ZenBusiness Review 2023 – Do NOT Buy Before Reading This!

ZenBusiness Review: If you want to start your business at $0, then ZenBusiness is for you. ZenBusiness is one of the most popular business formation services. This Texas-based company offers from top to toe services at $0 when it comes to forming your Limited Liability Company. From naming your LLC to filing your LLC annual reports, it provides 360-degree services. In my ZenBusiness Review, I will elaborate on why one should go for this service even when other free LLC formation services are available in the market. 

When you compare the best LLC services available, you will find other services that also provide zero-cost LLC formation. Apart from the mandatory state filing fees, no other money is needed to form your LLC. However, if you ask me, I would prefer ZenBusiness over other free services.

“100% accuracy” and “Transparency” are the main key features of ZenBusiness. There is no hidden charges or delay in work, or compromise in service quality. ZenBusiness is a one-stop solution for you when forming an LLC. This company’s Premium Plan offers almost all the services, but it is lighter on your wallet than other competitors. A mid-sized to large LLC will benefit from its premium plan. 

If I have to enlist the best LLC Services, then for me, ZenBusiness will be number one. Read this review further to know why. 

ZenBusiness Review: A Quick Summary

ZenBusiness: About The Company

Ross Buhrdorf founded ZenBusiness in 2015 in Austin, Texas. In November 2017, the company declared that it had raised $200 million. Even if the company is fairly new in the market, it still stands out with its consistency & services.

The core values of ZenBusiness are “Transparency, Protection, & paying it forward.” ZenBusiness promises that they operate with transparency, honesty, & integrity. By the word protection, the company means that it helps your business to remain in good standing. What this company earns pays it forward – by awarding small business grants to prospective entrepreneurs. ZenBusiness boasts having formed over 2,00,000 businesses & receiving numerous positive reviews from users. You will see many online business formation services, but for me, ZenBusiness surpasses them all.

With ZenBusiness, you will get three Plans: Starter Plan, Pro Plan, & Premium Plan. It is perhaps the only formation service company that offers the three important features in all its Plans. Those three important features included in every Plan are LLC (Limited Liability Company) formation, free registered agent  & a free operating agreement draft.

Note: The credit for ZenBusiness being in the top position can be attributed to its 100% accuracy in forming an LLC & its best budget service.

Packages Offered by ZenBusiness

As mentioned above, ZenBusiness offers three Plans; Starter Plan, Pro Plan, & Premium Plan. Even the starter Plan has essential services like free registered agents & free operating agreement templates. 

Starter Plan

$0 + Additional State Fees (Tax deduction may apply)

The Starter Plan has all the essential services required to form an LLC. It is a suitable plan for you if you want a budget-friendly LLC formation plan. The Starter Plan is available at $0. However, the mandatory state filing fees must be paid to the State.

Turnaround Time: 2-3 Weeks

The Services included in this plan are,

• Name Availability Search
• Prepare and File LLC
• Phone and Email Support
• Online Document Access
• Statement of Organizer
• Free Accounting Consultation
• Virtual Business Guide
• Google Ads Credit
• Standard Filing Speed

Starter Plan Beneficieraies

The ZenBusiness starter plan is beneficial for small businesses & startups. It is cost-effective & offers all the essential services, e.g., registered agent & operating agreement draft. With Starter Plan, you will have to pay an additional cost to get an Employer Identification Number.

Pro Plan

$199 + Additional State Fees (Tax deduction may apply)

The Pro Plan offers some essential additional services along with all the main services offered in the Starter Plan. Also, in Pro Plan, it takes lesser time to form your LLC.

Turnaround Time: 4-6 Days

The additional services included in the Pro Plan are,

• Advertising Consultant LLC filing – ZenBusiness does everything needed to file your application to become an advertising consultant business and communicates with the state until your LLC is formalized.
• Advertising Consultant Operating Agreement
• Advertising consultant Annual Compliance service – ZenBusiness takes care of everything needed each year in your state to operate legally within your industry
• Rush Filing Service

Pro Plan Beneficieraies

The Pro Plan is suitable for mid-sized businesses looking for an expedited process & filing of an Employer ID Number. It is the best fit for companies; that may not be able to handle the compliance part on their own. Startups or Small business owners may regret choosing this plan because they may be paying extra for services that are not required for their businesses.

Premium Plan

$299 + Additional State Fees (Tax deduction may apply)

The Premium Plan is the costliest plan offered by ZenBusiness. Premium Plan offers almost all the services related to the formation of an LLC. In addition to the services mentioned in the first two plans, i.e., the Starter Plan & Pro Plan;

Turnaround Time: 1-2 Days

Premium Pan has the following additional offerings,

• Fastest /Rush Filing Speed 
• Business Website
• Business Domain Name
• Business Email address

Premium Plan Beneficieraies

The premium plan is all-inclusive; hence, it is suitable for bigger businesses. These companies would require an agency to manage almost everything related to the formation, Banking Procedures, Websites, Email Addresses, etc. So, the LLCs who do not want these additional services should not opt for this plan. 

Add-ons Offered by ZenBusiness

Along with the standard services offered within each plan, ZenBusiness offers several other a-la-carte services. While some of these services are offered within the plans (at an additional cost), some services must be bought individually. In short, for the services offered individually, you don’t have to buy any plans. For further assistance on pricing & services, you can mail them or chat with the customer associate. 

The individual services (Services that you can buy without buying the plan) are,

• Standalone Registered Agent Service – $99
• Business Name Reservation- $50
• Annual Report Filing- $100 + state fees
• New York Publication- $200 + publication cost
• Filing Amendment- $100 + state fees
• Certificate of Good Standing- $100 + state fees
• Business License Report- $99
• Business Document Templates Library- $99

As mentioned above, ZenBusiness offers services you can add to the plan; at checkout as an upgrade. Those services are

• Expedite Filing Speed- $50
• Rush Filing Speed- $100
• Banking Resolution Template- $30
• Employer ID Number- $99
• Worry-free Compliance- $199 yearly
• Business Website- $129 yearly
• Business Domain Name- $25 yearly
• Business Domain Name Privacy- $10 yearly
• Business Email Address- $25 yearly
• Google Ads Credit- $150 value

ZenBusiness Service Plans: At a Glance

Service	Starter Plan	Pro Plan	Premium Plan
LLC formation	Available	Available	Available
Name Availability Search	Available	Available	Available
Phone & Email Support	Available	Available	Available
Online Document Access	Available	Available	Available
Virtual Business Guide	Available	Available	Available
Registered Agent	Available	Available	Available
Operating Agreement Template	Available	Available	Available
Google Ads Credit	Available	Available	Available
Standard Filing speed	Available	Available	Available
Accounting Consultation	Available	Available	Available
Expedite Filing speed	$50	Available	Available
Rush Filing speed	$100	$100	Available
Banking Resolution Template	$30	Available	Available
Employer ID Number	$99	Available	Available
Worry-free Compliance	$199 yearly	Available	Available
Business Website	$129 yearly	$129 yearly	Available
Business Domain Name	$25 yearly	$25 yearly	Available
Domain Name Privacy	$10 yearly	$10 yearly	Available
Business Email Address	$25 yearly	$25 yearly	Available

Verdict: Should You Choose ZenBusiness or Not?

Choosing ZenBusiness service for your business depends on a few things. First, if you want to spend even a penny to form your LLC if yes, then go for it. If not, go for the free LLC service formation (Incfile or Inc Authority). Now, the thing is, forming LLC does not only mean filling your Articles of Organization; it includes other steps like an operating agreement, EIN, registered agents, and so on. Get a full insight into how to form an LLC from this site.

With ZenBusiness, if you go for the Starter Plan, you will get your operating agreement draft, registered agent service, and other benefits at $0. Besides, all the plans have free accounting consultations as well. So, for me, I would any day choose ZenBusiness over any other free LLC service provider. If you can spend more to form your LLC, then you can go for the Premium Plan that has everything under one roof. The Premium plan has services like a website, rush filing speed, and domain name for free, which otherwise costs $225 extra in other plans.

For some, ZenBusiness would not be a favorable choice. Because if you choose the Started Plan ($0), you will have to carry the cost of obtaining EIN. This additional cost can be waived if you directly apply to the IRS. On the other hand, many people are skeptical about the hidden charges that the Premium Plan has, even though the company claims that it is “Transparent” when it comes to its pricing.

When Should You Choose ZenBusiness?

ZenBusiness is a kind of company anyone can choose over any competitors. Their starter pack is available at $0. Unlike other free services, ZenBusiness has much more facilities. Especially small and mid-sized businesses, start-ups, and businesses with a limited budget can go for ZenBusiness. If you are a large business, then their Premium Plan would be the best choice. As it offers everything, you can form an LLC at a reasonable price.

When Should You Not Choose ZenBusiness?

A very small LLC looking for only the essential services may find it difficult to choose ZenBusiness. The starter plan is a more suitable option for them, but there is an additional cost even for the basic service like filing an EIN. So, one can not rely upon the starter plan alone to cover all the essential services. 

ZenBusiness Alternatives

Honestly speaking, with the range of prices and services ZenBusiness offers, there is no alternative to this company. However, you can still go for other options available in the market and explore their prices and quality before you choose anything for your business. At the end of the day, it is your money that is going to be invested. To explore other competitors in the market, look at the list of best LLC services available.

ZenBusiness Review: Summary

ZenBusiness is one company that takes care of everything when it comes to forming a business. Zen has everything for you, whether a corporation or a limited liability company. If you go and check the ZenBusiness review on the internet, you will find almost all the positive customer reviews, especially TrustPilot. Apart from the government fee, their own charges are comparatively lower than other registered agent service providers.

The pricing and the services it has are user-friendly. Their premium plan offers everything at a much more reasonable price compared to other services. Be it a registered agent service, bank, insurance, or any other LLCs related services, ZenBusiness is there to guide you through. My experience researching this company is incredible, as I have received impeccable customer reviews. Also, Zenbusiness focuses on the privacy of their customer.

As users share sensitive information with the company, Zen makes sure the information does not get breached. Their minimum package starts from $0 + State fee. The customer would know about the money added to their final bill.

Some users complain that ZenBusiness has hidden charges, which shows on the final billing page. In that case, it is recommended to check your final bill page before you make any payments through a credit card or any other mode of payment. If you are wrongly billed, immediately contact their customer portal or mail them to their official address. You can email them as well at their company email address. You will get an immediate response as their customer service is extremely swift. LLC formation is not easy as it involves preparing a filing document, filing a DBA, obtaining an employer identification number, and other corporate services. Zen is there to serve you with everything at reasonable pricing.

How to Use ZenBusiness

You need to set up your account by providing all the necessary details. You can use the ZenBusiness services for business name search, registered agent services, LLC filing tax planning, etc.

When it comes to creating, managing, and growing a business, ZenBusiness is a popular platform among entrepreneurs. ZenBusiness offers a suite of business services that can help you get started and stay organized. Whether you’re filing for a business entity, setting up a website, or registering for a domain name, ZenBusiness has the tools to help you every step of the way.

The first step in using ZenBusiness is to create an account. To do this, you’ll need to provide some basic information about yourself and your business. This includes your name, address, email address, and business name. Once you’ve set up your account, you’re ready to get started.

The next step is to purchase the services you need. ZenBusiness offers a range of services including business formation, registered agent services, website design, and domain registration. For each service, you’ll be able to choose the options that best suit your needs. All of the services come with step-by-step instructions to make it easy to complete your tasks quickly and accurately.

Once you’ve chosen the services you need, it’s time to make the payment. ZenBusiness accepts a variety of payment methods including credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfers. Once your payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with a link to access your account. Here, you’ll be able to check the status of your orders and access your documents.

ZenBusiness also offers a wide range of additional services that can help you manage and grow your business. These include business name search and reservation, logo design, trademark registration, and business filing. You can also take advantage of their free business consultations to get advice and guidance on setting up and running your business.

Finally, you can use ZenBusiness to monitor your business’s financials. ZenBusiness offers an accounting package that allows you to track expenses, invoices, and other financials. You can also use the platform to generate financial reports and manage payroll.

With ZenBusiness, it’s easy to get started and stay organized as you create and manage your business. Whether you’re filing for a business entity, registering a domain name, or managing your finances, ZenBusiness has the tools to help you get it done. So get started today and take advantage of all that ZenBusiness has to offer.

ZenBusiness Vs Others

F.A.Qs

In Conclusion

ZenBusiness services are the best of all available in the market. In my ZenBusiness review, I have justified why one should choose it. It is priced reasonably & offers a plethora of services. The starter plan can have one or two additional services at the same cost, e.g., EIN or Business Resolution template. With the addition of these two services in the plan, it will be the best fit for start-ups or small LLCs.

I would appreciate your feedback on the same. Leave your comment below and tell me your take on ZenBusiness as well as this review article.