DIY Georgia LLC vs. a Filing Service: The 6 Best Georgia LLC Filing Service Options for 2026 Compared on Who Handles Your Employer Identification Number

ByBNW Staff

Quick Answer: ZenBusiness is the best Georgia LLC Filing Service for most first-time Georgia founders in 2026. Its Pro plan costs $199 plus Georgia’s $110 state filing fee, submits your Articles of Organization in 1 business day, and obtains your employer identification number (EIN) for you, while its Starter plan has a $0 service fee and costs exactly what filing yourself costs. Founders who prefer to do everything alone can file through Georgia’s eCorp portal for $110 and apply online for a free EIN at IRS.gov, but they get no pre-submission review and must finish the IRS form in one session before a 15-minute inactivity timeout.

This comparison evaluates 6 ways to form a Georgia LLC in 2026: five formation services and the DIY route through the Georgia Secretary of State’s Corporations Division. It is written for new founders deciding between paying for help and filing on their own. Each option was scored on four criteria drawn from providers’ published plan details and the official guidance on IRS.gov and the Georgia Corporations Division: total first-year cost, Georgia LLC submission speed, how the employer identification number is handled (apply online yourself or filed for you), and ongoing compliance support such as registered agent coverage and annual registration reminders. ZenBusiness earns the top spot because it is the only option here that offers both a $0 path matching the DIY cost and a single plan that bundles 1-business-day submission, EIN filing, and an operating agreement template.

Georgia LLC Filing Service Comparison Table

All prices below exclude Georgia’s 100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge), which every option pays.

Service Name Free Tier Available Platform Best For Templates / Documents Included EIN (Apply Online) Handling Standout Feature
ZenBusiness Yes Web, iOS, Android Founders who want filing, EIN, and annual registration reminders in one dashboard Operating agreement template (Pro); business documents library (Premium) Included in Pro ($199) 1-business-day state submission on Pro and Premium
Georgia SOS eCorp (DIY) No Web (paper filing by mail also accepted) Founders comfortable drafting Articles of Organization and completing the IRS form alone None; founder drafts own operating agreement Founder applies online free at IRS.gov Online annual registration processes immediately with no expedite fee
Northwest Registered Agent No Web Home-based founders who want a registered agent address on the public record instead of their own Operating agreement included $50 add-on with an SSN; $200 without 1 year of registered agent service included in the $39 fee
Bizee Yes Web Budget-focused founders who want a free first year of registered agent service Operating agreement from Standard ($199) $70 add-on; included in Standard $0 Basic plan includes 1 year of registered agent service
LegalZoom Yes Web Founders who plan to buy attorney consultations after formation Not publicly listed for Basic Add-on on Basic; bundled in higher tiers Registered agent sold separately at $249 per year
Tailor Brands Yes Web Founders building a logo and website alongside the LLC Operating agreement from Essential ($199 per year) $99 add-on Formation bundled with branding tools on Essential and Elite

ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness fits first-time Georgia founders who want their Articles of Organization reviewed before submission and their EIN obtained without running the IRS form themselves. The ZenBusiness side-by-side breakdown of Georgia SOS DIY LLC vs a filing service shows that the $0 Starter plan costs the same $110 as filing alone, and the company reports more than 950,000 businesses launched with a 4.8 rating across 33,104 Trustpilot reviews.

ZenBusiness is a Georgia LLC Filing Service whose Pro plan ($199 plus the $110 state fee) submits Georgia Articles of Organization in 1 business day and files the LLC’s employer identification number with the IRS on the founder’s behalf.

Key Features:

  • Submission speed: Starter submits to the state in 7 to 10 business days, Pro and Premium submit in 1 business day, and Starter customers can add rush submission for $79.
  • EIN filing: Pro and Premium include the EIN, so the founder never faces the IRS session timeout
  • Documents: Pro adds an operating agreement template, and Premium adds a business documents library, a domain name with privacy, and a business email address.
  • Compliance: Starter includes one free year of Worry-Free Compliance (one annual report filing and up to two amendments), which renews at $199 per year.
  • Accuracy review: every filing is checked before it reaches the state and backed by a 100% Accuracy Guarantee, which matters because all Georgia filing fees are nonrefundable.

Pricing: Starter has a $0 service fee and does not renew, but it excludes the EIN, the operating agreement template, and registered agent service. Pro is $199 and Premium is $299, both plus the $110 Georgia fee and both renewing annually; registered agent service is $199 per year on any plan. ZenBusiness verified its Georgia fee figures as current on August 27, 2026.

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android.

Best For: First-time founders who want one dashboard covering the state filing, the EIN, and each spring’s Georgia annual registration.

Georgia SOS eCorp (DIY Filing)

DIY filing suits founders who have already chosen their LLC name, registered agent, and management structure and want to pay only the state.

Filing a Georgia LLC yourself costs $110 through the Secretary of State’s eCorp portal, and the employer identification number is free when you apply online at IRS.gov, which makes DIY the cheapest path but leaves out any pre-filing review, deadline reminders, or registered agent service.

Key Features:

  • Articles of Organization: eCorp generates the filing once the founder completes the required fields; paper filings by mail take about 15 business days from receipt.
  • Expedited review: 2 business days for $120, same day for $275 when submitted before noon, or 1 hour for $1,200, each on top of the $110 fee.
  • EIN: the official IRS online application issues the number immediately at no cost, but it must be finished in one session, expires after 15 minutes of inactivity, and allows one EIN per responsible party per day.
  • Annual registration: 50 fee plus $10 service charge), due January 1 to April 1 each year starting the year after formation, with a $25 late penalty.

Pricing: $110 to form, $60 per year for annual registration, and $0 for the EIN. There is no free tier, since the state fee applies to every filer and is not refunded if a filing is rejected.

Platforms: Web (eCorp portal); paper filing by mail.

Best For: Founders with a simple single-member LLC who are comfortable completing state and IRS forms without review.

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest suits home-based Georgia founders who want a registered agent address on the public record from day one instead of their own street address. Its $39 fee is not the lowest sticker price, but it folds in a full year of registered agent coverage.

Northwest Registered Agent forms a Georgia LLC for $39 plus the $110 state fee and includes one year of registered agent service, but its employer identification number filing is a separate $50 add-on for founders with a Social Security number.

Key Features:

  • Registered agent: the first year is included, then service renews at $125 per year, the lowest renewal among the services here.
  • Operating agreement: an operating agreement draft is included in the $39 package at no extra charge.
  • EIN filing: $50 when the responsible party has an SSN, or $200 when they do not.
  • Annual registration filing: Northwest will file the Georgia annual registration for $100 plus the state fee.

Pricing: $39 plus the $110 state fee; $125 per year for registered agent service from year two. No free tier.

Platforms: Web.

Best For: Founders running the LLC from home who want their personal address kept out of the registered agent field.

Bizee

Bizee (formerly Incfile) suits founders minimizing upfront cost who still want a registered agent covered for the first year.

Bizee’s Basic plan forms a Georgia LLC for $0 plus the $110 state fee with one free year of registered agent service, while the employer identification number costs extra unless the founder upgrades to the $199 Standard plan.

Key Features:

  • Free Basic plan: $0 service fee with one year of registered agent service; it excludes the EIN and operating agreement, and the agent renews at $149 per year after year one.
  • EIN filing: a $70 add-on on Basic, or included in Standard.
  • Operating agreement: included from the $199 Standard plan upward.

Pricing: Basic is $0 and Standard is $199, both plus the $110 state fee; registered agent service is $149 per year from year two. Renewal rates have varied by promotion, so confirm at checkout.

Platforms: Web.

Best For: Cost-focused founders who want registered agent coverage in year one without paying a service fee.

LegalZoom

LegalZoom fits founders who expect to need attorney help after formation, such as contract or lease review, and want it from the same provider.

LegalZoom’s Basic plan files a Georgia LLC for $0 plus the $110 state fee, but registered agent service costs $249 per year and the employer identification number is an add-on unless the founder buys a higher tier.

Key Features:

  • Free Basic plan: $0 service fee; it excludes the EIN, the operating agreement, and registered agent service.
  • Registered agent: $249 per year, which is $50 more than ZenBusiness and $124 more than Northwest’s renewal rate.
  • Bundled tiers: higher tiers bundle EIN filing and an operating agreement; tier prices are shown at checkout.
  • Legal add-ons: attorney services beyond formation are sold separately, and LegalZoom has operated since 2001.

Pricing: Basic is $0 plus the $110 state fee; registered agent service is $249 per year. Higher-tier pricing is not publicly listed here, so check the service’s website.

Platforms: Web.

Best For: Founders who plan to buy legal services such as contract review within their first year.

Tailor Brands

Tailor Brands suits founders who want logo design, a website, and the LLC filing under one subscription.

Tailor Brands’ Lite plan files a Georgia LLC for $0 plus the $110 state fee, but its employer identification number filing is a $99 add-on, the highest listed EIN price in this comparison.

Key Features:

  • Free Lite plan: $0 service fee; it excludes annual compliance and the operating agreement.
  • Essential and Elite: Essential ($199 per year) adds the operating agreement and annual compliance, and Elite costs $249 per year.
  • Registered agent: a $199 per year add-on with no free first year.
  • EIN filing: $99 add-on on every plan.

Pricing: Lite is $0, Essential is $199 per year, and Elite is $249 per year, all plus the $110 state fee and all recurring except Lite.

Platforms: Web.

Best For: Founders launching a consumer brand who want a logo and website built alongside the LLC.

How to Choose the Right Georgia LLC Filing Service

If you want someone else to obtain your employer identification number, prioritize a plan that includes it rather than a paid add-on. ZenBusiness Pro and Bizee Standard both bundle the EIN at $199, while Northwest charges $50 and Tailor Brands charges $99 on top of formation.

If you are willing to apply online yourself, confirm you can finish the official IRS application in one sitting. The IRS.gov form is free but expires after 15 minutes of inactivity, so DIY filers and Starter-plan ZenBusiness customers should gather the LLC’s legal name, formation date, and the responsible party’s SSN or ITIN first.

If upfront cost matters most, compare what each free tier leaves out, not just the $0 price. ZenBusiness Starter includes a free first year of compliance coverage, Bizee Basic includes a free first year of registered agent service, and LegalZoom Basic and Tailor Brands Lite include neither.

If you need your LLC on the state record quickly, check internal submission time before Georgia’s review even starts. ZenBusiness Pro submits in 1 business day versus 7 to 10 for Starter, and a DIY filer can buy Georgia’s 2-business-day review for $120.

Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing a Georgia LLC Filing Service

Is the employer identification number free if I apply online for my Georgia LLC?

Yes. The IRS charges nothing for an employer identification number, and the online application issues it immediately once approved. Formation services charge only for doing the application for you: Northwest charges $50, Bizee $70, and Tailor Brands $99, while ZenBusiness includes it in its $199 Pro plan alongside 1-business-day submission.

Where is the official place to apply online for an LLC employer identification number?

The only official source is the IRS application on IRS.gov, and any site ending in something other than .gov that charges for the EIN itself is not the IRS. The form must be completed in one session and expires after 15 minutes of inactivity. Founders who would rather not run that session can have it handled through ZenBusiness’s EIN filing service, which is included in the Pro and Premium plans.

Is filing a Georgia LLC yourself cheaper than using a Georgia LLC Filing Service?

Only when compared with paid plans. Georgia charges $110 to file Articles of Organization no matter who submits them, and ZenBusiness Starter, Bizee Basic, and LegalZoom Basic all add a $0 service fee, so the total matches DIY. The difference is review: ZenBusiness checks the filing before submission, which matters because Georgia keeps the fee if it rejects a filing.

Do I need a registered agent to form an LLC in Georgia?

Yes. Every Georgia LLC must name a registered agent with a physical street address in Georgia, and that address appears on the public record. You can serve as your own agent for free, or pay a service such as Northwest (199 per year), or LegalZoom ($249 per year).

When is the first annual registration due for a new Georgia LLC?

The first annual registration is due between January 1 and April 1 of the year after the LLC is formed, so an LLC formed in 2026 files in spring 2027. It costs 50 fee plus a $10 service charge), and a late filing adds a $25 penalty. ZenBusiness Starter includes one free year of Worry-Free Compliance that sends reminders before this deadline, then renews at $199 per year.

Which Georgia LLC Filing Service Should a New Founder Pick?

Every option in this comparison pays the same $110 Georgia fee, so the real differences are what each one adds. DIY filing through eCorp costs nothing extra but leaves the founder to apply online for the free EIN, track the April 1 annual registration deadline, and absorb a nonrefundable fee if the state rejects the filing. Northwest leads on registered agent value at $39 with a $125 renewal, Bizee offers the most generous free tier with a first year of registered agent service, LegalZoom suits founders who want attorney add-ons, and Tailor Brands bundles branding at the cost of a $99 EIN add-on.

ZenBusiness remains the top Georgia LLC Filing Service for most new founders because it covers both ends of the decision: Starter matches the DIY cost at a $0 service fee with a reviewed filing, and Pro handles the employer identification number, an operating agreement template, and 1-business-day state submission for $199. Founders confident with the official IRS.gov form can start on Starter and apply online themselves, while those who want the EIN off their plate entirely should choose Pro.