Firstbase Review 2026: Pricing, Pros, Cons, and Alternatives

What is Firstbase?

Firstbase (firstbase.io, not to be confused with firstbase.com, an unrelated remote-work equipment company) was founded in 2019 by Mark Milastsivy and went through Y Combinator. It positions itself as an all-in-one operating system for starting and running a US company: incorporation, registered agent, virtual mailroom, bookkeeping, and tax filing under one login.

Its core audience has always skewed international. Firstbase handles the pieces that are hard when you have no US address or Social Security number: getting an EIN, getting a US business address, and opening a US bank account. If you are working through the full process for the first time, our guide on how to incorporate a startup covers the steps any provider will walk you through.

Firstbase pricing in 2026

Verified on firstbase.io in August 2026:

The $399 Start fee includes state filing fees, which not every competitor can say. But notice the shape of the pricing: formation is the cheap front door, and the recurring products are where the real spend happens. A company running Agent plus Mailroom Basic pays about $719 in year two before touching bookkeeping or taxes.

What is included in Firstbase Start

For the one-time $399 you get:

• Formation of an LLC or C corporation in Delaware or Wyoming, with expedited processing and state fees covered

• EIN setup with the IRS

• Post-incorporation documents, including bylaws-level paperwork such as the operating agreement (LLCs), stock purchase agreement, certificate of secretary, and indemnification agreements

• Bank account opening assistance with partner banks and fintechs

• Partner perks and VC discovery access

• Support from the Firstbase team

Two things are notably absent. First, the registered agent, which Delaware and Wyoming both legally require, costs an extra $299 per year. Second, 83(b) election filing is not listed as a Start inclusion anywhere in Firstbase's materials. For C corp founders with vesting stock, the 83(b) is a 30-day deadline with expensive consequences if missed, so confirm directly with Firstbase how they handle it before relying on them for it.

Firstbase pros

• Genuinely strong for international founders. Address, EIN without an SSN, banking introductions, and mail handling are exactly the blockers non-US founders hit, and Firstbase solves all of them in one place.

• State filing fees included in the $399, so the sticker price is closer to the real price than with providers that add fees at checkout.

• Wyoming as an option. Most startup-focused services are Delaware-only. Founders who want Wyoming's lower ongoing fees for an LLC have it here.

• One dashboard for everything. Formation, mail, compliance calendar, books, and taxes in a single account is real convenience if you buy the whole stack.

• Established company. Founded 2019, Y Combinator-backed, with thousands of companies on its compliance product. "Is Firstbase legit" is an easy yes.

Firstbase cons

• Registered agent costs extra, and a lot. $299 per year is roughly double what many standalone agents charge, and competitors like Stripe Atlas include year one and charge $100 per year after.

• 83(b) filing is not an advertised inclusion. For venture-track C corps this is a meaningful gap versus Atlas and Clerky.

• Subscription creep. The products are individually reasonable, but Agent plus Mailroom plus Tax Filing adds up to well over $2,000 per year for an early company with minimal activity.

• Accounting is premium-priced. $599 per month is bookkeeping-firm pricing. Fine for funded companies, heavy for a pre-revenue startup.

• Not a law firm. Like every online formation service, Firstbase gives you standard documents, not legal advice. Non-standard cap tables or founder situations still deserve an attorney.

Who Firstbase is for

Firstbase fits best if you are a non-US founder who wants one vendor for formation, a US address, compliance, and eventually books and taxes, and you value that consolidation enough to pay recurring subscriptions for it. It also fits US founders forming a Wyoming LLC who want managed compliance.

It is a weaker fit if you are a venture-track founder forming a Delaware C corp and you mostly need clean formation documents, an 83(b) handled on time, and a bank account. That founder is paying for optionality they will not use.

Firstbase alternatives

We compared the full field in our roundup of the best incorporation services. The short version:

• Stripe Atlas ($500 one time). Delaware only, C corp or LLC, includes the EIN, 83(b) election filing, templates, the first year of registered agent, then $100 per year. The default for software startups. Full breakdown in our Stripe Atlas review, and a head-to-head in Stripe Atlas vs Firstbase.

• Clerky ($819 lifetime package). Attorney-drafted startup paperwork with lifetime access to post-incorporation documents. Favored by startup lawyers.

• doola (plans from $297 per year). LLC-first and very non-US-founder friendly, with bookkeeping and tax bundles.

• Bizee (formerly Incfile, $0 plus state fees). The budget route for simple LLCs. You assemble the extras yourself.

• LegalZoom (corp formation from $149 plus state fees). The biggest brand, broad entity support, but no 83(b) or startup-specific equity paperwork, and its registered agent runs $249 per year.

• Rho (yes, that's us). Rho Incorporation files an attorney-reviewed Delaware C corp for $400, and the fee is refunded when you open a Rho account and maintain a $10,000 average checking balance for 60 days. The registered agent is included for the first year, your SS-4 (EIN application) is prepared and submitted for you, 83(b) election support is built in, and you get same-day access to Rho business banking, corporate cards, and treasury once approved. Delaware C corps only today, with LLC support coming soon.

Verdict

Firstbase is a legitimate, well-built service, and for international founders who want the whole back office from one vendor, it is one of the strongest options available. Judge it on total cost of ownership, though, not the $399 headline: the registered agent, mailroom, and tax products are where the spend actually lands, and at that layer competitors are often cheaper for the same pieces.

For US-based, venture-track founders forming a Delaware C corp, Stripe Atlas, Clerky, or Rho will usually deliver more of what you specifically need, 83(b) handling included, at a lower all-in cost. Whichever you pick, budget for Delaware franchise tax as an ongoing cost no provider can waive.