoom offers phone, email, live chat. Rocket Lawyer offers phone, email, live chat. Trustpilot: LegalZoom is 4.6 across 30,014 reviews; Rocket Lawyer is 4.5 across 9,717. A high-volume sample with a 4.5+ rating is the strongest signal; a small sample with either extreme rating is the weakest.
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Is LegalZoom's free tier really free?
The $0 tier covers state filing and typically includes year one of registered agent service. It does not include EIN filing (you can still get one for free from the IRS directly) or an operating agreement, which most filers need. Once you add those, LegalZoom's free tier ends up around $169, which is very close to what Rocket Lawyer charges for its bundled mid-tier package. Pick the free tier if you're comfortable doing the add-ons yourself; pick a bundled service if you want everything in one place.
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Should I just file the LLC myself instead of using LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer?
You can. The state fee is identical whether you use a service or not. What these services sell is convenience: a handled registered agent (which you can also buy standalone), a bundled operating agreement, compliance reminders, and in some cases banking and tax integrations. If your time is worth more than $50 an hour and you would rather not research your state's specific filing quirks, a service pays for itself. If you like DIY administrative work, file directly at your state's Secretary of State portal.
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How much does the registered agent cost with each service from year 2 onward?
LegalZoom renews at $249/yr. Rocket Lawyer renews at $250/yr. This number matters because it recurs every year for as long as you keep the LLC. Over a five-year window, the registered agent renewal cost typically exceeds the formation fee, so it's worth more attention than most reviews give it.
Full reviews
Sources
- Pricing: www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-overview.html · verified April 21, 2026
LLC overview page lists three one-time packages: Basic $0 plus state filing fees, Pro $249 plus state filing fees, Premium $299 plus state filing fees. Basic explicitly excludes EIN and Operating Agreement; Pro bundles both plus 30 days of the Business Attorney Plan that renews at $49 monthly. - Registered agent renewal: www.legalzoom.com/business/business-operations/registered-agent-overvi… · verified April 21, 2026
Page advertises Registered Agent Services for $249 per year with an auto-renewal disclosure and a note that the renewal rate is subject to change. - Features: www.legalzoom.com/business/business-formation/llc-overview.html · verified April 21, 2026
Feature callouts on the LLC overview page confirm online filing, free formation tier, paid EIN and Operating Agreement, and a 100 percent accurate filing guarantee. Pro includes a customizable website powered by Google. - Mail scanning: www.legalzoom.com/business/business-operations/virtual-mail · verified April 21, 2026
LZ Virtual Mail is offered as a separate product that scans and uploads business mail to a digital dashboard. - Founded: www.legalzoom.com/about-us · verified April 21, 2026
About page says 'Since 2001' and 'For more than 25 years, LegalZoom has been transforming how people navigate the legal system.' - Headquarters: www.legalzoom.com/careers · verified April 21, 2026
Careers page lists Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX, and Bay Area, CA as their primary metros. LegalZoom does not name a single explicit headquarters on consumer pages; Los Angeles is the long-standing corporate base. - Support: www.legalzoom.com/contact-us · verified April 21, 2026
Contact page lists Customer Care at (888) 379-0854 and Sales at (855) 787-1221. Hours are Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT and weekends 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT. A 'Chat with us' option is shown next to each phone line. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/www.legalzoom.com · verified April 21, 2026
Trustpilot profile shows 4.6 stars across 30,014 reviews on the date of verification. - Pricing: www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Pricing page lists Rocket Legal at $39.99/month and Rocket Legal+ at $239.88/year, each with a 7-day free trial. Comparison table shows new business registration at $99.99 plus state fees for Rocket Legal, 'First one FREE, then $99.99 plus state fees' for Rocket Legal+, and full-price business filings for non-plus members (half off for Rocket Legal+). - Registered agent: www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Pricing comparison table shows registered agent services at $249.99/year for Rocket Legal monthly members and $124.99/year for Rocket Legal+ annual members. Trademark services at $699.99 plus USPTO fees, or $349.99 for Rocket Legal+. - One time: www.rocketlawyer.com/pricing · verified April 21, 2026
Non-member LLC formation is quoted at $99.99 plus state fees. Rocket Lawyer also advertises a 7-day free trial that gives members access to the 'first one free' formation benefit, so non-members rarely pay the $99.99 in practice without first considering membership. - Features: www.rocketlawyer.com/business-and-contracts/starting-a-business/form-a… · verified April 21, 2026
LLC formation product page markets online filing, legal document library (including LLC Operating Agreement template included with membership), Articles of Organization preparation, registered agent service as an add-on, and access to Legal Pros (independent network attorneys) for consultation. - Operating agreement: www.rocketlawyer.com/business-and-contracts/starting-a-business/form-a… · verified April 21, 2026
Operating agreement template is part of the Rocket Lawyer document library, which is free to personalize and sign under any active membership or 7-day free trial. - Support: www.rocketlawyer.com/contact-us · verified April 21, 2026
Phone (877) 881-0947 Monday-Friday 6am-6pm PT. Email support@rocketlawyer.com. Chat with us widget on contact page. Rocket Copilot AI provides additional AI-powered chat to members. - Founded: www.rocketlawyer.com/about-us · verified April 21, 2026
About page states 'Since our founding in 2008, nearly 30 million people have created Rocket Lawyer accounts.' - Headquarters: www.rocketlawyer.com/about-us · verified April 21, 2026
Rocket Lawyer does not publish a specific headquarters city or street address on its About, Careers, Contact, or Newsroom pages. Set to null per playbook rule against inventing facts. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/rocketlawyer.com · verified April 21, 2026
Trustpilot profile shows 4.5 out of 5 stars across 9,717 total reviews as of 2026-04-21.