# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for registered agent services (startups) on 2026-10-06

## In short

On 2026-10-06, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best registered agent services for startups". It named 9 brands; the first six, in order, were Northwest, Northwest Registered Agent, Stripe, Stripe Atlas, Clerky and Harbor Compliance.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best registered agent services for startups |
| Asked on | 2026-10-06 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 9 |
| Sources cited | 6 |
| Audience | startups |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-06 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/registered-agent-services-startups-2026-10-06
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-06 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> ## Short version
> 
> Registered agent service is close to a commodity - the job is "have a real address in the state, receive legal mail, scan it to you fast, don't lose it." You're mostly buying reliability and *not* getting upsold. The main fork is whether you're a Delaware C-corp on the VC track or a local LLC.
> 
> ### 1. Harvard Business Services - $50/yr, Delaware ($99 elsewhere)
> My default recommendation for a Delaware C-corp. They've been in Lewes, DE since 1981, and they guarantee the $50 rate stays fixed for the life of the company - that's the part that matters, because most competitors quote you a cheap first year and then escalate. Prepay discounts: 2 years for $90, 3 for $125. No upsell machinery. ([delawareinc.com](https://www.delawareinc.com/compare-registered-agent-fees/), [kruzeconsulting.com](https://kruzeconsulting.com/cheapest-agent-delaware/))
> 
> ### 2. Northwest Registered Agent - $125/yr
> The one I'd name if you want the best service rather than the cheapest price, or if you're registering in multiple states. Consistently rated top of the category; the differentiators are actual knowledgeable humans on the phone, same-day local scanning of *all* mail (not just service

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwest | mentioned |
| 2 | Northwest Registered Agent | mentioned |
| 3 | Stripe | mentioned |
| 4 | Stripe Atlas | mentioned |
| 5 | Clerky | mentioned |
| 6 | Harbor Compliance | mentioned |
| 7 | CSC | mentioned |
| 8 | CT Corporation | mentioned |
| 9 | Bizee | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.delawareinc.com/compare-registered-agent-fees/ (other)
- https://kruzeconsulting.com/cheapest-agent-delaware/ (vendor)
- https://startupsavant.com/best-registered-agent-services (other)
- https://www.businessinitiative.org/formation-providers/northwest-registered-agent-vs-harbor-compliance/ (other)
- https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky (vendor)
- https://www.rho.co/blog/best-registered-agent-services (vendor)

The question page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/registered-agent-services/startups

Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection.

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.