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Formation Scorecard

LLC service scorecard · Delaware

3 Best LLC Services in Delaware (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for LLC services in Delaware the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), DE Registered Agent.org ($199) and Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: a $199 yearly price pays for the Delaware formation, a year of registered agent service and the annual tax, then renews at $199.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick in Delaware

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a bundle of formation, agent and annual tax

9.2 Editor score out of 10
$199 a year plus the state's fee, $309 due at checkout

Mainstay Filing leads the card: $199 a year takes in the formation filing, your registered agent and the annual tax, with renewal at $199.

Each renewal includes Mainstay's filing of the Annual LLC Tax. Delaware bills $400 every year for it, due annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1, and missing the date costs $200; Mainstay passes the state's fee along at cost.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $200 above DE Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • The LLC formation, handled for you
  • Registered agent service for the full year
  • The annual tax, filed for you each time
  • EIN application included

Strengths

  • One $199 yearly price that also files the annual tax
  • EIN application bundled in
  • Delaware's state fee is added at cost
  • Renews at $199 with nothing added

Watch for

  • Its agent renews $100 a year above DE Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. DE Registered Agent.org: best for a Delaware LLC that stays small

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, state fee extra

DE Registered Agent.org takes second spot: Delaware formation for $199 beyond the state's fee, with a free first agent year, and $99 a year to keep the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Its prices leave out the Annual LLC Tax, so you send that filing to Delaware yourself every year.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • Forms the LLC for $199 plus the filing fee

Watch for

  • Leaves the Annual LLC Tax with you
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. DE Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Lower renewal than Mainstay

3. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for staying local in Delaware

8.6 Editor score out of 10
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, state fee extra

Delaware Registered Agent.ai takes third spot: Delaware formation for $199 beyond the state's fee, with a free first agent year, and $99 a year to keep the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Its prices leave out the Annual LLC Tax, so you send that filing to Delaware yourself every year.

DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai post identical prices and plan features, so the points between them are close and either is a sound pick.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • First-year registered agent service included
  • Forms the LLC for $199 plus the filing fee
  • $99 per year for the agent after the first

Watch for

  • Leaves the Annual LLC Tax with you
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.2 $199 $199/yr Formation, agent and annual tax together Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 DE Registered Agent.org 8.8 $199 $99/yr A Delaware-only LLC on a tight budget Visit DE Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Delaware Registered Agent.ai 8.6 $199 $99/yr A Delaware-only LLC on a tight budget Visit Delaware Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores are Formation Scorecard's own marks out of 10, based on the criteria explained on How we rank. Customers do not rate anything here.

Delaware LLC service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Annual LLC Tax included
Mainstay Filing $199 $199 $199 $597 Yes
DE Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 No
Delaware Registered Agent.ai $199 $99 $99 $397 No

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Delaware's $110 filing fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Why the order falls this way

The marking scheme gives 25% to cost across three years and 25% to coverage of the price, with renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity sharing 50%. For Delaware, coverage of the price made the difference.

Delaware asks for a report each year at a $400 fee, and a late one adds $200. The Mainstay price covers that filing, while DE Registered Agent.org's leaves it to you, so the coverage points beat DE Registered Agent.org's cost advantage.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Delaware LLC formation: the official fee and form

The Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company carries a $110 fee at the Delaware Secretary of State. Every service here passes that fee through at cost, on top of its own price.

Keeping the Delaware LLC current

The Annual LLC Tax arrives every year and is due annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1. It carries a $400 fee. Late filings add $200. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Delaware LLC service: quick questions

How much will an LLC in Delaware cost to set up?

Expect $110 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the name of the formation form?

It is the Certificate of Formation of a Limited Liability Company, and the Delaware Secretary of State receives it.

Must a Delaware LLC appoint a registered agent when it forms?

Yes. A registered agent with a street address in Delaware has to be on file from the start.

What does a Delaware LLC have to file after formation?

One item, the Annual LLC Tax, due every year (annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1) with a $400 fee.

Is the EIN application part of the price?

Mainstay Filing folds it into the yearly price. DE Registered Agent.org and Delaware Registered Agent.ai add $99 for it. Applying for an EIN costs nothing at the IRS itself.

Which LLC service tops the card for Delaware?

Mainstay Filing, since one $199 charge each year bundles the Delaware formation, the registered agent and the annual tax.

Keep reading

Where the figures come from

  1. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, as of October 2026
  2. Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source, as of October 2026
  3. Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source, as of October 2026
  4. Delaware report due date, as of August 2026
  5. 6 Del. C. § 18-201, as of August 2026
  6. Delaware registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  7. Read on November 12, 2026: Delaware service page for Mainstay Filing
  8. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for DE Registered Agent.org
  9. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Delaware Registered Agent.ai