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No jargon · New York

3 Best LLC Services in New York (2026): Our Honest Take

For LLC formation services in New York, here is our 2026 ranking: Mainstay Filing ($199), New York Registered Agent.ai ($199) and NY Registered Agent.org ($199). Plan on $200 for the state plus $397 to $597 in service fees over three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

The gist

You pay the state
$200, when you file
What keeps coming
$9 every other year
Agent for service of process
Handled differently
Who to use
Mainstay Filing, New York Registered Agent.ai then NY Registered Agent.org

Who we'd use in New York

The order comes from our five checks: three-year cost first, then how much the price covers.
Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for not having to think about the biennial statement

Annual price $199, renewal price $199, state fee on top

Mainstay Filing is our favorite here, because it's the only pick that files the biennial statement for you, and that's all inside $199 a year.

New York Registered Agent.ai saves you $200 over three years, but you'd do more of the work yourself.

Biennial statement filing is included, and the $9 state fee is billed at cost.

Your money buys

  • Articles prepared and submitted
  • Registered agent year-round
  • Biennial statement taken off your plate
  • EIN application
  • No markup on the state fee

The good

  • They also apply for your EIN
  • A single yearly price of $199
  • The renewal is $199

Trade-offs

  • New York Registered Agent.ai charges $100 less at renewal
Local to New York

2. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for an LLC that stays in one state

First year $199; after that $99 annually

Number 2 is New York Registered Agent.ai: year one is $199, and every year after is $99.

The biennial statement isn't part of the price, so that's on you.

Your money buys

  • Articles filed on your behalf
  • No agent charge in year one

The good

  • A small renewal of $99
  • Starts at $199 over the state fee
  • A free agent year at the start

Trade-offs

  • The biennial statement remains a job for you
  • The EIN isn't included ($99)
Local to New York

3. NY Registered Agent.org: best for owners who do their own reports

First year $199; after that $99 annually

Number 3 is NY Registered Agent.org: year one is $199, and every year after is $99.

The biennial statement isn't part of the price, so that's on you.

Price for price, it ties New York Registered Agent.ai.

Your money buys

  • Articles filed on your behalf
  • No agent charge in year one

The good

  • Starts at $199 over the state fee
  • A small renewal of $99
  • A free agent year at the start

Trade-offs

  • The biennial statement remains a job for you
  • The EIN isn't included ($99)

The numbers side by side

#WhoYear oneAfter year oneOver three yearsCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597articles prepared and submitted; Registered agent year-round; biennial statement taken off your plateCheck out Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2New York Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397articles filed on your behalf; no agent charge in year oneCheck out New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NY Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397articles filed on your behalf; no agent charge in year oneCheck out NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
These are service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. The state's fees are the same whoever you pick.

The questions, one by one

What does an LLC cost in this state?

Plan on $200 for the state and $199 for a service in year one.

Over three years, state fees come to $209, the filing fee included. dos.ny.gov · October 2026 · checked

  • Publication: within 120 days, a notice runs for six weeks in two county newspapers (the papers set their own charges), then a Certificate of Publication is filed for $50.
  • Tax Department LLC fee (Form IT-204-LL): $25 a year for a single-member LLC with New York-source income; partnership LLCs pay more.

What do I file and who gets it?

The New York Secretary of State receives the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f), and approval is what forms the company.

Cited law: NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203. dos.ny.gov · October 2026 · checked

Is an agent for service of process a legal requirement?

The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

If one is designated: a person who lives in New York or has a business address there, an LLC formed or authorized in New York, or a corporation formed or authorized in New York.

nysenate.gov · October 2026 · checked

What comes due in later years?

Put $9 aside every other year for the biennial statement. The due date, per the state, is during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years; put it on your calendar.

dos.ny.gov · October 2026 · checked

Can I skip the service and file myself?

Nothing stops you from filing yourself, and then the three-year bill is $209 in state fees.

Hiring a service runs $397 to $597 over three years, and Mainstay Filing folds the reports into that price, in exchange for the filing work.

What's behind the ranking?

It comes down to work taken off your hands, and Mainstay Filing is best at it.

Cost across three years (33%) and work taken off your hands (31%) matter most, and three lighter checks sit behind them.

In New York the biennial statement comes due every two years, and only the first pick files it for you.

How we pick

New York rules at a glance

WhatDetailsWhere we found it
LLC filing fee$200dos.ny.gov · October 2026 · checked
Agent for service of processHandled differentlynysenate.gov · October 2026 · checked
Biennial statement$9 every two yearsdos.ny.gov · October 2026 · checked
State cost over three years$209Added from the rows
How we get the bottom line: filing + report in year two + report in year three + any minimum tax. Open-ended costs are described in the text only.

Also worth knowing

What does getting an EIN cost?

It's included at Mainstay Filing, while New York Registered Agent.ai wants $99 and NY Registered Agent.org wants $99.

How do the three-year costs stack up?

Over three years you'd pay $597 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at New York Registered Agent.ai, $397 at NY Registered Agent.org, not counting state fees.

What are the sources?

The state fees come from New York's own documents, and the service prices come from the companies' sites. We put dates on both.

Is hiring help required?

You can skip it. The state's fee is the same whichever way you file.

What does my LLC owe the state yearly?

Put $9 aside every other year for the biennial statement. The due date, per the state, is during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years; put it on your calendar.

Who would you go with in New York?

Mainstay Filing is on top because you pay $199 a year and the formation, the agent for service of process and the biennial statement get done; New York Registered Agent.ai and NY Registered Agent.org follow.

Official sources and price pages

  1. dos.ny.gov covers New York Department of State; we confirmed it August 2026
  2. filing.dos.ny.gov covers New York Department of State; we confirmed it August 2026
  3. nysenate.gov covers New York report due date; we confirmed it August 2026
  4. nysenate.gov covers NY Limited Liability Company Law; we confirmed it August 2026
  5. dos.ny.gov covers New York formation fee: Filing; we confirmed it October 2026
  6. nysenate.gov covers New York registered agent statute; we confirmed it October 2026
  7. nysenate.gov covers New York other cost: Publication; we confirmed it October 2026
  8. dos.ny.gov covers New York other cost: Certificate; we confirmed it October 2026
  9. tax.ny.gov covers New York other cost: Tax; we confirmed it October 2026
  10. Mainstay Filing's New York service page, as of November 13, 2026
  11. New York Registered Agent.ai's pricing page, as of November 13, 2026
  12. NY Registered Agent.org's pricing page, as of November 13, 2026