Stripe Atlas charges $500 one time and includes state filing fees and a first year of registered agent service. Alternatives differ on price, entity type, and whether a business account application comes with formation. Rho Incorporation forms a Delaware C-corp for $400 or an LLC for $349 all in, with the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included for the LLC.
This guide covers the eight best Stripe Atlas alternatives in 2026, compared on published price, what that price includes, entity types and states, and who each one fits. If you want a full ranking of every incorporation service on the market, not just the ones that compete with Atlas, start with our guide to the best incorporation services. This post stays focused on one question: if not Atlas, then what?
Stripe Atlas costs $500 one time for a C-corp or LLC. It includes state filing fees and a first year of registered agent service, then $100 a year.
Rho Incorporation offers a business account application in the same flow as Delaware C-corp formation, subject to approval, and forms LLCs in all 50 states.
Rho and Clerky both form Delaware C-corps, and Rho also forms LLCs ($349 all in). For a lower entry price on an LLC, look at ZenBusiness or Bizee. For an annual-plan formation, look at doola.
Delaware's fee schedule was revised effective August 1, 2026, and a certificate of incorporation starts at $109. The Delaware LLC annual tax is $400, due June 1.
Atlas is still a strong pick if you want a proven, self-serve Delaware filing with Stripe credits attached. Read our full Stripe Atlas review before deciding.
The best Stripe Atlas alternatives: the short answer
As of October 21, 2026, the best Stripe Atlas alternatives, also called Stripe Atlas competitors or startup incorporation services like Stripe Atlas, are Rho Incorporation, Clerky, Firstbase, doola, LegalZoom, and ZenBusiness, out of the eight we compare below, which also include Bizee and StartGlobal. Rho forms a Delaware C-corp for $400 or an LLC for $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included, against Stripe Atlas at $500, which includes state filing fees and a first year of registered agent service. Stripe says the $500 can be refunded if you fund a Stripe Treasury account with $5,000 within 90 days.
Which one fits depends on what you need:
Rho: the company formed and your business account application opened in the same flow, for a Delaware C-corp, subject to approval.
Clerky: a Delaware C-corp with 83(b) election support offered as an add-on.
Firstbase: Delaware or Wyoming formation at a $99 one-time price (listed beside $399), plus your state fee. Registered agent service is sold separately at $299 a year per state.
doola: LLC or C-corp formation on an annual plan.
ZenBusiness and Bizee: LLCs where a low entry price matters most.
LegalZoom: founders who want an attorney advice add-on with a corporation filing.
StartGlobal: LLC formation with state and government fees included.
We assess each option on published price, what that price includes, speed, and whether a business account can open in the same flow as formation.
Each company's own published prices, checked October 21, 2026.
Option | Entity | Published price | State fee | Speed (as published) | Best for |
Stripe Atlas | C-corp or LLC | $500 one time, then $100 a year for registered agent | Included, plus first-year registered agent | 1 to 2 business days | Founders who want Stripe credits and partner perks |
Rho Incorporation | Delaware C-corp | $400 | Not listed here | Formation plus a Rho business account application, subject to approval | |
Rho Incorporation | LLC, all 50 states | LLC: $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included. | Included, plus first-year registered agent service | An LLC with the state filing fee included | |
Clerky | Delaware C-corp | $427 Pay Per Use or $819 Company Lifetime Package | Lifetime Package includes $203 in Delaware expedited filing fees; Pay Per Use not stated | Within 2-3 business days | A Delaware C-corp with optional 83(b) election support (Post-Incorporation Setup, $299 pay per use) |
Firstbase | Delaware or Wyoming | $99 one time (listed beside $399) | Extra | Not listed | Delaware or Wyoming formation for $99 one time, plus your state fee |
doola | LLC or C-corp | From $297 a year | Extra | 1-2 business days | LLC or C-corp formation on an annual plan |
Bizee | LLC | $0, $199, or $299 by plan, each eligible for one free year of registered agent service | Extra | Not listed | An LLC where a low entry price matters most |
LegalZoom | Corporation | $149, $329, or $349 by tier | Extra | Not listed | Founders who want an attorney advice add-on with a corporation filing |
StartGlobal | LLC | $399 one time | Included | Not listed | LLC formation with state and government fees included |
ZenBusiness | LLC plans shown | From $0 | Extra | 7 to 10 business days on Starter, 1 business day on Pro and Premium | A low entry price on an LLC |
Start Rho Incorporation for a $400 Delaware C-corp or a $349 all-in LLC.
How the alternatives differ from Stripe Atlas
Atlas does one thing well: a standardized Delaware filing with an EIN, founder share issuance, 83(b) election filing, and first-year registered agent service bundled in. Here are four ways the alternatives differ.
You want an LLC, but not a Delaware LLC. The Atlas page only describes Delaware incorporation. If you are a freelancer or small business owner who should form an LLC in your home state, a Delaware LLC adds Delaware's $400 annual LLC tax, due June 1, on top of registering in the state where you actually operate.
You are a non-US founder who wants more than the entity. Atlas gets you the entity and EIN, but without a US Social Security number Stripe says the EIN takes 10 to 35 business days after incorporation. Non-US founders also compare how each service handles the EIN and a US business address.
You want your company and business account set up together. Rho Incorporation pairs Delaware C-corp formation with a Rho business account application, subject to approval. Your EIN application is filed for you, and funds can move once the IRS issues your EIN.
Price and what it includes. Atlas charges $500 one time and includes state filing fees and a first year of registered agent service, then $100 a year. Rho forms a Delaware C-corp for $400 or an LLC for $349 all in, and the LLC price includes the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service. Compare what each price includes before you compare totals.
The 8 best Stripe Atlas alternatives
1. Rho (yes, that's us)
Price: $400 for a Delaware C-corp. LLC: $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included. Best for: founders who want a Delaware C-corp formed and a business account application opened in the same flow, subject to approval.
To use Rho Incorporation for a Delaware C-corp, at least one owner or officer must be US-based, the company needs a US operating address, and it must operate in an eligible industry. Rho Incorporation is available to new and existing Rho customers.
Rho Incorporation forms Delaware C-corps (how a Delaware C-corp works) and LLCs, and LLC formation is available in all 50 states. For a Delaware C-corp, your Rho business account application opens in the same flow, subject to approval, your EIN application is filed for you, and funds can move once the IRS issues your EIN.
For a Delaware C-corp, registered agent service is covered for year one. For an LLC, first-year registered agent service is included in the $349. Banking, invoicing, cards, and bill pay, all live the moment your account is approved.
For a Delaware C-corp, every formation document is reviewed and approved by a licensed attorney. If you issue founder stock, the 83(b) election has a hard 30-day deadline. See the Rho Incorporation announcement for more.
2. Clerky
Price: $427 for Pay Per Use incorporation, or $819 for the Company Lifetime Package. Best for: founders raising soon who want fundraising and hiring documents in one place.
Clerky incorporates Delaware C corporations and builds its products around the paperwork that follows. Its post-incorporation setup covers bylaws, an initial board consent, restricted stock purchase agreements, and a pre-filled 83(b) election with filing instructions, and the Lifetime Package adds unlimited use (exclusions apply) of its standard fundraising, hiring, commercial, and maintenance products.
The Lifetime Package includes $203 in Delaware expedited filing fees and a first year of Delaware registered agent service ($125 value). Clerky says it typically returns the filed certificate within 2 to 3 business days. Clerky lists 83(b) election support under Post-Incorporation Setup, $299 pay per use. Read our full Clerky review, or see how the two stack up head to head in Stripe Atlas vs Clerky.
3. Firstbase
Price: $99 one time (listed beside $399), plus your state fee. Best for: founders who want to form in Delaware or Wyoming for $99 one time, plus the state fee.
Firstbase forms companies in Delaware or Wyoming, and you pay the state fee on top of the Firstbase price. Registered agent service is $299 a year per state, so factor it into the real cost.
4. doola
Price: from $297 a year plus state fees. Best for: founders who want LLC or C-corp formation on an annual plan.
doola's Starter plan covers LLC or C-corp formation filed in 1 to 2 business days. The plan is billed annually, so factor the yearly cost into your comparison.
5. Bizee
Price: $0 plus state fee for Basic; Standard is $199 and Premium is $299, plus state fee. Best for: founders forming an LLC where a low entry price matters most.
Bizee lists three packages: Basic at $0, Standard at $199, and Premium at $299, each plus your state fee. Each package is eligible for one free year of registered agent service. Its pricing page is built around LLC formation.
6. LegalZoom
Price: corporation formation from $149 plus filing fees (Economy), with Standard at $329 and Express Gold at $349. Best for: founders who want an attorney advice add-on with a corporation filing.
LegalZoom's Express Gold corporation package includes a 30-day attorney advice subscription, which renews at $49 a month after the 30 days.
7. StartGlobal
Price: $399 one time for LLC formation, with state and government fees included. Best for: founders who want LLC formation with state and government fees included.
StartGlobal's $399 covers state and government fees and a first year of registered agent service. After year one, registered agent service is $99 a year. A Managed LLC plan for ongoing compliance is $149 a month.
8. ZenBusiness
Price: LLC plans from $0 plus state fees. Best for: founders forming an LLC who want to start with a low entry price.
ZenBusiness lists three LLC plans: Starter at $0 plus state fees, Pro at $199 plus state fees, and Premium at $299 plus state fees. Starter processing takes 7 to 10 business days, and Pro and Premium list 1-business-day processing. Pro and Premium renew at their listed prices each year. Registered agent service is not included in any plan and is a $199 a year add-on. ZenBusiness also forms S corps and C corps.
For comparison, Rho forms an LLC for $349 all in, which includes the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service.
A Stripe Atlas alternative for an LLC or a C-corp: Rho Incorporation
Rho Incorporation is best for founders who want a Delaware C-corp ($400) formed with a Rho business account application, subject to approval. It also forms LLCs ($349 all in).
Delaware C-corp, $400. For founders who plan to raise from venture investors or issue stock options.
LLC, $349 all in. The state filing fee and first-year registered agent service are included, and Rho forms LLCs in all 50 states. It suits founders who want a simpler structure and no plans to raise venture capital yet. See our guide to LLC formation if you are comparing providers.
The Delaware C-corp comes with your EIN application filed for you. To apply for the Delaware C-corp, at least one owner or officer must be US-based, with a US operating address and an eligible industry.
How to choose between a C-corp and an LLC
Pick a C-corp if you plan to raise from venture investors or issue stock options. Pick an LLC if you want a simpler structure and are not on that path. If you want Stripe credits and partner perks, Atlas has them: $2,500 in Stripe product credits and over $50,000 in partner discounts.
Not sure which entity? Read our guide to a Delaware C-corp or the best LLC formation services. Start with Rho Incorporation.
When Stripe Atlas is still the right pick
Honest answer: often. Atlas makes sense if you want a Delaware C-corp or LLC, you are comfortable with a self-serve product, and you value the ecosystem perks, including $2,500 in Stripe credits and over $50,000 in partner discounts. The $500 fee covers state filing fees, your company tax ID, founder equity issuance, 83(b) election filing, and first-year registered agent service (renewing at $100 a year). Stripe says the $500 can be refunded if you fund a Stripe Treasury account with $5,000 within 90 days. If you were already planning to run payments on Stripe, the integration is a real convenience.
If you would rather skip the Stripe-centric setup, Rho forms a Delaware C-corp for $400 or an LLC for $349 all in. Our Stripe Atlas review covers Atlas in full.
Delaware requires corporations to file an annual report and pay franchise tax by March 1, whichever service forms the company. Our Stripe Atlas review covers the full pros and cons.
Related incorporation guides
The full ranking: See our roundup of the best incorporation services for startups, scored on price, speed, and what comes after filing.
Atlas, reviewed: Read our full Stripe Atlas review for what the $500 covers.
The three-way matchup: Our Stripe Atlas vs Clerky vs Rho comparison settles the classic head-to-head.
Atlas vs Firstbase: See our Stripe Atlas vs Firstbase breakdown for pricing, add-ons, and who each one suits.
doola vs Atlas: Our doola vs Stripe Atlas comparison covers the LLC versus C corp fork for non-US founders.
Whichever entity you need, Rho Incorporation forms a Delaware C-corp for $400 or an LLC for $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included for the LLC. Start Rho Incorporation.
