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

Unpacked · Maine

3 Best LLC Services in Maine (2026): Unpacked

Our 2026 stack of LLC formation services in Maine, top to bottom: Maine Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and ME Registered Agent.org ($199). Whichever you open, the state's filing fee is $175, and services total $397 to $597 over three years.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Four things inside

Fee to the state
$175, paid once
Every year after
$85 yearly
Registered agent
Yes, by law
Our pick
Maine Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing then ME Registered Agent.org

Maine: ranked

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Top of the stack

1. Maine Registered Agent.co: best for owners who plan to stay local

Year one $199, later years $99

Maine Registered Agent.co is first, and its $99 renewal brings three years to $397.

Its three-year cost is below Mainstay Filing's, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Not inside the price: the annual report, which stays with you.

Inside the price

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

Inside, the good

  • A free agent year at the start
  • $199 plus the state fee to form
  • A renewal of $99

Inside, the catch

  • The annual report is a job you keep
  • EIN not included ($99)
All fifty states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want upkeep handled

$199 a year, with the $175 state fee added

Mainstay Filing lands second, and $199 a year packs in formation, the registered agent and every annual report.

A $200 three-year gap to Maine Registered Agent.co explains the lower spot.

Inside the service is the annual report, filed for you, with Maine's $85 passed through at cost.

Inside the price

  • The formation filing, packed in
  • Registered agent for all twelve months
  • Annual report handled for you
  • EIN application handled
  • State fees at cost

Inside, the good

  • One yearly fee: $199
  • Renews at $199
  • The EIN application is inside the price

Inside, the catch

  • A $100 yearly premium over Maine Registered Agent.co
Maine only

3. ME Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state option

Year one $199, later years $99

ME Registered Agent.org sits third because its $99 renewal brings three years to $397.

Not inside the price: the annual report, which stays with you.

Price for price, a tie with Maine Registered Agent.co.

Inside the price

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

Inside, the good

  • A renewal of $99
  • $199 plus the state fee to form
  • A free agent year at the start

Inside, the catch

  • The annual report is a job you keep
  • EIN not included ($99)

Inside each price

#PickOpening priceRenewalTotal, 3 yearsWhat is inside
1Maine Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A first year of agent serviceOpen Maine Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597the formation filing, packed in; registered agent for all twelve months; annual report handled for youOpen Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3ME Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A first year of agent serviceOpen ME Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as of November 13, 2026. The state's own fees are in the checklist below.

Layer by layer

How much does forming an LLC cost in this state?

Filing costs $175. A service on top of that costs $199 in year one.

Across three years the state collects $345, filing fee included. peek at legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026

What do I actually send the state?

The Maine Secretary of State receives the Certificate of Formation (Form MLLC-6), and once it is approved the company exists.

The state's processing time: 10 to 15 business days (home page). peek at legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026

Must the LLC name a registered agent?

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

A commercial registered agent listed with the Secretary of State, or a noncommercial agent: an individual or entity serving as agent in Maine, or the holder of a named position in the company.

peek at legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026

What comes after the LLC is formed?

Year after year the recurring job is the annual report: yearly, costing $85. The calendar line from the state reads June 1.

File late and the state adds $50.

peek at maine.gov, confirmed August 2026

Can I file it myself instead of hiring a service?

Yes. Filing on your own costs only the state's fees, $345 over three years.

Services add $397 to $597 across three years to take the filings off your desk, and Mainstay Filing counts the reports among them.

What put number one on top?

On total across three years (34%), Maine Registered Agent.co comes out ahead.

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

Three years at Maine Registered Agent.co cost $397, which is $200 below Mainstay Filing.

How we open it up

Maine formation, unpacked

RequirementWhat is insidePeek at source
LLC filing fee$175peek at legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentYes, by lawpeek at legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026
Annual report$85 every yearpeek at maine.gov, confirmed August 2026
What the state collects in three years$345The 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

When does the LLC exist?

10 to 15 business days (home page).

Is the EIN application inside the price?

With Mainstay Filing it costs nothing more. Maine Registered Agent.co charges $99, ME Registered Agent.org charges $99.

What if the report is late?

Expect a $50 late fee.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Maine Registered Agent.co stacks up to $397, Mainstay Filing stacks up to $597, ME Registered Agent.org stacks up to $397, with state fees on top.

What do these numbers rest on?

The state-side figures were taken from Maine's own publications, and the service prices from the price page each company posts. Dates for both appear on this page.

What is the best LLC service for Maine?

Maine Registered Agent.co is on top: forming costs $199, and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year. Under it sit Mainstay Filing and ME Registered Agent.org.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking Maine Secretary of State led us to maine.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Maine Secretary of State led us to maine.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking Maine report due date led us to maine.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking 31 M.R.S. sec. 1531 led us to legislature.maine.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking Maine formation fee: Filing fee led us to legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking Maine registered agent statute led us to legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Unpacking Processing time, official source led us to maine.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  8. Maine Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Mainstay Filing Maine service page, read November 13, 2026
  10. ME Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026