# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for registered agent services (startups) on 2026-10-14

## In short

On 2026-10-14, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best registered agent services for startups". It named 11 brands; the first six, in order, were Northwest, Northwest Registered Agent, Stripe, Stripe Atlas, EIN and Clerky.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best registered agent services for startups |
| Asked on | 2026-10-14 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 11 |
| Sources cited | 8 |
| Audience | startups |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-14 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/registered-agent-services-startups-2026-10-14
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-14 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> Short version: this is a commodity service - someone receives legal mail at a physical address in your state of incorporation and forwards it. Don't overpay. Here's who I'd actually name, in order:
> 
> **1. Northwest Registered Agent - $125/yr.** My default recommendation for most startups. Flat price in every state with no renewal bait-and-switch, they scan every document they receive (not just service of process), and they use their own address rather than yours - which matters since registered agent addresses are public record and a home address on the Delaware or California filing is permanent. Drops to $100/state at five-plus states. ([rho.co](https://www.rho.co/blog/best-registered-agent-services), [llcuniversity.com](https://www.llcuniversity.com/best-registered-agent-service-in-delaware/))
> 
> **2. Harvard Business Services - $50/yr, rate locked for the life of the company.** If you're a Delaware entity and want the cheapest credible option, this is it. They've held $50 since 1981 and guarantee it won't rise. Narrower product (Delaware-centric, less polished dashboard), but for a single-state Delaware C-corp that's all you need. ([earnifyhub.com](https://earnifyhub.com/blog/harva

## 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 | EIN | mentioned |
| 6 | Clerky | mentioned |
| 7 | CSC | mentioned |
| 8 | CT Corporation | mentioned |
| 9 | Series B | mentioned |
| 10 | Harbor Compliance | mentioned |
| 11 | ZenBusiness | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.rho.co/blog/best-registered-agent-services (vendor)
- https://www.llcuniversity.com/best-registered-agent-service-in-delaware/ (other)
- https://earnifyhub.com/blog/harvard-business-services-vs-northwest (other)
- https://www.rho.co/blog/stripe-atlas-vs-clerky (vendor)
- https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2026/09/304464-fintech-stripe-acquires-online-legal-platform-clerky/ (other)
- https://www.fintechfutures.com/m-a/stripe-acquires-clerky (other)
- https://www.businessinitiative.org/formation-providers/harbor-compliance-vs-registered-agents-inc/ (other)
- https://www.businessinitiative.org/formation-providers/harbor-compliance-vs-us-registered-agents/ (other)

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.