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Formation Scorecard

LLC service scorecard · Iowa

3 Best LLC Services in Iowa (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for LLC services in Iowa the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), Iowa Registered Agent.co ($199) and IA Registered Agent.org ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 a year takes in the formation filing, your registered agent and the biennial report, with renewal at $199.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Number one here

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

9.2 Editor score out of 10
$199 a year plus the state's fee, $249 due at checkout

Mainstay Filing leads the card: one $199 charge each year bundles the Iowa formation, the registered agent and the biennial report.

Each renewal includes Mainstay's filing of the biennial report. Iowa bills $30 every two years for it, due April 1 of odd-numbered years; Mainstay passes the state's fee along at cost.

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

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the formation document
  • Service as your registered agent through the year
  • The biennial report, filed for you each time
  • EIN application included

Strengths

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

Watch for

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

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

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

Iowa Registered Agent.co takes second spot: $199 to form on top of the state fee, then $99 a year for 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 biennial report, so you send that filing to Iowa yourself every two years.

What you get

  • LLC filing done for you
  • The first year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • Includes the first registered agent year
  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent
  • A $199 formation fee before the state's

Watch for

  • Leaves the biennial report with you
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Iowa Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #3 Low renewal

3. IA Registered Agent.org: best for staying local in Iowa

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

IA Registered Agent.org takes third spot: $199 to form on top of the state fee, then $99 a year for 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 biennial report, so you send that filing to Iowa yourself every two years.

Iowa Registered Agent.co and IA 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

  • LLC filing done for you
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • Agent at $99 a year from year two
  • Formation at $199, with the state fee added

Watch for

  • Leaves the biennial report with you
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit IA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. IA 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 9.2 $199 $199/yr Formation, agent and biennial report together Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Iowa Registered Agent.co 8.8 $199 $99/yr An Iowa-only LLC on a tight budget Visit Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 IA Registered Agent.org 8.7 $199 $99/yr An Iowa-only LLC on a tight budget Visit IA 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.

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

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Biennial report included
Mainstay Filing $199 $199 $199 $597 Yes
Iowa Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 No
IA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 No

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Iowa's $50 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 Iowa, coverage of the price made the difference.

Iowa asks for a report every other year at a $30 fee. The Mainstay price covers that filing, while Iowa Registered Agent.co's leaves it to you, so the coverage points beat Iowa Registered Agent.co's cost advantage.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Iowa LLC formation: the official fee and form

The Certificate of Organization carries a $50 fee at the Iowa Secretary of State. Every service here passes that fee through at cost, on top of its own price.

Keeping the Iowa LLC current

The biennial report arrives every two years and is due April 1 of odd-numbered years. It carries a $30 fee. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Iowa LLC service: quick questions

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

Expect $50 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the name of the formation form?

It is the Certificate of Organization, and the Iowa Secretary of State receives it.

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

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

What does an Iowa LLC have to file after formation?

One item, the biennial report, due every two years (April 1 of odd-numbered years) with a $30 fee.

Is the EIN application part of the price?

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

Which LLC service tops the card for Iowa?

Mainstay Filing, since a $199 yearly price pays for the Iowa formation, a year of registered agent service and the biennial report, then renews at $199.

More from us

Where the figures come from

  1. Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, as of August 2026
  2. Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, as of August 2026
  3. Iowa report due date, as of August 2026
  4. Iowa Code § 489.201, as of August 2026
  5. Iowa formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  6. Iowa registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  7. Read on November 12, 2026: Iowa service page for Mainstay Filing
  8. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Iowa Registered Agent.co
  9. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for IA Registered Agent.org