What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for registered agent services (small businesses) on 2026-10-21

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-21

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

The question asked, verbatim: best registered agent services for small businesses

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. Northwest mentioned
   Northwest Registered Agent - $125/yr.
2. Northwest Registered Agent mentioned
   Northwest Registered Agent - $125/yr.
3. Harbor Compliance mentioned
   Harbor Compliance - $89-$99/yr.
4. CSC mentioned
   CSC or CT Corporation - expect $300+/yr.
5. CT Corporation mentioned
   CSC or CT Corporation - expect $300+/yr.
6. ZenBusiness mentioned
   ZenBusiness or Bizee - only as a bundle, not on their own.
7. Bizee mentioned
   ZenBusiness or Bizee - only as a bundle, not on their own.
8. Rho mentioned
   - Rho - Cheapest Incorporation Service 2026 (https://www.rho.co/blog/cheapest-incorporation-service)

Sources the engine cited

Is one of these your site? Its page lists every recorded answer that cited it, with the questions, the pages and the dates, and carries the alert for the next citation.

The answer, as recorded

Here's who I'd actually name, in order: **1. Northwest Registered Agent - $125/yr. The default pick for most small businesses.** This is what I'd recommend if you just want to pick one and stop thinking about it. Their real differentiator is privacy: they let you use *their* address on your public formation filings instead of yours, which matters a lot if you run the business out of your house. Same-day document scanning, no upsell gauntlet, and you reach a human who actually knows your state's rules. Free for year one if you form through them ($39 + state fee). **2. Harbor Compliance - $89-$99/yr. Best if you operate in multiple states.** Cheaper per state than Northwest and built for compliance tracking rather than formation sales. Their compliance calendar - annual reports, franchise tax, license renewals - is genuinely better than anyone else's at this price. Multi-year prepay discounts. Worth noting renewal pricing is reported in the $99-$149 range depending on term, so confirm the renewal rate before you commit. **3. CSC or CT Corporation - expect $300+/yr. Only if a third party is making you.** Enterprise-grade and priced accordingly. The reason to go here is external: a lender, investor, franchisor, or an insurance/healthcare regulator who wants a name they recognize on the filing. For a normal small business this is money burned. **4. Registered Agents Inc - ~$200/yr. Privacy-maximalist alternative to Northwest.** They own offices in all 50 states and are aggressive about keeping your name and address off public records. Pick them over Northwest only if address privacy is the entire reason you're buying. **5. ZenBusiness or Bizee - only as a bundle, not on their own.** Fine if you're already forming the LLC with them and want year one free. Bizee renews at ~$119/yr. Don't buy either as standalone registered agent service - you're paying for a formation funnel, not an agent. **6. State-specific budget agents - ~$29-$49/yr. Single-state, low-stakes only.** Delaware Registered Agent charges $29/yr with free scanning, and most states have a comparable local operator. Real tradeoff: if they fold or stop forwarding mail, you can miss a lawsuit and lose by default. Reasonable for a dormant holding entity, not for an operating business. **One thing I'd skip:** LegalZoom's registered agent service. It's roughly $250/yr for a product Northwest does better for half the price. Their legal-advice subscription may be worth it on its own merits - the agent service isn't. **And the free option:** you can be your own registered agent in every state. It costs nothing, but your home address goes into a searchable public database, you have to be physically present during business hours, and you can't easily move. Most people outgrow this within a year or two. Sources: - [TRUiC - Best Registered Agent Services](https://howtostartanllc.com/reviews/best-registered-agent-services) - [StartupSavant - Best Registered Agent Services](https://startupsavant.com/best-registered-agent-services) - [Business Initiative - Northwest vs Harbor Compliance](https://www.businessinitiative.org/formation-providers/northwest-registered-agent-vs-harbor-compliance/) - [Rho - Cheapest Incorporation Service 2026](https://www.rho.co/blog/cheapest-incorporation-service) - [Delaware Registered Agent - Cheapest Delaware Registered Agent](https://www.delawareregisteredagent.com/delaware-registered-agent/how-to/cheapest-delaware-registered-agent)

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-18, 2026-10-16, 2026-10-14, 2026-10-10, 2026-10-08, 2026-10-06, 2026-10-05, 2026-10-03, 2026-10-01, 2026-09-27, 2026-09-24.

registered agent services, asked for other audiences: startups (asked 2026-10-21).

Other categories with a recorded answer: accounting firms, business coaching services, business formation services, compliance consulting firms.

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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.