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Formation Scorecard

LLC service scorecard · Illinois

3 Best LLC Services in Illinois (2026)

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

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

9.3 Editor score out of 10
$199 a year plus the state's fee, $349 due at checkout

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

Each renewal includes Mainstay's filing of the Limited Liability Company Annual Report. Illinois bills $75 every year for it, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month, and missing the date costs $100; Mainstay passes the state's fee along at cost.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $200 above Illinois Registered Agent.co'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 report, filed for you each time
  • EIN application included

Strengths

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

Watch for

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

2. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for an Illinois LLC that stays small

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

Illinois Registered Agent.co takes second spot: Illinois 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 Limited Liability Company Annual Report, so you send that filing to Illinois yourself every year.

What you get

  • The formation filing
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one
  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • $199 service fee plus the state fee

Watch for

  • Leaves the Limited Liability Company Annual Report with you
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Illinois Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #3 Low renewal

3. IL Registered Agent.org: best for staying local in Illinois

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

IL Registered Agent.org takes third spot: Illinois 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 Limited Liability Company Annual Report, so you send that filing to Illinois yourself every year.

Illinois Registered Agent.co and IL Registered Agent.org 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
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • A $199 formation fee before the state's

Watch for

  • Leaves the Limited Liability Company Annual Report with you
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. IL Registered Agent.org: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.3 $199 $199/yr Formation, agent and annual report together Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Illinois Registered Agent.co 8.8 $199 $99/yr An Illinois-only LLC on a tight budget Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 IL Registered Agent.org 8.6 $199 $99/yr An Illinois-only LLC on a tight budget Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner 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.

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

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Limited Liability Company Annual Report included
Mainstay Filing $199 $199 $199 $597 Yes
Illinois Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 No
IL Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 No

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Illinois's $150 filing fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Reading the order

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 Illinois, coverage of the price made the difference.

Illinois asks for a report each year at a $75 fee, and a late one adds $100. The Mainstay price covers that filing, while Illinois Registered Agent.co's leaves it to you, so the coverage points beat Illinois Registered Agent.co's cost advantage.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Illinois LLC formation: the official fee and form

The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) carries a $150 fee at the Illinois Secretary of State. Every service here passes that fee through at cost, on top of its own price.

Keeping the Illinois LLC current

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report arrives every year and is due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. It carries a $75 fee. Late filings add $100. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Illinois LLC service: quick questions

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

Expect $150 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the name of the formation form?

It is the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5), and the Illinois Secretary of State receives it.

Must an Illinois LLC appoint a registered agent when it forms?

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

What does an Illinois LLC have to file after formation?

One item, the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, due every year (before the first day of the entity's anniversary month) with a $75 fee.

Is the EIN application part of the price?

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

Which LLC service tops the card for Illinois?

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

Related pages

Where the figures come from

  1. Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, as of August 2026
  2. Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, as of August 2026
  3. 805 ILCS 180/5-5, as of August 2026
  4. Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  5. Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  6. Illinois registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  7. Read on November 12, 2026: Illinois service page for Mainstay Filing
  8. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Illinois Registered Agent.co
  9. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for IL Registered Agent.org