What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for business formation services (startups) on 2026-10-24

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-24

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 recommended
   Clerky - my default recommendation for anyone who plans to raise a priced round.
2. Cooley mentioned
   Built by startup attorneys, and the documents it generates are the same ones law firms like Cooley and Gunderson already expect to see, so your eventual diligence is clean.
3. Stripe mentioned
   Stripe Atlas - the best value if you want it done fast and correctly without thinking much.
4. Stripe Atlas mentioned
   Stripe Atlas - the best value if you want it done fast and correctly without thinking much.
5. AWS mentioned
   $500 one-time, includes the first year of registered agent (then $100/yr), handles the 83(b) election filing, and drops you straight into Stripe payments plus a pile of partner credits (AWS, etc.).
6. Firstbase mentioned
   Firstbase - pick this if you're a non-US founder.
7. EIN mentioned
   Formation is the front door to a real back office: US mail/virtual address, registered agent, bookkeeping, tax filings, and help with the EIN when you have no SSN.
8. Northwest Registered Agent mentioned
   Northwest Registered Agent - the one I'd actually use.
9. Bizee mentioned
   Bizee (formerly Incfile) - $0 + state fee for the filing with a year of registered agent included, which is the cheapest credible entry point.
10. ZenBusiness mentioned
    ZenBusiness - reasonable if you want formation bundled with compliance reminders, annual report filing, and basic banking/accounting in one subscription dashboard.
11. LegalZoom mentioned
    I'd skip LegalZoom unless you specifically want the brand-name attorney add-ons - you pay a premium for the same filing, and the ongoing registered agent is pricier than the alternatives.
12. Rho mentioned
    - The 10 Best Incorporation Services for Startups in 2026 - Rho (https://www.rho.co/blog/best-incorporation-services)

Sources the engine cited

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The answer, as recorded

The honest answer depends on one fork: are you building a venture-track startup (raising from investors, co-founders, stock options), or a small business/solo operation? The right tool is completely different. ## If you're raising venture money (Delaware C-corp) **1. Clerky** - my default recommendation for anyone who plans to raise a priced round. Built by startup attorneys, and the documents it generates are the same ones law firms like Cooley and Gunderson already expect to see, so your eventual diligence is clean. It doesn't stop at formation: stock issuance, 83(b), director election, bylaws, IP assignment, and later safes/convertible notes. Delaware C-corps only, which is a feature, not a limit. ~$819 for the lifetime package, or cheaper à la carte. **2. Stripe Atlas** - the best value if you want it done fast and correctly without thinking much. $500 one-time, includes the first year of registered agent (then $100/yr), handles the 83(b) election filing, and drops you straight into Stripe payments plus a pile of partner credits (AWS, etc.). Forms Delaware C-corps and LLCs. Where it's weaker than Clerky: ongoing fundraising paperwork, which you'll handle elsewhere. **3. Firstbase** - pick this if you're a non-US founder. Formation is the front door to a real back office: US mail/virtual address, registered agent, bookkeeping, tax filings, and help with the EIN when you have no SSN. Start is $399 but registered agent is a separate $299/yr from day one, so budget accordingly. Worth asking them directly how 83(b) gets filed if you have founder vesting - they don't advertise it. **doola** is the alternative to Firstbase in this slot, also aimed at non-US founders with heavier ongoing compliance support. ## If it's an LLC / small business **4. Northwest Registered Agent** - the one I'd actually use. $39 + state fee, registered agent included the first year ($125/yr after), genuinely good human support, and notably they don't use your data as a lead-gen product or bury you in upsells. They also let you use their address instead of publishing your home address. **5. Bizee** (formerly Incfile) - $0 + state fee for the filing with a year of registered agent included, which is the cheapest credible entry point. The tradeoff is aggressive upselling and more uneven support. **6. ZenBusiness** - reasonable if you want formation bundled with compliance reminders, annual report filing, and basic banking/accounting in one subscription dashboard. I'd skip **LegalZoom** unless you specifically want the brand-name attorney add-ons - you pay a premium for the same filing, and the ongoing registered agent is pricier than the alternatives. **One thing worth saying:** the formation filing itself is the easy, commoditized part - any of these will correctly file your certificate of incorporation. What actually matters is the stuff immediately after: your 83(b) election (there's a hard 30-day deadline from stock issuance, and missing it is an expensive, unfixable mistake), founder IP assignment, and vesting. That's the entire reason to pay more for Clerky or Atlas over a cheap filer if you're on the venture track. And if you already have a co-founder disagreement brewing or non-trivial equity splits, pay a startup lawyer - none of these replace that. Sources: - [The 10 Best Incorporation Services for Startups in 2026 - Rho](https://www.rho.co/blog/best-incorporation-services) - [Stripe Atlas vs. Clerky: 2026 Incorporation Guide for Startup Founders - Rho](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky) - [Stripe Atlas vs Firstbase - Rho](https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-firstbase) - [8 Best Online Incorporation Services for Startups in 2026 - Startup Savant](https://startupsavant.com/best-incorporation-services-for-startups) - [Best Business Formation Service 2026 - Newsweek Readers' Choice](https://www.newsweek.com/readerschoice/best-business-formation-service-2026) - [Stripe Atlas: cost, perks, and alternatives](https://guptadeepak.com/startup-offers/guides/stripe-atlas)

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-22, 2026-10-20, 2026-10-19, 2026-10-16, 2026-10-14, 2026-10-12, 2026-10-11, 2026-10-09, 2026-10-07, 2026-10-04, 2026-10-02.

business formation services, asked for other audiences: small businesses (asked 2026-10-24).

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.