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

Unpacked · Delaware

3 Best LLC Services in Delaware (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the LLC formation services in Delaware rank Mainstay Filing ($199), DE Registered Agent.org ($199) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199), best on top. Inside the cost: $110 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
$110, paid once
Every year after
$400 each year
Registered agent
Required, yes
Top of the stack
Mainstay Filing, DE Registered Agent.org then Delaware Registered Agent.ai

Our Delaware picks, opened up

Curious about the order? The method is here.
Ranked first

1. Mainstay Filing: best for not filing the annual tax yourself

Annual price $199, renewal price $199, state fee extra

What puts Mainstay Filing first: the annual tax is filed for you within the $199 annual price, next to formation and the registered agent.

Over three years this runs $200 above DE Registered Agent.org, and more of the filings are handled inside.

Inside the service is the Annual LLC Tax, filed for you, with Delaware's $400 passed through at cost.

Inside the price

  • Formation filed with the state
  • Registered agent across the full year
  • Annual tax filed on your behalf
  • EIN application handled
  • State fees at cost

Inside, the good

  • $199 yearly for everything listed
  • Year two costs $199
  • The EIN application is inside the price

Inside, the catch

  • $100 a year above DE Registered Agent.org after year one
Delaware only

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for a business that stays in one state

$199 to form; renewal $99

DE Registered Agent.org sits second because $199 forms the LLC, and the agent renews each year at $99.

Not inside the price: the Annual LLC Tax, which stays with you.

Inside the price

  • The LLC, filed for you
  • Agent included in year one

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year from year two
  • Opens at $199 over the state fee
  • A first year of agent service is inside

Inside, the catch

  • The Annual LLC Tax sits outside the box
  • EIN not included ($99)
Delaware only

3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for another in-state option

$199 to form; renewal $99

Delaware Registered Agent.ai sits third because $199 forms the LLC, and the agent renews each year at $99.

Not inside the price: the Annual LLC Tax, which stays with you.

It charges what DE Registered Agent.org charges.

Inside the price

  • The LLC, filed for you
  • Agent included in year one

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year from year two
  • A first year of agent service is inside
  • Opens at $199 over the state fee

Inside, the catch

  • The Annual LLC Tax sits outside the box
  • EIN not included ($99)

Inside each price

#CompanyOpening priceRenewalThree-year totalWhat is inside
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597formation filed with the state; registered agent across the full year; annual tax filed on your behalfSee Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2DE Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; agent included in year oneSee DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Delaware Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; agent included in year oneSee Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

Opened up, question by question

How much does forming an LLC cost in this state?

Your bill has two parts: $110 for the filing and, optionally, $199 for first-year help.

Add the recurring report and the state's fees reach $910 over three years. delcode.delaware.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

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

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

The law underneath: 6 Del. C. § 18-201. delcode.delaware.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Is a registered agent required?

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

The LLC itself, a Delaware resident, or a business entity formed in Delaware or authorized to do business there.

delcode.delaware.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

What is owed in later years?

Plan on $400 each year for the Annual LLC Tax. For timing the state says: annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1.

A late filing costs $200 more.

legis.delaware.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Do I have to pay a service at all?

A service is optional. State fees alone are $910 across three years.

Choose help and your three-year total rises by $397 to $597.

Why is the stack in this order?

Mainstay Filing is strongest on what is inside the price, a layer worth 29% of the score.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

DE Registered Agent.org has the smaller bill, yet the Annual LLC Tax remains yours to file there.

The five layers

Delaware formation, unpacked

PartWhat is insideOfficial source
Fee to form$110delcode.delaware.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentRequired, yesdelcode.delaware.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Annual LLC Tax$400 every yearlegis.delaware.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$910The rows above, stacked
Every row above links to its official source. The final row is our own total of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

Also worth asking

Is the EIN application inside the price?

Only Mainstay Filing packs it in. Elsewhere it is $99 at DE Registered Agent.org and $99 at Delaware Registered Agent.ai.

What if the report is late?

Expect a $200 late fee.

How do the three-year totals compare?

Mainstay Filing stacks up to $597, DE Registered Agent.org stacks up to $397, Delaware Registered Agent.ai stacks up to $397, with state fees on top.

Are the fees official?

Official Delaware paperwork stands behind every state fee here, and every service price traces back to the company's own pricing.

Does the law require one?

No law requires a service. It is a paid convenience.

What is the best LLC service for Delaware?

Open Mainstay Filing first, then compare DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai.

Originals behind this page

  1. Under Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation sits corp.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  2. Under Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation sits corp.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  3. Under Delaware yearly filing: HB 400 sits legis.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  4. Under Delaware report due date sits delcode.delaware.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  5. Under 6 Del sits delcode.delaware.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  6. Under Delaware registered agent statute sits delcode.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  7. Mainstay Filing Delaware service page, read November 13, 2026
  8. DE Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Delaware Registered Agent.ai pricing page, read November 13, 2026