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Just the facts · Massachusetts

3 Best LLC Services in Massachusetts (2026), Plainly

For LLC formation services in Massachusetts, here is our 2026 ranking: Mainstay Filing ($199), MA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co ($199). Massachusetts charges $500 to file, and service fees run $397 to $597 across three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

The short version

Cost at the state
$500, when you file
Each year
$500 a year
Resident agent
Required
Our picks
Mainstay Filing, MA Registered Agent.org then Massachusetts Registered Agent.co

Massachusetts: the ranking

Prices come from each company's own pricing. Here's how we pick.
Our favorite

1. Mainstay Filing: best for knowing next year's bill

$199 a year, with the $500 state fee added

Mainstay Filing is our favorite here, because one yearly price, $199, covers the filing, the resident agent and the annual report.

The $200 gap to MA Registered Agent.org over three years pays for jobs you'd otherwise do yourself.

You never file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself. Massachusetts still charges $500, and that's passed through at cost.

Your money buys

  • The state filing, taken care of
  • Resident agent year-round
  • Annual report taken off your plate
  • Help getting your EIN
  • State fees passed on at cost

The good

  • No surprise at renewal: $199
  • Everything for $199 a year
  • They also apply for your EIN

Trade-offs

  • After year one it costs $100 more a year
One-state pick

2. MA Registered Agent.org: best for a tight budget

$199 up front, then $99 a year, plus the state fee

Second place goes to MA Registered Agent.org, where three years add up to $397 with its $99 renewal.

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report isn't part of the price, so that's on you.

Your money buys

  • The state filing, done
  • First-year agent comes with it

The good

  • You don't pay for an agent in year one
  • Forms your LLC for $199
  • The agent renews at $99

Trade-offs

  • The Limited Liability Company Annual Report remains a job for you
  • Getting an EIN costs $99 more
One-state pick

3. Massachusetts Registered Agent.co: best for a second in-state filer

$199 up front, then $99 a year, plus the state fee

Third place goes to Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, where three years add up to $397 with its $99 renewal.

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report isn't part of the price, so that's on you.

It charges what MA Registered Agent.org charges, so the order between them is close.

Your money buys

  • The state filing, done
  • First-year agent comes with it

The good

  • You don't pay for an agent in year one
  • The agent renews at $99
  • Forms your LLC for $199

Trade-offs

  • The Limited Liability Company Annual Report remains a job for you
  • Getting an EIN costs $99 more

Price check

#WhoFirst yearRenews atThree-year totalCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597the state filing, taken care of; Resident agent year-round; annual report taken off your plateSee what Mainstay Filing offersPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2MA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397the state filing, done; First-year agent comes with itSee what MA Registered Agent.org offersPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Massachusetts Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397the state filing, done; First-year agent comes with itSee what Massachusetts Registered Agent.co offersPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
We read these prices on November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

Your questions, answered

What's the real cost of starting one?

Expect the state to take $500, plus $199 for a service in the first year.

By year three the state has taken $1,500 in total. sec.state.ma.us · October 2026 · checked

What goes to the state to form the LLC?

Just one paper forms the LLC: the Limited Liability Company Certificate of Organization, sent to the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

Statute: M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12. sec.state.ma.us · October 2026 · checked

Do I have to name a resident agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

A Massachusetts resident, a Massachusetts corporation, or a corporation from another state authorized to do business in Massachusetts. State regulations (950 CMR 112.13) also allow other business entities authorized in Massachusetts.

sec.state.ma.us · October 2026 · checked

What's the upkeep?

Plan for the Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($500, annual). It's due on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization, so add the date to your calendar.

malegislature.gov · August 2026 · checked

Do I need someone to file this?

Nothing stops you from filing yourself, and then the three-year bill is $1,500 in state fees.

Services bill $397 to $597 over three years for taking this off your hands.

Why did the first pick win?

Mainstay Filing leads on work taken off your hands, a 31% check.

Together, cost across three years and work taken off your hands make up 64% of the score.

In Massachusetts the Limited Liability Company Annual Report comes due every year, and only the first pick files it for you.

Our method, in full

What Massachusetts wants

WhatAmount or ruleOfficial source
What you pay to file$500sec.state.ma.us · October 2026 · checked
Resident agentRequiredsec.state.ma.us · October 2026 · checked
Limited Liability Company Annual Report$500 every yearmalegislature.gov · August 2026 · checked
Paid to the state by year three$1,500Sum of the figures above
The last row is our own sum: the filing fee, the reports for years two and three and any minimum tax. Costs with no set price, like a newspaper notice, are left out.

Other things people ask

Does anyone handle the EIN for me?

You'd pay $99 at MA Registered Agent.org or $99 at Massachusetts Registered Agent.co, and nothing extra at Mainstay Filing.

After three years, what have I paid?

Mainstay Filing will cost you $597, MA Registered Agent.org will cost you $397, Massachusetts Registered Agent.co will cost you $397, not counting state fees.

How official are these figures?

Official Massachusetts sources on the state side and company pricing on the service side, all dated.

Does the state make me use a service?

Not required. What you'd pay a service is for convenience.

What shows up on the calendar each year?

Plan for the Limited Liability Company Annual Report ($500, annual). It's due on or before the anniversary date of filing of the certificate of organization, so add the date to your calendar.

What's the best LLC service for Massachusetts?

Mainstay Filing comes first: it's the only pick that files the annual report for you, and that's all inside $199 a year. Then come MA Registered Agent.org and Massachusetts Registered Agent.co.

Check our work

  1. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, sec.state.ma.us (confirmed August 2026)
  2. Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, malegislature.gov (confirmed August 2026)
  3. M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12, sec.state.ma.us (confirmed August 2026)
  4. Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, sec.state.ma.us (confirmed October 2026)
  5. Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, sec.state.ma.us (confirmed October 2026)
  6. Massachusetts registered agent statute, sec.state.ma.us (confirmed October 2026)
  7. We read the Mainstay Filing Massachusetts service page on November 13, 2026
  8. We read the MA Registered Agent.org pricing page on November 13, 2026
  9. We read the Massachusetts Registered Agent.co pricing page on November 13, 2026