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Unpacked · Texas

3 Best LLC Services in Texas (2026): What Is Inside Each

In Texas for 2026, unpack LLC formation services in this order: TX Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199). Two parts make up the bill: $300 for Texas and $397 to $597 for three years of service.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Fee to the state
$300, paid once
Next layer
Report has no fee
Registered agent
Yes, by law
Top of the stack
TX Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing then Texas Registered Agent.ai

Texas: ranked

Prices come from each company's own page. See how we open it up.
Ranked first

1. TX Registered Agent.org: best for a business that stays in one state

$199 to form; renewal $99

TX Registered Agent.org sits on top in Texas because it opens at $199 with the first agent year inside and renews at $99.

Cost decides it: the three-year total here is under Mainstay Filing's.

Not inside the price: the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, which stays with you.

Inside the price

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

Inside, the good

  • A renewal of $99
  • $199 to form the LLC
  • Year one of the agent comes with it

Inside, the catch

  • The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report sits outside the box
  • EIN not included ($99)
Holds up anywhere

2. Mainstay Filing: best for not filing the Public Information Report yourself

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

What puts Mainstay Filing second: $199 a year packs in formation, the registered agent and every Public Information Report.

TX Registered Agent.org totals $200 less across three years, enough to outrank it.

Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report filing is part of the package, and Texas charges nothing for it.

Inside the price

  • The formation filing, packed in
  • Registered agent across the full year
  • Public Information Report handled for you
  • EIN application
  • State fees at cost

Inside, the good

  • The EIN step is packed in
  • Renews at $199
  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report

Inside, the catch

  • $100 a year above TX Registered Agent.org after year one
The Texas specialist

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

$199 to form; renewal $99

Texas Registered Agent.ai lands third, and it opens at $199 with the first agent year inside and renews at $99.

Not inside the price: the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, which stays with you.

It charges what TX Registered Agent.org charges.

Inside the price

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

Inside, the good

  • A renewal of $99
  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $199 to form the LLC

Inside, the catch

  • The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report sits outside the box
  • EIN not included ($99)

Inside each price

#CompanyYear oneRenewalThree-year totalWhat is inside
1TX Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A first year of agent serviceLook inside TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597the formation filing, packed in; registered agent across the full year; Public Information Report handled for youLook inside Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Texas Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397The LLC, filed for you; A first year of agent serviceLook inside Texas 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.

Layer by layer

How much does forming an LLC cost in this state?

Your bill has two parts: $300 for the filing and, optionally, $199 for first-year help.

Across three years the state collects $300, filing fee included. peek at sos.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026

What do I actually send the state?

The Texas Secretary of State receives the Certificate of Formation (Form 205), and once it is approved the company exists.

Statute: Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005. peek at sos.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026

Is a registered agent required?

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

A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent.

peek at sos.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026

What comes after the LLC is formed?

Underneath it all, one filing repeats: the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, every year, with no fee. The state phrases its deadline like this: May 15.

File late and the state adds $50.

peek at comptroller.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026

Do I have to pay a service at all?

Yes. Filing on your own costs only the state's fees, $300 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?

TX Registered Agent.org is strongest on total across three years, a layer worth 34% of the score.

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

On cost, TX Registered Agent.org comes out ahead at $397, a $200 saving against Mainstay Filing.

How we open it up

What Texas requires to form an LLC

PartAmount or rulePeek at source
LLC filing fee$300peek at sos.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026
Registered agentYes, by lawpeek at sos.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026
Recurring reportNo feepeek at comptroller.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026
What the state collects in three years$300The 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 TX Registered Agent.org and $99 at Texas Registered Agent.ai.

What if the report is late?

Texas adds $50.

What do the picks cost over three years?

TX Registered Agent.org runs to $397 and Mainstay Filing runs to $597 and Texas Registered Agent.ai runs to $397, before state fees.

What do these numbers rest on?

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

Do I have to use a service?

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

Which LLC service should I open first in Texas?

TX Registered Agent.org is on top: its $99 renewal brings three years to $397. Under it sit Mainstay Filing and Texas Registered Agent.ai.

What the page rests on

  1. Under Texas yearly filing: Annual report sits comptroller.texas.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  2. Under Texas report due date sits statutes.capitol.texas.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  3. Under Tex sits sos.texas.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  4. Under Texas registered agent statute sits sos.texas.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  5. TX Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  6. Mainstay Filing Texas service page, read November 13, 2026
  7. Texas Registered Agent.ai pricing page, read November 13, 2026