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

Open it up · New York

3 Best LLC Services in New York (2026): Unpacked

Our 2026 stack of LLC formation services in New York, top to bottom: Mainstay Filing ($199), New York Registered Agent.ai ($199) and NY Registered Agent.org ($199). Two parts make up the bill: $200 for New York and $397 to $597 for three years of service.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Fee to the state
$200, paid once
Next layer
$9 once in two years
Agent for service of process
Special rule, opened below
Top of the stack
Mainstay Filing, New York Registered Agent.ai then NY Registered Agent.org

The New York stack, best on top

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

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

$199 yearly ($399 due at signup, with the state fee)

Mainstay Filing sits on top in New York because the biennial statement is filed for you within the $199 annual price, next to formation and the agent for service of process.

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

You never file the biennial statement. New York still charges $9, billed at cost.

Inside the price

  • Formation filed with the state
  • Registered agent across the full year
  • Biennial statement handled for you
  • EIN application
  • State fees at cost

Inside, the good

  • Year two costs $199
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • EIN handled at no extra charge

Inside, the catch

  • A $100 yearly premium over New York Registered Agent.ai
New York only

2. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for owners who plan to stay local

$199 to form; renewal $99

New York Registered Agent.ai lands second, and forming costs $199, and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Not inside the price: the biennial statement, which stays with you.

Inside the price

  • New York formation filing
  • Agent included in year one

Inside, the good

  • Then $99 yearly
  • $199 to form the LLC
  • Year one of the agent comes with it

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing inside covers the biennial statement
  • EIN help is $99 more
New York only

3. NY Registered Agent.org: best for one-state companies

$199 to form; renewal $99

NY Registered Agent.org lands third, and forming costs $199, and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year.

Not inside the price: the biennial statement, which stays with you.

Price for price, a tie with New York Registered Agent.ai.

Inside the price

  • New York formation filing
  • Agent included in year one

Inside, the good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $199 to form the LLC
  • Then $99 yearly

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing inside covers the biennial statement
  • EIN help is $99 more

Inside each price

#CompanyOpening priceEach year afterTotal, 3 yearsCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597formation filed with the state; registered agent across the full year; biennial statement handled for youOpen Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2New York Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397New York formation filing; agent included in year oneOpen New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397New York formation filing; agent included in year oneOpen NY Registered Agent.orgPartner 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.

Opened up, question by question

What is inside the cost of forming an LLC here?

$200 is the state's share. Add $199 if a service files in year one.

Add the recurring report and the state's fees reach $209 over three years. peek at dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026

  • Publication: within 120 days, a notice runs for six weeks in two county newspapers (the papers set their own charges), then a Certificate of Publication is filed for $50.
  • Tax Department LLC fee (Form IT-204-LL): $25 a year for a single-member LLC with New York-source income; partnership LLCs pay more.

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

The New York Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f), and once it is approved the company exists.

The law underneath: NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203. peek at dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026

Is an agent for service of process required?

The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

If one is designated: a person who lives in New York or has a business address there, an LLC formed or authorized in New York, or a corporation formed or authorized in New York.

peek at nysenate.gov, confirmed October 2026

What is owed in later years?

Underneath it all, one filing repeats: the biennial statement, every second year, at $9 each time. The state phrases its deadline like this: during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

peek at dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026

Do I have to pay a service at all?

Nothing stops you. Without a service, your three-year bill is the state's $209.

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.

Five layers set the order: total across three years (34%), what is inside the price (29%), price laid out in the open (14%), how the renewal behaves (12%) and how far it reaches (11%).

The layer that decides it: the biennial statement sits inside the first pick's price, while New York Registered Agent.ai leaves it with you.

How we open it up

New York formation, unpacked

RequirementWhat is insidePeek at source
LLC filing fee$200peek at dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026
Agent for service of processSpecial rule, opened belowpeek at nysenate.gov, confirmed October 2026
Biennial statement$9 every two yearspeek at dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026
What the state collects in three years$209The rows above, stacked
Last row = filing fee + two later reports + minimum tax, if the state has one. Variable costs are described in the text, not added.

Also worth asking

Is the EIN application inside the price?

Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application, and the others add it as an extra: New York Registered Agent.ai $99; NY Registered Agent.org $99.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Opened up over three years: Mainstay Filing at $597, New York Registered Agent.ai at $397, NY Registered Agent.org at $397, services only.

What do these numbers rest on?

Official New York 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 does the LLC owe each year?

Underneath it all, one filing repeats: the biennial statement, every second year, at $9 each time. The state phrases its deadline like this: during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

What is the best LLC service for New York?

Mainstay Filing, because for $199 a year you open one package holding formation, the agent for service of process and the biennial statement. Then New York Registered Agent.ai and NY Registered Agent.org.

Originals behind this page

  1. Unpacking New York Department of State led us to dos.ny.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking New York Department of State led us to filing.dos.ny.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking New York report due date led us to nysenate.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking NY Limited Liability Company Law led us to nysenate.gov, confirmed August 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking New York formation fee: Filing led us to dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking New York registered agent statute led us to nysenate.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Unpacking New York other cost: Publication led us to nysenate.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  8. Unpacking New York other cost: Certificate led us to dos.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  9. Unpacking New York other cost: Tax led us to tax.ny.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  10. The Mainstay Filing New York service page, opened November 13, 2026
  11. The New York Registered Agent.ai pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  12. The NY Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026