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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Unpacked · Alabama

3 Best LLC Services in Alabama (2026): Unpacked

In Alabama for 2026, unpack LLC formation services in this order: Mainstay Filing ($199), AL Registered Agent.org ($199) and Alabama Registered Agent.co ($199). Inside the cost: $236 goes to the state, and three years of service add $397 to $597.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Fee to the state
$236, paid once
Next layer
Nothing to file
Registered agent
Required, yes
Top of the stack
Mainstay Filing, AL Registered Agent.org then Alabama Registered Agent.co

Our Alabama picks, opened up

The order follows our five layers: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
Top of the stack

1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation and agent in one price

$199 a year, with the $236 state fee added

Mainstay Filing sits on top in Alabama because one yearly price, $199, wraps formation and twelve months of registered agent service around the EIN application.

Is it the smallest bill? No. AL Registered Agent.org costs $200 less over three years, but only in Alabama.

Inside the price

  • The formation filing, packed in
  • Registered agent for all twelve months
  • EIN application
  • State fees passed through without markup

Inside, the good

  • One yearly fee: $199
  • No fee for the EIN application
  • Renews at $199

Inside, the catch

  • AL Registered Agent.org renews for $100 less
  • Alabama has no report, so less is packed in
The Alabama specialist

2. AL Registered Agent.org: best for owners who plan to stay local

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

AL Registered Agent.org sits second because it opens at $199 with the first agent year inside and renews at $99.

Inside the price

  • The LLC, filed for you
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • Agent renews at $99
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • Formation fee of $199

Inside, the catch

  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
The Alabama specialist

3. Alabama Registered Agent.co: best for one-state companies

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

Alabama Registered Agent.co sits third because it opens at $199 with the first agent year inside and renews at $99.

Its prices match AL Registered Agent.org exactly, so the order between them is close.

Inside the price

  • The LLC, filed for you
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • Agent renews at $99
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • Formation fee of $199

Inside, the catch

  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

Inside each price

#PickYear oneRenewalThree-year totalWhat is inside
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597the formation filing, packed in; registered agent for all twelve months; EIN applicationLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2AL Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A first year of agent serviceLook inside AL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Alabama Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A first year of agent serviceLook inside Alabama Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company prices read November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever pick you open.

Layer by layer

What is inside the cost of forming an LLC here?

$236 is the state's share. Add $199 if a service files in year one.

Add the recurring report and the state's fees reach $236 over three years. peek at alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026

Which form is inside the filing, and where does it go?

The Domestic Limited Liability Company Certificate of Formation is the filing, and the Alabama Secretary of State is where it goes. Approval creates the LLC.

peek at alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

An Alabama resident, or a business entity formed in Alabama or registered to do business there. The agent keeps a business office at the registered office address.

peek at alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026

What comes after the LLC is formed?

Opening this one up shows no report and no report fee.

Can I file it myself instead of hiring a service?

A service is optional. State fees alone are $236 across three years.

Services add $397 to $597 across three years to take the filings off your desk.

Why is the stack in this order?

On what is inside the price (29%), Mainstay Filing comes out ahead.

63% of the score comes from total across three years and what is inside the price.

Alabama has no recurring report to pack in, so the lead over AL Registered Agent.org is slim.

The five layers

What Alabama requires to form an LLC

PartWhat is insidePeek at source
Fee to form$236peek at alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentRequired, yespeek at alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$236The rows above, stacked
The last row stacks the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax. A cost with no fixed amount, such as a newspaper notice, is explained above and kept out of the sum.

Also worth asking

Is the EIN application inside the price?

Only Mainstay Filing packs it in. Elsewhere it is $99 at AL Registered Agent.org and $99 at Alabama Registered Agent.co.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Opened up over three years: Mainstay Filing at $597, AL Registered Agent.org at $397, Alabama Registered Agent.co at $397, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

Two kinds of source feed this page: Alabama's official documents for what the state charges, and company price pages for what services charge.

Does the law require one?

No. Owners can file with the state directly. A service saves time and can act as agent, but nothing makes you hire one.

What does the LLC owe each year?

Opening this one up shows no report and no report fee.

What is the best LLC service for Alabama?

Open Mainstay Filing first, then compare AL Registered Agent.org and Alabama Registered Agent.co.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking Alabama formation fee: Filing fee led us to alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Alabama formation fee: Filing fee led us to sos.alabama.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking Alabama formation fee: Name reservation led us to sos.alabama.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking Alabama formation fee: Name reservation led us to alison.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking Alabama registered agent statute led us to alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Mainstay Filing Alabama service page, read November 13, 2026
  7. AL Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. Alabama Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026