What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for business formation services (startups) on 2026-09-09

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-09-09

Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

The question asked, verbatim: best business formation services for startups

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. Clerky mentioned
   Clerky - $799 for the incorporation + post-incorporation package.
2. Stripe mentioned
   Stripe Atlas - $500 one-time.
3. Stripe Atlas mentioned
   Stripe Atlas - $500 one-time.
4. EIN Presswire mentioned
   Delaware filing (next-day expedited), state fees, EIN, founder stock issuance, 83(b) filing, plus bank account and Stripe integration.
5. Firstbase mentioned
   Firstbase - ~$399.
6. Northwest Registered Agent mentioned
   Northwest Registered Agent - $39 + state fee.
7. ZenBusiness mentioned
   ZenBusiness.
8. LegalZoom mentioned
   LegalZoom.
9. Inc Authority mentioned
   Skip Inc Authority and similar "free LLC" offers - the formation is free because the registered agent renewal and the upsells aren't.
10. Rho compared
    - Rho - Stripe Atlas vs.

Sources the engine cited

The answer, as recorded

The answer forks on one thing: are you raising venture capital, or are you a small business that says "startup"? Different tools entirely. ## If you're VC-track (Delaware C-corp, co-founders, will raise) **1. Clerky - $799 for the incorporation + post-incorporation package.** My default recommendation. It generates the actual document set investors and their lawyers expect: bylaws, stock purchase agreements with vesting, IP assignment, board consents, 83(b) filings. It's what YC companies use, and diligence goes smoothly because the paperwork is already in the format acquirers and Series A counsel want. Caveat: Clerky doesn't file with Delaware for you - you file, or pair it with a filing service. The real value is the documents, not the filing. **2. Stripe Atlas - $500 one-time.** Fastest path from zero to incorporated. Delaware filing (next-day expedited), state fees, EIN, founder stock issuance, 83(b) filing, plus bank account and Stripe integration. Best if you want to be operational this week. Weakness: no ongoing compliance reminders, no tax support, and the document set is thinner than Clerky's if you get into complex equity. **3. Firstbase - ~$399.** The pick if you're a **non-US founder**. Onboarding for international founders is genuinely better than the alternatives, and it bundles ongoing compliance, bookkeeping, and tax filing rather than dropping you after formation. More platform than you need if you're a US founder who just wants to incorporate. **4. A startup lawyer, if you have unusual facts.** Non-standard equity splits, existing IP owned by an employer, a foreign parent entity, or an early acquisition conversation - none of these are template problems. $3-8K up front beats a $50K cleanup during diligence. ## If you're a single-member LLC / consultancy / small business **1. Northwest Registered Agent - $39 + state fee.** My pick. Actual privacy (they list their address, not yours, on public filings), no upsell funnel, no bait-and-switch on year-two registered agent renewal. Bundles business address, email, and website. **2. ZenBusiness.** The friendliest guided experience for a first-time founder, with compliance alerts and banking integrations. Slightly more upsell-driven than Northwest. **3. LegalZoom.** Worth it only if you want the ongoing attorney access and document library. You're paying a brand premium on the formation itself. Skip **Inc Authority** and similar "free LLC" offers - the formation is free because the registered agent renewal and the upsells aren't. **The one thing everyone gets wrong:** calculate your year-two cost before you buy. Formation is a one-time $0-500; registered agent renewal, Delaware franchise tax (~$450/yr minimum for a typical startup on the assumed-par-value method), and registered agent fees are forever. And if you issue founder stock with vesting, **file your 83(b) within 30 days** - that deadline is unforgiving and is the single most expensive mistake founders make at this stage. Sources: - [Forbes Advisor - Best LLC Formation Services of 2026](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/best-llc-service/) - [Rho - Stripe Atlas vs. Clerky vs. LegalZoom: 2026 Incorporation Guide](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky) - [Flowjam - Stripe Atlas vs Clerky 2026](https://www.flowjam.com/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky-which-is-better-for-your-startup) - [Startup Savant - Stripe Atlas Alternatives for Startups in 2026](https://startupsavant.com/service-reviews/stripe-atlas-alternatives) - [Medium - Incorporating a Startup: Delaware C-Corp, Atlas vs Clerky](https://medium.com/all-things-cloud/incorporating-a-startup-delaware-c-corp-atlas-vs-clerky-and-the-checklist-that-saves-you-later-4564c2712924)

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Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.