What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for business formation services (startups) on 2026-10-02
Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-02
On 2026-10-02, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best business formation services for startups". It named 9 brands; the first six, in order, were Clerky, Stripe Atlas, Carta, Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee and ZenBusiness.
| Question | best business formation services for startups |
|---|---|
| Asked on | 2026-10-02 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 9 |
| Sources cited | 7 |
| Audience | startups |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified |
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
- Clerky recommended
Clerky - My default recommendation for anything on the funding track.
- Stripe Atlas mentioned
Stripe Atlas - Best if you want fast and cheap, or if you're a non-US founder.
- Carta mentioned
Carta - Worth considering only because the incorporation bundle (~$400-$499, including filing fees, a year of registered agent, and the free Launch tier) folds in cap table management you'll need anyway.
- Northwest Registered Agent recommended
Northwest Registered Agent - My pick for most LLCs.
- Bizee mentioned
Bizee (formerly Incfile) - The budget option: $0 formation plus state fees, with a free first year of registered agent ($149/year after).
- ZenBusiness mentioned
ZenBusiness - $0 formation, strong guided onboarding and compliance reminders, which genuinely helps first-time founders who'd otherwise miss an annual report deadline.
- LegalZoom mentioned
LegalZoom - the best-known brand and the worst value.
- Tailor Brands mentioned
And I'd ignore Tailor Brands and LegalNature for a real startup;
- LegalNature mentioned
And I'd ignore Tailor Brands and LegalNature for a real startup;
What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered about business formation services for startups on 2026-10-02: 9 brands named, 7 sources cited. This question is asked again on the nightly schedule and each new answer gets its own dated page.
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Sources the engine cited
| Source | Type |
|---|---|
| rho.co | vendor |
| flowjam.com | other |
| startupsavant.com | other |
| guptadeepak.com | other |
| opencapstack.com | other |
| zenbusiness.com | vendor |
| startupsavant.com | other |
The answer, as recorded
The right answer splits on one thing: whether you're raising venture money (Delaware C-corp) or building a bootstrapped/small business (LLC). Here's who I'd actually name for each. ## If you plan to raise VC - Delaware C-corp **1. Clerky** - My default recommendation for anything on the funding track. It's built specifically for venture-backed startups, and its documents were drafted by former Orrick startup attorneys, so they're recognized by top startup law firms and don't create diligence headaches later. Critically, it doesn't stop at formation: it handles 83(b) elections, SAFEs, stock option plans, and board consents - the paperwork that actually blows up fundraises when done sloppily. Roughly $819 for the lifetime package, incorporating in 2-3 business days. ([rho.co](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky), [flowjam.com](https://www.flowjam.com/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky-which-is-better-for-your-startup)) **2. Stripe Atlas** - Best if you want fast and cheap, or if you're a non-US founder. ~$500 flat including government fees and first-year registered agent, then ~$100/year. It's the strongest option for international founders because it bundles the EIN and US bank account setup, which is the genuinely hard part from abroad. Many YC founders use Atlas to incorporate, then Clerky for every financing document after. ([rho.co](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky), [startupsavant.com](https://startupsavant.com/best-incorporation-services-for-startups)) **3. Carta** - Worth considering only because the incorporation bundle (~$400-$499, including filing fees, a year of registered agent, and the free Launch tier) folds in cap table management you'll need anyway. Launch is free up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised. The catch: Carta's pricing past that tier is quote-based and climbs fast, so treat it as an on-ramp, not a lock-in. ([guptadeepak.com](https://guptadeepak.com/startup-offers/guides/carta-for-startups), [opencapstack.com](https://opencapstack.com/blog/carta-pricing-2026-how-much-does-carta-cost)) ## If you're forming an LLC **4. Northwest Registered Agent** - My pick for most LLCs. $39 plus state fees, a year of registered agent included, then $125/year - the lowest ongoing cost of the major players. Its "privacy by default" model keeps your personal address off public filings, which matters more than people expect if you're running a business from home. Support is handled by actual humans, not upsell funnels. ([zenbusiness.com](https://www.zenbusiness.com/northwest-registered-agent-vs-incfile/), [startupsavant.com](https://startupsavant.com/7-business-incorporation-services)) **5. Bizee (formerly Incfile)** - The budget option: $0 formation plus state fees, with a free first year of registered agent ($149/year after). Fine if you want to spend as close to nothing as possible and don't care about privacy shielding. ([zenbusiness.com](https://www.zenbusiness.com/northwest-registered-agent-vs-incfile/)) **6. ZenBusiness** - $0 formation, strong guided onboarding and compliance reminders, which genuinely helps first-time founders who'd otherwise miss an annual report deadline. But registered agent runs $199/year, the most expensive of the three, so your two-year cost is worse than Northwest's. ([startupsavant.com](https://startupsavant.com/7-business-incorporation-services)) ## Who I'd skip **LegalZoom** - the best-known brand and the worst value. You're paying for marketing. Fine only if you specifically want its attorney-consultation add-ons. And I'd ignore **Tailor Brands** and **LegalNature** for a real startup; they're aimed at solopreneurs bundling logos and templates. ## Two caveats If you're raising money, the formation service is the cheap part - a startup lawyer reviewing your founder vesting and IP assignment is worth more than any of the above. Clerky is a good substitute for a lawyer at formation, not at your priced round. Also: nearly every "best LLC service" page in these results is affiliate-monetized, and one of my sources is ZenBusiness reviewing its own competitors. The pricing figures above are directionally right but verify current numbers on each provider's own site before paying - these change often and the review sites lag. Sources: - [rho.co - Stripe Atlas vs Clerky](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky) - [flowjam.com - Stripe Atlas vs Clerky 2026](https://www.flowjam.com/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky-which-is-better-for-your-startup) - [startupsavant.com - Best Incorporation Services for Startups](https://startupsavant.com/best-incorporation-services-for-startups) - [startupsavant.com - 8 Best LLC Services](https://startupsavant.com/7-business-incorporation-services) - [zenbusiness.com - Northwest vs Bizee](https://www.zenbusiness.com/northwest-registered-agent-vs-incfile/) - [guptadeepak.com - Carta for startups](https://guptadeepak.com/startup-offers/guides/carta-for-startups) - [opencapstack.com - Carta Pricing 2026](https://opencapstack.com/blog/carta-pricing-2026-how-much-does-carta-cost)
Near this answer
The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-09-30, 2026-09-27, 2026-09-25, 2026-09-23, 2026-09-21, 2026-09-17, 2026-09-15, 2026-09-13, 2026-09-11, 2026-09-09, 2026-09-06.
business formation services, asked for other audiences: small businesses (asked 2026-10-02).
Other categories with a recorded answer: accounting firms, business coaching services, compliance consulting firms, contract review services.
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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.