Filenow Review: Services, Pricing, & Alternatives

Embarking on the journey of launching a startup can be overwhelming when attempted alone, without proper guidance.

Many entrepreneurs end up making costly mistakes related to paperwork, fees, and time management.

Fortunately, these pitfalls can be avoided altogether by leveraging the services of an incorporation and business formation service.

Filenow is an excellent service provider that helps first-time founders and entrepreneurs with business formation in the US.

The provider offers more than just LLC formation, such as compliance management, bank account opening, and more.

In fact, on their website, they claim to file all the documents in under 20 minutes.

However, how are their services compared to similar business formation platforms?

Do they offer value for money? Let us find out in this Filenow review.

SMB Guide’s Verdict for Filenow

Entrepreneurs and their startups will find that Filenow lives up to its hype. We have evaluated the platform for several weeks now, and here is what we found about the platform.

Filenow provides decent services to help entrepreneurs file their startup documents. Startups also get extra services like annual reporting, compliance management, and business tax services.

Not only that, the customer support is excellent, where you get a representative to help first-time founders learn how to set up a business.

After compiling all the features and functionality and giving it a thorough evaluation, we give it a 8 out of 10.

Factor	Rating (out of 10)
Pricing & Plans	9
Business Formation Services	8
Processing Time	9
Registered Agent Services and Costs	8
Name Availability Search	8
Online Document Access	8
Money-Back Guarantees	9
Customer Support	8
SMB Guide Rating	8

In this review of Filenow, I’ve followed SMB Guide’s detailed criteria for evaluating the business formation service.

What is Filenow?

Filenow is a business formation service that helps entrepreneurs with essential startup incorporation and document filing services.

It comprises professional lawyers, CPAs and entrepreneurs with extensive expertise in business formation.

Filenow aims to help simplify first-time founders’ formation processes through expertise guidance. Filenow services mainly focus on three formation structures: C-Corp, S-Corp, and an LLC.

Pricing & Plans

When it comes to LLC filing with Filenow, you can select between two pricing packages.

While Filenow doesn’t provide a free plan, both of these packages are well-equipped with a comprehensive set of features to facilitate the seamless incorporation of your startup.

Starter

It is a plan that offers basic services of incorporation and business formation. 

Price

$49 + $ 98 state fee (one-time payment)

Features

• Company alerts
• Business tax consultation
• Unlimited name search
• Business banking account
• Unlimited phone and email support
• Filing article of incorporation
• Electronic delivery of state documents

Who it’s for: It suits entrepreneurs with a small budget who need help in incorporating their startup.

Premium

It is the top package Filenow offers and packs more features and functionality than the Starter plan. 

Price

$199 + $98 state fees (one-time payment)

Features

• All Starter plan features
• Free year of registered agent
• Corporation bylaws
• EIN or tax ID
• Same-day order processing
• Business contract templates
• Banking resolution

Who it’s for: It fits businesses that need compliance surety operating their venture in the US market.

Business Formation Services

Business formation through Filenow is a straightforward, cost-effective process that can be completed in under 20 minutes.

Now, individuals looking to establish their businesses can choose from three different entity types: LLC, C-Corp, and S-Corp.

They can select the entity that aligns best with their goals using the company formation wizard. Entrepreneurs looking to customize their business formation can pick from several options.

They include EIN, banking resolutions, agreements, up to 15 business contract templates, and more.

Not only that, Filenow handles processes like document review and preparation, filing with the DoS, and shipping your corporation package.

Processing Time

Startups will find that Filenow processing times are quick, and in 24 hours, your company formation will be complete.

Some factors, like the government Department of State (DoS), can affect the processing times. Normally, the state department processes applications in 3-5 days and issues an annual incorporation report within 3 months.

So, if you need an expedited process, Filenow can facilitate that, but it varies with the state in which you want your business incorporated.

Most times, there are extra charges that these states charge, often between $0 – $200.

Registered Agent Services and Costs

Entrepreneurs can use Filenow as a registered agent for their startups at a flat rate of $119 annually. The components of this service are legal business name, physical address, compliance support, and contact info.

While Filenow provides registered agent services, it doesn’t charge extra costs. Normally, the charges you can expect will come from:

• Tax ID: Startups looking to get an International Tax Identification Number (ITIN) need to pay a $75 application fee.
• State fees: Each U.S. state requires any entrepreneur looking to register a company to pay fees to file their documents. The fees range between $45 – $200 per state.
• Expedited filing: States provide the option of expedited business formation filing, which they charge between $70 – $180.

Name Availability Search

Users will discover that Filenow offers a powerful name availability search tool. This tool allows you to input an unlimited number of keywords to find an appropriate name for your brand.

What’s more, you can easily identify which names come with a corresponding domain, as the tool searches through all available extensions, including .org, .com, and .net.

Overall, this tool is accurate and makes finding an ideal company name easy. The results it provides are in-depth, and it even recommends alternatives similar to your ideal target keyword.

Online Document Access

Accessing essential business documents online is possible through the Filenow platform. The secure portal allows entrepreneurs to print, share, and download their documents with ease.

Filenow simplifies access to company documents, allowing users to log in to their account using their Gmail or Facebook credentials.

Once logged in, users can easily search for a specific document using various filters, such as date, keywords, or any other relevant term.

This streamlined process enhances document retrieval and organization for entrepreneurs.

Money-Back Guarantees

Startups will find that Filenow offers a money-back guarantee in case you’re not content with the business formation outcome.

The process is also simple, where startups get a 30-day window after receiving their documents to request a refund.

Upon requesting a refund, Filenow reviews your case and, depending on the issue, will issue a partial or full refund.

Now, there are terms that this guarantee needs to adhere to.

• Provide screenshots, a letter from authorities, or an email proving your frustration.
• The formation documents need to get shipped back in their original packaging to Filenow.
• The entrepreneur must cater for the return shipping expense if they rise above $49.

If you meet all the above conditions, Filenow processes the refund within ten days of receiving the documents.

Now, the money-back guarantee doesn’t cover state fees and other extra charges incurred during the business formation.

Not only that, but any omissions on the entrepreneur’s part are void. Given that most incorporation and business formation services lack a money-back guarantee, it shows that Filenow cares about client satisfaction.

It gives Filenow clients peace of mind, knowing they don’t waste their money and time if it doesn’t work out.

Customer Support

The support that Filenow provides is average, and startups can reach them through email, which normally takes 24 hours to get a response.

Other channels are live chat, which is more effective with fast response times of 1-3 minutes. A phone call can take 24 hours to get a response from one of their representatives.

For entrepreneurs seeking a deeper understanding of the inner workings of this business formation service, there are valuable resources available, including a FAQ section and a blog.

While the information may be somewhat basic, it serves as a helpful starting point to assist entrepreneurs in grasping the fundamental concepts and processes.

Filenow – Additional Services

Besides business formation services, Filenow provides some additional services that startups will find valuable.

They include:

• Compliance Management: Startups looking for help in managing insurance, licences, tax IDs, and permits will find it on the Filenow portal. The service also sends compliance reminders on due dates or any other obligations.
• Annual reporting: Filing your annual report within your state is something Filenow can help startups with. Entrepreneurs can pick a package that fits their business, and they will get notifications for any changes.
• Business tax Services: Startups can use the Filenow online tool to estimate tax liability and file them. On the other hand, startups can use Filenow services to help file state and federal taxes and even prepare annual returns.

The additional services aim to make the incorporation of startups easier.

What Experts Say About Filenow

There are not many reviews online on Filenow. However, we took it upon ourselves to find testimonials from some startups.

Alex Rocha, an entrepreneur, said, “We all know how it’s challenging to start a business without knowing what are the requirements. Filenow helped me in the business formation process. I dived onto their platform and started browsing through the company structures available. I was able to pick the ideal one in less than ten minutes. Filenow then shipped the paperwork to me within a week.”

Mathew G, an entrepreneur, said, “The service I got was excellent during my inquiry on startup business formation and incorporation. Within 3 days, our LLC was complete, and they shipped the documents to me in less than a week. The documents were in a binder with the labeled content and it was professional.”

Chris, an entrepreneur, said, “The support that Filenow provides is decent and navigating their site is easy. The representative answered my concerns about business formation and incorporation. It helped me pick a plan that suited my startup and I even chose to expedite the filing process.”

Filenow Alternatives

Filenow is a decent service for startups to form an LLC in the US, but it’s not the only one. We took it upon ourselves to find three alternatives that offer what Filenow lacks and more.

Bizee

Bizee is a business formation service that helps startups handle their paperwork in launching an LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp and partnership.

The services Bizee provides are similar to Filenow, where startups get tax filing, domain registration and more.

Not only that, the services provided don’t have hidden charges and the only extra fees that apply come from the state or DoS.

The pricing packages that Incfile offers are different, where startups choose between three plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium.

The Silver plan is the starter plan priced at $140 + $140 state fee (one-time payment). It makes Incfile suit startups looking for fast formation services and providing different LLC types.

Start your business with Bizee!

LegalZoom

LegalZoom is a business formation service that helps entrepreneurs with legal services to launch an LLC business.

There are services that LegalZoom offers similar to Filenow, such as a registered agent and tax filing. Not only that, startups get a money-back guarantee of upto 60 days, which can give peace to them.

Unlike Filenow, LegalZoom offers a more diverse pricing structure, including a free plan and two paid plans starting at $249, plus state filing fees as a one-time payment.

This variety in pricing options makes LegalZoom an attractive choice for startups seeking straightforward and affordable legal services.

Launch your business with LegalZoom!

ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness is an incorporation and business formation service that helps startups in launching an LLC.

Unlike Filenow, ZenBusiness provides its client tools like a site builder and marketing tools. It makes it an all-rounded platform for customizing the business to fit your preferences.

Now, ZenBusiness shares some business formation services with Filenow, such as a registered agent service, tax filing and more.

The pricing packages that startups can choose from ZenBusiness are starter, pro and premium. The starter plan is free, while the pro costs $199 annually + state fees.

It makes ZenBusiness suit entrepreneurs looking for an all-rounded service for incorporation and business formation.

Start your business with ZenBusiness!

Other options: Best Filenow Alternatives

Getting Started with Filenow

Filenow is a decent business formation service that entrepreneurs will find valuable if they’re looking to do more than just form an LLC.

The additional services you get are also decent, such as order tracking, banking with Bank of America and tax consultation.

Sign up with Filenow today, and you will get the right help to launch your business in less than a week.