What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for business formation services (startups) on 2026-09-11

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-09-11

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: my first pick for venture-backed startups.
2. Stripe mentioned
   Stripe announced it was acquiring Clerky in August 2026, and the team says it will keep running independently.
3. Stripe Atlas mentioned
   Stripe Atlas: the fastest and simplest option.
4. Firstbase mentioned
   Firstbase: best if you want one vendor for formation plus a mailing address, mailroom, bookkeeping, tax and compliance.
5. you're mentioned
   If you're building a small business that won't raise VC (LLC)
6. Northwest Registered Agent mentioned
   Northwest Registered Agent: my first pick for most LLCs.
7. ZenBusiness mentioned
   ZenBusiness: the most hand-holding for first-time founders, with extra tools for branding, a website and compliance.
8. Bizee mentioned
   Bizee (formerly Incfile): the cheapest way to start.
9. LegalZoom mentioned
   LegalZoom: the most expensive, but worth it if you want legal and tax help from one well-known company as you grow.
10. Rho compared
    - Rho: Stripe Atlas vs.

Sources the engine cited

The answer, as recorded

Which service fits depends on whether you plan to raise venture capital. If you do, form a Delaware C-corp through a startup-focused service. If you don't, a cheap LLC filer is all you need. ## If you plan to raise money (Delaware C-corp) 1. **Clerky**: my first pick for venture-backed startups. Startup attorneys built it, and law firms already use its documents. It covers formation plus post-incorporation paperwork like bylaws, stock purchase agreements and board consents. It starts around $399 including state fees, or about $726 with the full post-incorporation setup. Stripe announced it was acquiring Clerky in August 2026, and the team says it will keep running independently. Clerky companies account for 23% of Silicon Valley seed and pre-seed rounds. 2. **Stripe Atlas**: the fastest and simplest option. It's $500 for a Delaware C-corp or LLC, including the state filing fee and the first year of registered agent. It uses standard startup defaults, handles the 83(b) election, and connects easily to banking and Stripe payments. Pick it if speed matters more than having the most complete legal document set. 3. **Firstbase**: best if you want one vendor for formation plus a mailing address, mailroom, bookkeeping, tax and compliance. It forms LLCs and C-corps in Delaware or Wyoming and helps with the EIN (tax ID) and a bank account through partner banks. That makes it popular with founders outside the US. 4. **Harvard Business Services (DelawareInc.com)**: it has only done Delaware formations since 1981. Pick it if you just want a reliable Delaware filing and registered agent without extra tools. ## If you're building a small business that won't raise VC (LLC) 1. **Northwest Registered Agent**: my first pick for most LLCs. It's $39 plus the state fee, with a year of registered agent included. Renewal is a flat $125 a year, and it uses your address, not your home address, on public filings by default. 2. **ZenBusiness**: the most hand-holding for first-time founders, with extra tools for branding, a website and compliance. Formation is $0 plus the state fee, but the registered agent and compliance add-ons are about $199 a year each, so watch the renewal costs. 3. **Bizee (formerly Incfile)**: the cheapest way to start. It has a $0 plan plus the state fee, with a free first year of registered agent. After that the registered agent is about $249 a year. 4. **LegalZoom**: the most expensive, but worth it if you want legal and tax help from one well-known company as you grow. A few things to keep in mind: - Prices change often, so check them at checkout. - Many "best of" lists earn affiliate commissions, and some comparison pages are written by the vendors themselves (for example ZenBusiness's own comparison pages), so I relied more on the independent reviews. - If you're raising a priced round soon, pay for a startup lawyer anyway. Clerky is built to work with one. Sources: - [Quick Sprout: 10 Best Business Formation Services 2026](https://www.quicksprout.com/best-business-formation-services/) - [Forbes Advisor: Best LLC Formation Services](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/best-llc-service/) - [Rho: Stripe Atlas vs. Clerky vs. LegalZoom 2026](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky) - [Rho: Stripe Atlas Alternatives](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-alternatives) - [Flowjam: Stripe Atlas vs Clerky 2026](https://www.flowjam.com/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky-which-is-better-for-your-startup) - [FreeNetLaw: Stripe Atlas review](https://freenetlaw.com/llc/services/stripe-atlas/) - [Clerky: Clerky is joining Stripe](https://www.clerky.com/blog/clerky-is-joining-stripe) - [Dealroom: Stripe buys Clerky](https://dealroom.co/news/147306-stripe-buys-clerky-the-legal-startup-behind-23-of-silicon-valley-seed-de/) - [Finovate: Stripe acquires Clerky](https://finovate.com/stripe-acquires-clerky-to-offer-legal-infrastructure-for-startups/) - [VentureSmarter: Northwest vs ZenBusiness 2026](https://venturesmarter.com/northwest-registered-agent-vs-zenbusiness/) - [Rho: 6 Best LLC Formation Services 2026](https://www.rho.co/blog/best-llc-formation-services) - [GlobalSolo: Northwest vs ZenBusiness vs Bizee 2026 pricing](https://www.globalsolo.global/blog/northwest-vs-zenbusiness-vs-bizee-registered-agent-comparison-2026)

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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.