Stripe Atlas is Stripe's self-serve way to incorporate a startup, and at $500 it is priced to be an easy yes. But the headline price answers only one question, and founders usually have three: what does the $500 actually cover, where does Atlas stop, and how long will this really take?
Quick Highlights
Price: $500 one-time, including Delaware state filing fees, next-day expedited processing, and your first year of registered agent service.
Speed: Incorporation in 1 to 2 business days. EIN in 1 to 2 business days with a US SSN, US address, and US phone number, or 10 to 35 business days without an SSN, per Stripe.
Best feature: Atlas files the 83(b) election for every C-corp founder, with proof of filing kept in your Atlas dashboard.
Biggest gap: Delaware only, standard templates only (Stripe says changes after your documents are executed need a lawyer), and franchise tax is entirely your responsibility.
Ongoing cost: Registered agent renews at $100 per year after year one. Delaware adds a $50 annual report and franchise tax (minimum $175) each March 1, and a $400 annual tax for LLCs each June 1.
Rho alternative: Delaware C-corp $400, LLC $349 all in with the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included, and, for a Delaware C-corp, a business account application opened in the same flow, subject to approval.
Is Stripe Atlas worth it? The short answer
For a standard Delaware C-corp, yes. Stripe Atlas costs $500 one time, which covers state filing fees with next-day expedited processing, your company tax ID, founder equity paperwork, 83(b) election filing, and your first year of registered agent service, which then renews at $100 a year. Founders with valuable IP, non-compete needs, or a QSBS rollover should talk to a lawyer first, as Stripe itself advises.
If you are weighing options, Rho is one option to compare. Best for: founders who want their company formed and a business account application opened in the same flow, subject to approval, when forming a Delaware C-corp at $400. The LLC option is $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service 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.
Can you form an LLC with Stripe Atlas? Atlas and Rho compared
Yes, Stripe Atlas forms an LLC. As of October 21, 2026, Stripe Atlas forms a Delaware LLC or a Delaware C corporation, and it lists a $500 one-time fee that includes state filing fees and your first year of registered agent service. Stripe's page does not break that fee out by entity type.
Rho forms both too, and it is one option to put next to Atlas. A Rho Delaware C-corp is $400. A Rho LLC is $349 all in, with the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included, and Rho forms LLCs in all 50 states.
Here is how the two compare for the entity you are actually choosing:
Stripe Atlas | Rho | |
|---|---|---|
Entity types | Delaware C corporation, Delaware LLC, subsidiary | Delaware C-corp, LLC |
Listed price (as of October 21, 2026) | $500 one-time fee | C-corp $400. LLC: $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included. |
Where your LLC is formed | Delaware | All 50 states |
Registered agent, first year | Included | Delaware C-corp: covered for year one. LLC: first-year registered agent service included |
Best for: founders forming a Delaware C-corp who want the company formed and a business account application opened in the same flow, subject to approval. Rho forms LLCs in all 50 states.
For a Delaware C-corp, your account application opens before your EIN arrives. Funds can move once your EIN is issued and added to your account.
Stripe Atlas LLC or C-corp: which to pick
An LLC fits a business that wants simple pass-through taxes and plans to be owned by its founders. A Delaware C-corp is where equity grants and 83(b) elections come into play.
Not sure which fits? Talk to your attorney or tax advisor before you file; Rho forms either one.
Ongoing state costs depend on where your entity is formed. A Delaware LLC owes a $400 annual tax due on or before June 1, according to the Delaware Division of Corporations, whether you form it through Atlas or Rho, and a Delaware C-corp owes franchise tax each year. Other states set their own annual fees, so check the state you choose.
To use Rho, 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. Form your LLC with Rho or start a Delaware C-corp.
Stripe Atlas pricing and cost in 2026: what the $500 covers
As of October 21, 2026, Stripe lists Atlas at a $500 one-time setup fee. There is no subscription and no monthly charge. Here is what that fee includes and what comes after it.
Included in the $500: Delaware incorporation with next-day expedited processing and state filing fees, a company tax ID, founder equity issuance and share purchase paperwork, 83(b) election filing, document templates, and your first year of registered agent service. Stripe says you will be incorporated within two business days.
Credits and perks: $2,500 in Stripe product credits for the first year after incorporation, and access to over $50,000 in partner discounts.
After year one: registered agent service renews at $100 a year, automatically.
Fee-back offer: Stripe says you can get your Atlas fee back when you deposit $5,000 into a Stripe Treasury bank account within 90 days.
Other formation options, priced on the same date:
As of October 21, 2026, these providers list the prices below. What each price covers differs, so read the last two columns before comparing.
Provider | Entity | Listed price | What the page says |
|---|---|---|---|
Stripe Atlas | LLC or C corporation | $500 one time | Includes state filing fees and first-year registered agent; $100 a year after |
Clerky | Delaware C corporation | $427 Pay Per Use, or $819 Lifetime Package | Typically returns the filed certificate in 2 to 3 business days; post-incorporation setup is listed separately at $299 |
LegalZoom | LLC (pricing shown) | Basic $0, Pro $249, Premium $299, each plus state filing fees | The $0 Basic tier excludes the state filing fee; Pro adds a 30-day attorney consultation that renews at $49 a month |
doola | LLC or C corporation | Starter $297 a year | Annual subscription; state fees extra |
Rho (C-corp) | Delaware C-corp | $400 | Registered agent covered first year |
Rho (LLC) | LLC, any of 50 states | $349 all in | State filing fee and first-year registered agent service included |
Want a head-to-head? See Stripe Atlas vs Clerky or our roundup of Stripe Atlas alternatives.
The state filing fee being included is worth pausing on. Per the Delaware Division of Corporations fee schedule revised August 1, 2026, a certificate of incorporation starts at $109, and 24-hour expedited filing adds $50. Some providers list state fees separately, as the LegalZoom and doola rows above show; Atlas quotes one number.
What is not included
Delaware franchise tax. This is your company's ongoing obligation, due March 1 every year along with Delaware's $50 annual report. Stripe's documentation warns that Delaware sends notices using a calculation method that results in large tax bills for companies with more than 5,000 shares. More on that below.
Registered agent after year one. Year one is included. After that it renews automatically at $100 per year.
Legal advice. Atlas is not a law firm and says so plainly: using it "isn't a substitute for individual advice from qualified legal, tax, or accounting professionals."
Changes to your documents after they are executed. Stripe's guidance is that you will need to work with a lawyer to amend anything post-incorporation.
Registration in the state where you actually operate. Incorporating in Delaware does not exempt you from qualifying as a foreign corporation wherever you have employees or a physical presence.
How long Stripe Atlas takes
Stripe's Atlas page says you will be incorporated within two business days, and its documentation says Delaware incorporation usually takes 1 to 2 business days. Either way, the filing itself is fast because next-day expedited processing is included.
The part that varies enormously is your EIN, and this is the single most important number in this review if you are a non-US founder.
The EIN timeline nobody warns you about
Straight from Stripe's documentation:
The IRS typically processes EIN applications in 1 to 2 business days if you provide a US company address, a US company phone number, and a US Social Security number. If you don't submit any of these three pieces of information, the IRS could take 10 to 35 business days.
So: 1 to 2 business days with an SSN, 10 to 35 business days without one. If you are a founder outside the US without a US Social Security number, per Stripe, budget two to seven weeks for your EIN, not two days.
Stripe does soften this. You can accept US card payments on Stripe, open a business account with Stripe, and begin fundraising before the IRS assigns your EIN, with payouts capped at $100,000 until it arrives. That is a genuinely useful workaround, but it is a workaround.
Who Stripe Atlas is built for
Atlas fits cleanly if you match this profile:
You want a Delaware entity. Atlas only forms Delaware entities: a Delaware C corporation, a Delaware LLC, or a subsidiary.
Your situation is standard. Two or three founders, a normal vesting schedule, no unusual intellectual property arrangements.
You want the 83(b) election filed for you rather than mailing it yourself.
You are one of the many founders outside the US (Stripe says startups in over 175 countries have used Atlas), and you want a US entity without a US lawyer on retainer.
You will use Stripe for payments, so the $2,500 in credits is real money rather than a coupon you never redeem.
Where Atlas stops
Stripe itself publishes a list of situations where you should talk to a lawyer instead of using Atlas. It is unusually candid, and worth taking seriously:
A founder is contributing significant intellectual property (Atlas uses a standard $100 fair market value for IP contributions)
You need to exclude prior inventions from your IP assignment
You want non-compete or non-solicit clauses (Atlas omits them)
You are doing a QSBS rollover
You do not want to file an 83(b) election, since Atlas files them for all founders automatically
If any of those describe you, the $500 is not the relevant number. Getting the structure wrong at formation is far more expensive to fix later than paying a startup attorney at the outset.
The 83(b) election: Atlas's most underrated feature
An 83(b) election must be filed within 30 days of your stock being transferred. There are no extensions and no relief for missing it. Get it wrong and you owe ordinary income tax at every single vesting event, on stock you cannot sell.
Atlas files the 83(b) election for every C corporation founder automatically, as part of the initial Atlas fee, using USPS Certified Mail within 10 business days of your share purchase. A copy of your signed election and proof of filing stays available in your Atlas dashboard.
That matters more than it sounds. The failure mode with 83(b) elections is not usually that founders do not know about them; it is that the 30-day clock runs out during the chaos of starting a company. Removing the human step removes the failure.
One caveat: this is exactly why Stripe says not to use Atlas if you do not want to file an 83(b). It is not optional.
The Delaware franchise tax trap
Every Delaware corporation owes franchise tax by March 1, along with a $50 annual report. Delaware calculates the tax two ways, and Stripe notes that Delaware's notices use the default method, which produces large bills for companies with more than 5,000 shares.
Under the Authorized Shares Method, Delaware charges $250 for 5,001 to 10,000 shares plus $85 for each additional 10,000 shares, per the Delaware Division of Corporations (the minimum is $175 for 5,000 shares or fewer). For a typical startup with 10,000,000 authorized shares, that is 999 blocks at $85 plus $250, or $85,165.
The Assumed Par Value Capital Method uses your gross assets and issued shares instead, at $400 per $1,000,000 of assumed par value capital or portion of it (minimum $400). For the same company with $1,000,000 in gross assets and 8,000,000 issued shares, the tax comes to $800, plus the $50 annual report fee.
Same company, same year. $85,215 versus $850. You just have to file using the second method.
Stripe's documentation flags this and says most Atlas companies pay less tax using the Assumed Par Value Capital method. But Atlas does not file the franchise tax for you: Stripe says you can file it yourself, work with one of its tax partners, or use a tax advisor of your choice. Either way, it comes due every March.
Stripe Atlas pros and cons
Pros
One flat price with state fees included. $500 with expedited Delaware filing bundled in is genuinely competitive.
83(b) filed automatically with proof of filing kept in your dashboard.
Real perk value if you use Stripe. $2,500 in Stripe credits plus a partner discount catalog Stripe values at over $50,000.
Non-US founder reach: Stripe says startups in over 175 countries have used Atlas.
You can take card payments and open a Stripe business account before the EIN lands, which shortens the practical time to operating.
Cons
Delaware only. No other state of incorporation.
Standard templates only. You get document templates, but Stripe says changes after your documents are executed require a lawyer.
The EIN wait for founders without an SSN is 10 to 35 business days, which is a different experience than the two-day headline suggests.
Registered agent renews at $100 per year, so the real cost is $500 plus $100 annually.
Franchise tax is entirely your problem, including choosing the right calculation method.
Standard paperwork only. Non-standard IP, prior inventions, and non-competes all fall outside what Atlas handles.
How Atlas compares on price
Stripe Atlas | Clerky | Rho | |
|---|---|---|---|
Headline price | $500 one-time | $427 Pay Per Use incorporation, or $819 Lifetime Package | Delaware C-corp $400. LLC: $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included. |
State filing fees | Included | Lifetime Package includes Delaware expedited filing fees | LLC: included |
Registered agent year 1 | Included, then $100/yr | Included | Delaware C-corp: covered for year one. LLC: first-year registered agent service included |
Entity types | DE C corp, DE LLC, subsidiary | DE C corp | DE C-corp, LLC |
Post-incorporation docs | Templates | Unlimited standard documents on the Lifetime Package | Delaware C-corp: attorney-reviewed formation documents |
Business account | Stripe business account offered | Pre-filled applications to outside banks | Delaware C-corp: application in the same flow, subject to approval |
For a full breakdown of the field, see our guide to the best incorporation services for startups or the head-to-head Stripe Atlas vs Clerky vs Rho comparison.
For head-to-head breakdowns, see Stripe Atlas vs Firstbase and our roundup of Stripe Atlas alternatives.
Where Rho fits
If you are weighing Atlas, Rho is one option to compare, and it covers both entity types.
Rho forms Delaware C-corps for $400, and it forms LLCs in all 50 states. LLC: $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included.
For a Delaware C-corp, every formation document is reviewed and approved by a licensed attorney, and your EIN application is filed for you.
Best for: founders forming a Delaware C-corp who want formation and a business account application handled in one flow, subject to approval. Banking, invoicing, cards, and bill pay, all live the moment your account is approved. For a Delaware C-corp, your account application opens before your EIN arrives, and money can move once your EIN is issued and added to your account.
When you incorporate with Rho, 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.
Is Stripe Atlas worth it?
For a standard Delaware C corporation with a conventional founder setup, yes. $500 with expedited state fees included, automatic 83(b) filing, and a genuinely useful credit bundle is a fair deal, and the product is well documented.
The honest caveats are the ones Stripe itself publishes. If you have unusual IP, want non-compete language, or are doing anything structurally non-standard, spend the money on a startup attorney instead. And if you are a founder without a US Social Security number, plan around an EIN wait of 10 to 35 business days rather than the two-day headline.
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.
Beyond Stripe Atlas: Browse the best Stripe Atlas alternatives for providers that pair formation with business account help, bookkeeping, or lower fees.
The three-way matchup: Our Stripe Atlas vs Clerky vs Rho comparison settles the classic head-to-head.
doola vs Atlas: Our doola vs Stripe Atlas comparison covers the LLC versus C corp fork for non-US founders.
The real cost: Our guide to how much it costs to incorporate breaks down first-year totals for three founder profiles.
LLC guide: How to form an LLC with Rho.
Ready to incorporate? Rho Incorporation forms your Delaware C-corp for $400 or your LLC for $349 all in, state filing fee and first-year registered agent service included, and, for a Delaware C-corp, your business account application in the same flow, subject to approval. Banking, invoicing, cards, and bill pay, all live the moment your account is approved.
