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LLC formation watchlists / Texas

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

The best-value LLC formation services for Texas in 2026 are Mainstay Filing ($199), Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199) and TX Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked in that order. Three years of service fees land between $397 to $597. Texas charges $300 to file, whichever service you pick.
Tracked by the Filing Price Watch editorial team

Ordered by: Best value first, using our five measures

Snapshot

Formation fee at the state office $300 sos.texas.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)
Opening prices $199 No state fee in these
Three-year spread $397 to $597 Opening year and two more
State total, three years $300 Official figures only
Break-even Never Stable for a decade

Texas: best value first

Ordered by our tracking method. No service includes the $300 state fee.

1
First place

1. Mainstay Filing: best for never touching the Public Information Report

$199 a year, plus $300 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. Formation, registered agent and Public Information Report all come with $199 a year, which renews at $199.

Spend $200 more than at Texas Registered Agent.ai across three years and the repeating filings are no longer yours.

The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report is covered, and the state charges nothing for it.

Price covers

  • Formation handled for you
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Public Information Report, filed when it is due
  • EIN application, prepared for you
  • Government fee passed along unchanged

Holds up

  • The EIN application is taken care of
  • Stays at $199
  • Price does not rise at renewal ($199)

Weak spots

  • Texas Registered Agent.ai renews for $100 less
Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2
Local pick

2. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for companies that never leave the state

$199 plus fees; renews at $99

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

Texas Registered Agent.ai places second. It costs $199 to form with a first agent year included, and later years are $99.

The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report stays on your to-do list.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork done
  • A year of agent service to begin with

Holds up

  • Agent service free in year one
  • A small $99 renewal
  • Starts at $199

Weak spots

  • Price leaves out the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report
  • $99 extra for the EIN
Go to Texas Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3
Local pick

3. TX Registered Agent.org: best for companies rooted in the state

$199 plus fees; renews at $99

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

TX Registered Agent.org places third. It costs $199 to form with a first agent year included, and later years are $99.

The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report stays on your to-do list.

Texas Registered Agent.ai lists exactly the same prices.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork done
  • A year of agent service to begin with

Holds up

  • Agent service free in year one
  • Starts at $199
  • A small $99 renewal

Weak spots

  • Price leaves out the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report
  • $99 extra for the EIN
Go to TX 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 Texas Registered Agent.ai $199 $298 $397 $595
Go to Texas Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 TX Registered Agent.org $199 $298 $397 $595
Go to TX 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 service passes another inside ten years.

Pick your own number of years

Enter the years you plan to keep the company and every service's running total shows up; tick the box to count each provider's EIN application.
3 years of service fees come to Mainstay Filing $597, Texas Registered Agent.ai $397, TX Registered Agent.org $397. Lowest total at that point: Texas Registered Agent.ai.

Texas state fees, from official sources

Item Amount Source
Price of forming $300 sos.texas.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)
Ongoing report Free comptroller.texas.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)
Late filing penalty $50 comptroller.texas.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)
What the state collects by year 3 $300 Filing, reports and any tax

The state's share is worked out from three pieces: what it charges to file, what it charges for the next two reports, and any minimum tax. Anything without a fixed price, newspaper notices for instance, is left out of that figure.

What decided the order

Filings covered by the price gave Mainstay Filing the lead. It makes up 29% of the order, and tracked three-year cost, renewal movement, crossover year and price visibility cover the remainder.

Texas expects the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year, so a price that covers it beat a lower price that leaves it to you.

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

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

To form it: the Certificate of Formation (Form 205), $300, sent to the Texas Secretary of State. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Quoted: sos.texas.gov (pulled October 2026, noted here)

What it costs without a service

Skip the services and Texas still collects $300 across three years, while you fill out every form. Hiring help costs $397 to $597.

Texas pricing questions

How much do LLC formation services cost in Texas?

Year one is $199 among these services, and Texas adds $300 to file.

What do these services cost over three years?

By year three these services have cost $397 to $597.

What does Texas charge to file an LLC?

Filing costs $300, using the Certificate of Formation (Form 205).

What does Texas charge every year once the LLC exists?

Once the LLC exists, Texas expects the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report each year, at no charge, May 15.

Does the price include the EIN application?

it comes with Mainstay Filing, $99 extra at Texas Registered Agent.ai and $99 extra at TX Registered Agent.org.

In what year does one service become pricier than another?

Within a decade the totals never swap places.

Which LLC formation service is the best value in Texas?

Best to least: Mainstay Filing, Texas Registered Agent.ai and TX Registered Agent.org.

Also tracked

Source trail

  1. Our note on Texas yearly filing: Annual report points to comptroller.texas.gov (October 2026).
  2. Our note on Texas report due date points to statutes.capitol.texas.gov (August 2026).
  3. Our note on Tex points to sos.texas.gov (August 2026).
  4. Our note on Texas registered agent statute points to sos.texas.gov (October 2026).
  5. Price page of Mainstay Filing: Texas service page, seen November 13, 2026
  6. Price page of Texas Registered Agent.ai: pricing page, seen November 13, 2026
  7. Price page of TX Registered Agent.org: pricing page, seen November 13, 2026