Stripe Atlas and Firstbase are two of the most popular ways to form a US company online, and they get compared constantly because they solve the same first step. They are built for different founders, though. Atlas is a one-time product optimized for venture-track Delaware startups inside the Stripe ecosystem. Firstbase is a services platform where formation is the entry point to a subscription stack of mail, compliance, bookkeeping, and tax products.
Here is the head-to-head on pricing, inclusions, ongoing costs, and international support, with every number verified on the official sites in August 2026. One disclosure up front: Rho (that's us) sells a competing Delaware C corp incorporation product, covered briefly at the end.
Stripe Atlas costs $500 one time, includes the first year of registered agent, and then costs $100 per year. Firstbase Start costs $399, but the registered agent is a separate $299 per year from day one.
Atlas includes 83(b) election filing. Firstbase does not advertise it, which matters for C corp founders with vesting stock.
Atlas forms Delaware C corps and LLCs only. Firstbase adds Wyoming as a second state option.
Both support international founders. Atlas cites 140+ countries; Firstbase's whole product line (US address, mailroom, banking help) is built around that audience.
Rough two-year cost for a C corp: about $600 with Atlas versus about $1,000 with Firstbase once the agent is included.
Quick comparison
Formation price
$500 one time
States
Delaware only
Entities
C corp or LLC
State filing fees
Included
EIN
Included
83(b) election filing
Included
Registered agent
First year included, then $100/yr
Legal templates
Included
Perks
$2,500 Stripe credits, $50k+ partner discounts
Add-on services
Minimal by design
Formation price
$500 one time
$399 one time
States
Delaware only
Delaware or Wyoming
Entities
C corp or LLC
C corp or LLC
State filing fees
Included
Included
EIN
Included
Included (expedited)
83(b) election filing
Included
Not an advertised inclusion
Registered agent
First year included, then $100/yr
Not included, $299/yr
Legal templates
Included
Post-incorporation documents included
Perks
$2,500 Stripe credits, $50k+ partner discounts
Partner perks, VC discovery
Add-on services
Minimal by design
Mailroom, bookkeeping, tax filing, One bundle
Pricing: $500 one time vs $399 plus subscriptions
Atlas is deliberately simple: $500 covers the Delaware filing with state fees, the EIN, founder equity issuance and share purchase agreements, 83(b) filing, legal templates, and the first year of registered agent service. After year one, the only required cost from Stripe is $100 per year for the agent.
Firstbase Start is $399 with state filing fees included, expedited EIN setup, post-incorporation documents, and bank account opening assistance. But Delaware and Wyoming both require a registered agent, and Firstbase sells that separately at $299 per year. So the realistic day-one price for a compliant company is $698, and every year after costs $299 versus Atlas's $100.
If you want a US mailing address, Firstbase Mailroom starts at $35 per month. Firstbase also sells Accounting at $599 per month, Tax Filing at $1,799 per year, and a Firstbase One bundle at $199 per month. None of that is required, but it is the business model: Firstbase wants the ongoing relationship, Stripe wants you processing payments on Stripe.
What each includes for startup paperwork
For a venture-track C corp, the details matter more than the sticker price.
Atlas issues founder equity with standard share purchase agreements, files your 83(b) election (a 30-day, hard-deadline filing for founders with vesting stock), and provides a library of legal templates. This is the paperwork investors and startup lawyers expect to see done correctly. Our full Stripe Atlas review goes deeper on quality.
Firstbase prepares solid post-incorporation documents, including stock purchase agreements, certificate of secretary, and indemnification agreements for C corps, or an operating agreement for LLCs. What it does not advertise is 83(b) handling. If you are forming a C corp with founder vesting, ask Firstbase directly how the 83(b) gets filed, or plan to handle it with an attorney. Missing that window is one of the most expensive unforced errors in startup formation.
Neither company is a law firm, and both say so. Standard formations are exactly what these products are for; anything unusual about your cap table or founder situation is worth an attorney's time regardless of which service you use.
Entity types and states
Atlas forms Delaware C corps and Delaware LLCs. That is the whole menu, and for startups it is usually the right menu.
Firstbase forms C corps and LLCs in Delaware or Wyoming. Wyoming is mostly interesting for LLCs, where it offers lower ongoing state costs than Delaware. If that trade-off is live for you, our comparison of Delaware vs Wyoming LLCs walks through it. For a venture-track C corp, Delaware remains the standard either way.
International founders
Both services work well for non-US founders. Atlas supports founders from 140+ countries and handles the EIN without requiring an SSN. Firstbase was built with international founders as a core audience: EIN without an SSN, a US business address through Mailroom, mail scanning, and bank account introductions. If your main problem is "I have no US footprint at all," Firstbase's stack addresses more of it, at subscription prices.
Ecosystem and perks
Atlas includes $2,500 in Stripe product credits for your first year and access to over $50,000 in partner discounts, and it drops you into the Stripe ecosystem, which is where many software companies want to be anyway. Firstbase offers its own partner perks and a VC discovery feature. Both perk sets are real but should be tiebreakers, not deciding factors.
Who should pick which
Pick Stripe Atlas if you are building a venture-track startup, you want the 83(b) and founder equity paperwork handled inside the product, and you prefer one flat fee with a cheap $100 per year tail. It is the safer default for Delaware C corps.
Pick Firstbase if you are a non-US founder who needs the full footprint (address, mail, banking help, compliance) from one vendor, or you specifically want a Wyoming entity. Price the registered agent and any subscriptions into your comparison. Our standalone Firstbase review covers the full stack.
If you are weighing Atlas against a lawyer-drafted alternative instead, see Stripe Atlas vs Clerky, and for the whole field, our guide to the best incorporation services.
A third option for venture-track founders
If your plan is a Delaware C corp with banking attached, Rho Incorporation (yes, that's us) is built for exactly that. It is $400 for an attorney-reviewed Delaware C corp filing, 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 included, and once approved you get same-day access to Rho business checking, corporate cards with up to 2% cashback on the Platinum tier, treasury, and expense management. Rho Incorporation supports Delaware C corps today, with LLC support coming soon.
FAQs
For a self-serve Delaware C corp with EIN, 83(b) filing, and first-year registered agent bundled at $500, yes, it is fair value. It is less worth it if you need hands-on support, a non-Delaware entity, or banking that opens with your company, since those are the areas where alternatives are stronger.
Yes. Firstbase was founded in 2019, is Y Combinator-backed, and has served thousands of companies, with particular strength among international founders. The main caution is cost structure, not legitimacy: the $399 formation fee excludes the $299 per year registered agent and other subscriptions.
$500 one time, which includes Delaware state filing fees, the EIN, legal templates, 83(b) filing, and the first year of registered agent service. After the first year, the registered agent renews at $100 per year. Delaware franchise tax and a tax return are additional costs every company pays regardless of formation service.
Both. Atlas supports founders from over 140 countries and obtains your EIN without an SSN. Firstbase does the same and goes further with a US business address, mail scanning, and bank account introductions, which is why it is especially popular with founders who have no US presence at all.
Atlas forms Delaware LLCs for the same $500 with the same simplicity. Firstbase adds the option of a Wyoming LLC, which has lower ongoing state costs than Delaware, so founders optimizing for cheap maintenance often lean Firstbase or a budget filer like Bizee. Compare total costs including the registered agent: $100 per year with Atlas after year one versus $299 per year with Firstbase.
Stripe Atlas costs $500 one time, which includes Delaware state filing fees, the EIN, legal templates, 83(b) filing, and the first year of registered agent service. After the first year, the registered agent renews at $100 per year.
Firstbase does not advertise 83(b) election handling as an inclusion, whereas Stripe Atlas files it as part of the $500 package. Founders forming a C corp with vesting stock should confirm how the 83(b) gets filed before choosing a service, since missing the 30-day deadline is a costly and irreversible mistake.
For a Delaware C corp, the rough two-year cost is about $600 with Stripe Atlas versus about $1,000 with Firstbase once the registered agent fee is included. Firstbase costs can rise further if you add optional subscriptions like mailroom, bookkeeping, or tax filing.