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LLC formation watchlists / California

3 Best LLC Services in California (2026): Prices Tracked

The best-value LLC formation services for California in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($199), California Registered Agent.ai ($199) and CA Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked in that order. Expect $397 to $597 in service fees by year three. The $70 owed to California does not depend on the provider.
Tracked by the Filing Price Watch editorial team

Ordered by: Best value first, using our five measures

The short version

Government fee to file $70 leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (pulled August 2026, noted here)
First-year price range $199 No state fee in these
What three years cost $397 to $597 Three years of provider charges
State side, years 1 to 3 $2,490 Left out of the ordering
Totals cross in Never No service overtakes another

The California picks, ranked

Each entry shows year one, the price from year two and the three-year total. California's $70 is added to any of them.

1
Best value

1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want upkeep handled

$199 a year, plus $70 paid to the state

Price in year 1 $199
Price after year 1 $199/yr
Three-year spend $597

First on the watchlist is Mainstay Filing. It is the only price here that folds the Statement of Information into $199 a year.

You would save $200 over three years with California Registered Agent.ai and keep more filings on your own plate.

You skip the Statement of Information; the one extra is the state's $20.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork done
  • Agent for service of process for the full year
  • Statement of Information, filed when it is due
  • EIN application, prepared for you
  • State fee billed as is

Holds up

  • Year two costs $199
  • $199 a year includes filing and agent and report
  • The EIN application is taken care of

Weak spots

  • Renews $100 above California Registered Agent.ai
Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2
One-state service

2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a basic start

$199 plus fees; renews at $99

Price in year 1 $199
Price after year 1 $99/yr
Three-year spend $397

Spot 2 goes to California Registered Agent.ai: $199 to start, agent service for year one included, then $99 a year.

Its price does not extend to the Statement of Information.

Price covers

  • Formation sent to the state office
  • A year of agent service to begin with

Holds up

  • Agent renews for $99
  • Starts at $199
  • Agent service free in year one

Weak spots

  • The Statement of Information is not priced in
  • $99 extra for the EIN
Go to California Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3
One-state service

3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal

$199 plus fees; renews at $99

Price in year 1 $199
Price after year 1 $99/yr
Three-year spend $397

Spot 3 goes to CA Registered Agent.org: $199 to start, agent service for year one included, then $99 a year.

Its price does not extend to the Statement of Information.

California Registered Agent.ai lists exactly the same prices.

Price covers

  • Formation sent to the state office
  • A year of agent service to begin with

Holds up

  • Agent renews for $99
  • Starts at $199
  • Agent service free in year one

Weak spots

  • The Statement of Information is not priced in
  • $99 extra for the EIN
Go to CA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Running total by year

Place Service After year 1 After year 2 After year 3 After year 5
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $398 $597 $995
Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 California Registered Agent.ai $199 $298 $397 $595
Go to California Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 CA Registered Agent.org $199 $298 $397 $595
Go to CA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Service fees only, from prices each company published as of November 13, 2026. No crossover shows up within ten years.

Totals calculator

How long will the LLC stay open? Choose the years and compare, with the EIN application as an option.
Spend for 3 years: Mainstay Filing $597, California Registered Agent.ai $397, CA Registered Agent.org $397. Lowest of the totals: California Registered Agent.ai.

Government charges

Item Amount Source
Filing to create the LLC $70 leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (pulled August 2026, noted here)
Statement of Information $20 every two years sos.ca.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)
Late charge $250 sos.ca.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)
Minimum tax $800 a year ftb.ca.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)
State total for three years $2,490 Added from the lines above

For the state side of three years we add up the filing fee, the report charged in years two and three and a yearly minimum tax if the state has one. Publication requirements and other open-ended costs are noted in the text, not totaled.

Why this order for California

In California, filings covered by the price (29% of the order) was the measure where Mainstay Filing pulled ahead.

California Registered Agent.ai costs less over three years but you would still file the Statement of Information.

Need the EIN application? The lines meet in year 2, as Mainstay Filing moves past California Registered Agent.ai.

California LLC filing fee and requirements, as written by the state

You send the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) and $70 to the California Secretary of State (Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01). Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

  • $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

Source wording: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (pulled August 2026, noted here)

The do-it-yourself total

Skip the services and California still collects $2,490 across three years, while you fill out every form. Hiring help costs $397 to $597.

Frequently asked

How much do LLC formation services cost in California?

Year one is $199 among these services, and California adds $70 to file.

What do these services cost over three years?

Three years of service run $397 to $597.

What does California charge to file an LLC?

$70, filed with the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1).

What does California charge every year once the LLC exists?

Each second year the state charges $20 for the Statement of Information, due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. The yearly minimum tax is separate.

Does the price include the EIN application?

Mainstay Filing includes it, California Registered Agent.ai adds $99 and CA Registered Agent.org adds $99.

In what year does one service become pricier than another?

The order stays the same for ten years.

Which LLC formation service is the best value in California?

Best to least: Mainstay Filing, California Registered Agent.ai and CA Registered Agent.org.

More to compare

Source trail

  1. Backing for California Secretary of State is sos.ca.gov, dated August 2026.
  2. Backing for California Secretary of State is bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, dated August 2026.
  3. Backing for California yearly filing: Statement of is sos.ca.gov, dated October 2026.
  4. Backing for Cal is leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, dated August 2026.
  5. Backing for California registered agent statute is leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, dated October 2026.
  6. Backing for California other cost: Annual LLC is ftb.ca.gov, dated October 2026.
  7. Backing for California other cost: Annual LLC is ftb.ca.gov, dated October 2026.
  8. Mainstay Filing listing for California service page, taken November 13, 2026
  9. California Registered Agent.ai listing for pricing page, taken November 13, 2026
  10. CA Registered Agent.org listing for pricing page, taken November 13, 2026