Methodology
This page explains how we build conservative / base / upside cost ranges and how we rank formation providers. All logic is implemented in plain TypeScript so you can inspect the exact rules.
State filing fees
We use common default secretary-of-state filing fees for Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada, California, New York, Texas, and Florida. When you pick Other, we apply a planning band: conservative $50, base $175, upside $500 — not a prediction for any specific state.
One-time formation total
oneTimeFormation = packageServiceFee + stateFiling + expedited + selectedOneTimeAddons
Package service fee comes from the formation tier we select per provider using your budgets, service checkboxes, and main priority. It excludes state filing, which we always show as its own component in the model.
Expedited / rush uses documented placeholders that escalate with urgency (standard vs rush vs same-day) and with an explicit expedited filing flag.
One-time add-ons (when checked) use low / mid / high placeholders for EIN assistance, operating agreement help, BOI assistance, and domain/website bundles.
Conservative / base / upside
For package fees, conservative uses the lowest published-style tier in our table, base uses the tier selected for your answers, and upside uses at least the base tier and often the top tier when bundles differ materially.
Annual ongoing (first-year model)
annualOngoing ≈ registeredAgentYear1 + complianceAssist + annualReportAssist
Registered agentis $0 in year one when the selected tier includes it; otherwise we apply the provider's modeled annual registered-agent list price with a small band.
Compliance assist is $0 when the tier includes compliance alerts; otherwise we add a standalone annual placeholder if you asked for compliance monitoring.
Annual report assist adds a planning range when you select annual report filing help.
First-year total
firstYearTotal = oneTimeFormationTotal + annualOngoing for each scenario point (conservative, base, upside).
Recommendation scoring
Each provider has editorial scores (1–10) on eight dimensions: formation value, registered agent value, compliance support, speed of filing, customer support, upsell transparency, beginner-friendliness, and ongoing value.
The engine combines scores with your answers:
- Service checkboxes increase weight on matching dimensions (registered agent, compliance, urgency).
- Technical comfort boosts beginner-friendly providers when you self-identify as a beginner.
- Cost fit compares the base-scenario first-year total to your formation + annual budgets.
- Main priority applies a documented boost (lowest upfront, best bundle, best RA, fastest filing, compliance, trusted brand).
- Light slug-specific nudges encode common positioning (e.g., Northwest for registered agent transparency, Bizee for budget entry tiers, LegalZoom for brand trust).
Important disclaimers
- Pricing is based on published-style figures at each provider's "last updated" date — not live API data.
- Entity-specific requirements, franchise taxes, and publication rules vary — verify with the state and a qualified professional.
- This is not legal, tax, or investment advice.
- Scores are editorial judgments, not objective benchmarks.