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

Open it up · Pennsylvania

3 Best LLC Services in Pennsylvania (2026), Opened Up

Pennsylvania, 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), PA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199), in that order, are the LLC formation services worth opening first. Inside the cost: $125 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
$125, paid once
Next layer
$7 each year
Registered agent
Different here, see below
Top of the stack
Mainstay Filing, PA Registered Agent.org then Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co

The Pennsylvania stack, best on top

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

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

$199 a year, with the $125 state fee added

Mainstay Filing sits on top in Pennsylvania because inside its $199 yearly price sit the formation, the registered agent and the annual report filing, and it renews at $199.

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

The annual report is packed in, and the only extra is the state's $7.

Inside the price

  • The formation filing, packed in
  • Registered office across the full year
  • Annual report handled for you
  • EIN application
  • State fees at cost

Inside, the good

  • The EIN step is packed in
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • No jump at renewal ($199)

Inside, the catch

  • $100 a year above PA Registered Agent.org after year one
The Pennsylvania specialist

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

$199 to form; renewal $99

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

The annual report is left out of the package.

Inside the price

  • Pennsylvania formation filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year from year two
  • Formation fee of $199
  • A first year of agent service is inside

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing inside covers the annual report
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
The Pennsylvania specialist

3. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for another in-state option

$199 to form; renewal $99

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

The annual report is left out of the package.

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

Inside the price

  • Pennsylvania formation filing
  • A first year of agent service

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year from year two
  • A first year of agent service is inside
  • Formation fee of $199

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing inside covers the annual report
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

Inside each price

#PickYear oneRenewalTotal, 3 yearsWhat is inside
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597the formation filing, packed in; registered office across the full year; annual report handled for youLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2PA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397pennsylvania formation filing; A first year of agent serviceLook inside PA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397pennsylvania formation filing; A first year of agent serviceLook inside Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Opened up, question by question

What is inside the cost of forming an LLC here?

Filing costs $125. A service on top of that costs $199 in year one.

Across three years the state collects $139, filing fee included. peek at pa.gov, confirmed October 2026

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

The Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821) is the filing, and the Pennsylvania Secretary of State is where it goes. Approval creates the LLC.

The law underneath: 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821. peek at pa.gov, confirmed October 2026

Must the LLC name a registered agent?

Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.

Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent. Every LLC keeps a registered office instead: an actual street address in Pennsylvania, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider named in its place by a company without a Pennsylvania address.

peek at legis.state.pa.us, confirmed October 2026

What comes after the LLC is formed?

The annual report comes back each year, for $7. Its date, in the state's words, is September 30.

peek at pa.gov, confirmed October 2026

Do I have to pay a service at all?

Yes. Filing on your own costs only the state's fees, $139 over three years.

That $397 to $597 over three years is the price of handing off the paperwork and the agent role.

What put number one on top?

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

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

In Pennsylvania the annual report is due every year, and only the first pick packs its filing into the price.

How we open it up

What Pennsylvania requires to form an LLC

PartAmount or rulePeek at source
Fee to form$125peek at pa.gov, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentDifferent here, see belowpeek at legis.state.pa.us, confirmed October 2026
Annual report$7 every yearpeek at pa.gov, confirmed October 2026
What the state collects in three years$139The 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.

More boxes to open

Is the EIN application inside the price?

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

How do the three-year totals compare?

Mainstay Filing stacks up to $597, PA Registered Agent.org stacks up to $397, Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co stacks up to $397, before state fees.

What do these numbers rest on?

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

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?

The annual report comes back each year, for $7. Its date, in the state's words, is September 30.

What is the best LLC service for Pennsylvania?

Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year packs in formation, the registered agent and every annual report. Then PA Registered Agent.org and Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co.

What the page rests on

  1. Under Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau sits pa.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  2. Under Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau sits pa.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  3. Under 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821 sits pa.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  4. Under Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee sits pa.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  5. Under Pennsylvania registered agent statute sits legis.state.pa.us, dated October 2026, as the original document
  6. Mainstay Filing Pennsylvania service page, read November 13, 2026
  7. PA Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co pricing page, read November 13, 2026