Best Arkansas LLC Services

Features

LegalZoom is one of the well-known names in LLC services. This provider has a comprehensive offering, including the option for guidance from actual business attorneys (at an extra cost).

The free plan covers essentials such as submitting a certificate of organization, which is the document needed to form an Arkansas LLC, and checking that your business name is available in the state. Under Arkansas law, every LLC must have a unique name, so it’s vital to check if another business has taken your desired moniker before filing your certificate of organization.

We also like that LegalZoom includes a customizable Wix website with its Pro and Premium plans. A business website is an essential marketing tool these days, providing customers with useful information about your company, so it’s a nice perk.

Pricing

LegalZoom’s Basic package starts at $0, requiring you only to pay the $45 Arkansas filing fee. The higher-tier plans (Pro $249, Premium $299, plus state fee) offer additional services, including unlimited eSignature for one year, an EIN and an operating agreement.

LegalZoom offers refunds within 60 days of purchase, provided the company hasn’t yet filed any legal documents with any government agencies.

Customer Service

LegalZoom’s customer care team is available over the phone, Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT and weekends 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT. It also offers a live chat, which we appreciate for quick help. The provider also offers diverse online resources, including legal help articles and legal form templates.

Reputation

LegalZoom is a well-known company for LLC services and has a significant number of customer reviews online. Of the more than 4,000 Trustpilot reviews, most are positive. Real-world users praise the customer service team in particular. LegalZoom is also BBB accredited, with an A+ rating.

Learn more: Read our full LegalZoom review.

Features

ZenBusiness offers three plan options and business owners can modify any of the plans by adding only the features they need à la carte. For example, while the free plan only includes standard LLC filing and a year of compliance services, all of the features in the upper-tier plans, such as operating agreements, business documents, expedited filing, a business email address and a business website builder, can be added on to any lower-tier plan.

Extra features that are not included with any of the plans, such as business banking, bookkeeping and tax advice, can also be added. With these customization options, ZenBusiness stands out as a flexible option for small business owners who only want to pay for the services they’ll actually use.

Pricing

As mentioned, ZenBusiness offers three plan options: the free Starter plan (plus the $45 Arkansas filing fee), the Pro plan ($199 per year plus the $45 Arkansas filing fee) and the Premium plan ($299 per year plus the $45 Arkansas filing fee). It’s important to note that all of these plans are billed annually. Some services, such as Bizee, only charge you once.

The cost of the features you need can help you decide whether it makes sense to upgrade to a more expensive plan. For example, creating an operating agreement costs $99. If this is the only additional service you desire, it will probably make sense to stick with the free plan and add it on. However, if you want an operating agreement, an employer identification number (EIN) and expedited filing, you will probably decide that the Pro plan, costing $199 per year, is a better deal than purchasing these three services à la carte for a total of $277.

ZenBusiness does not include registered agent service with any of its plans. You will need to purchase it separately, if desired, for $199 per year.

Customer Service

One benefit of choosing ZenBusiness is that you’ll be able to speak with a live agent over the phone six days per week. The sales team is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT, Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT on Saturdays. Live chat is also available during these times with the sales or customer service teams. The sales team can also be reached using live chat on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT. If preferred, you can also send an email, which the company promises will be answered within one business day.

Reputation

ZenBusiness was founded in 2017. It hasn’t been around quite as long as some of the other LLC services, but still offers a wealth of experience. Overall, small business owners who have worked with ZenBusiness seem pleased with their decision to do so. It boasts a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot, with over 16,000 reviewers contributing to the high score.

Learn more: Read our full ZenBusiness review.

Features

If your LLC plans to do business overseas, Active Filings’ apostille certification service can smooth the process by confirming with international business entities that your company’s LLC documents are legitimate. The service’s three LLC formation packages come with one free year of registered agent services ($99 a year thereafter) and franchise tax/annual report compliance in addition to filing your certificate of organization and other paperwork with the Arkansas Secretary of State.

International businesses that want to form an LLC in the U.S. can sign up for one of Active Filings’ two international formation packages that include apostille certification. However, it’s important to note that the only state options are Florida (Active Filings’ home state), Delaware and Wyoming.

Unlike other LLC services we assessed, Active Filings focuses exclusively on business formation services. There are no tie-ins to legal or financial services nor websites, domain names or business email. However, the company’s three LLC formation packages have much to offer Arkansas businesses.

The free Starter plan from Active Filings only handles filing your LLC documents with the state, working with the Arkansas Secretary of State office to facilitate processing and franchise tax/annual report compliance. This may be all the services some new LLCs need. Upgrading to The Sprinter package gets you expedited processing, the use of a local office address for formation documents, enhanced security and an EIN. The company’s high-end Finisher plan adds a corporate seal and a corporate book for storing paper copies of your formation documents.

Pricing

The Sprinter’s $100 price (plus the $45 Arkansas filing fee) represents a bargain for Arkansas LLCs that need an EIN (which is nearly all of them) and want to take advantage of expedited processing to have their formation paperwork ready to file in one business day. The Finisher product, which costs $250 (plus the state fee), includes a corporate seal and corporate book. The prices of Active Filings’ stand-alone LLC formation services aren’t listed on the company’s website.

Customer Service

The Active Filings contact page has an email form and a telephone number for reaching its support staff. There’s no indication of the support hours, but the company’s office hours are posted as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. When we called at 6:20 p.m. PT on a Monday, the call was transferred to voicemail automatically.

The company’s help center links to information on business formations in each state, as well as articles and FAQs. Also provided are IRS business resources, business checklists and state processing times (normal and expedited).

Reputation

Active Filings was founded in Florida in 2001 and takes pride in being the only incorporation service in the U.S. with dedicated Spanish-speaking staff. Evaluations of the company posted on popular review sites are mostly favorable, although there aren’t many reviews overall.

Learn more: Read our full Active Filings review.

Features

Swyft follows the standard configuration of LLC providers, with a single free plan (Basic) and two paid plans (Standard and Premium). The Basic plan includes state filing support and a comprehensive name check service as well as access to lifetime customer support, so if issues arise months or years after the foundation of your LLC (or you want to add extra services), Swyft Filing’s support will be available.

The mid-tier plan features organizational minutes to record your first meeting, a legal requirement for some businesses. You also get free beneficial ownership report (BOI) filing and an EIN, making the road to a fully established LLC much smoother (and taking a lot of paperwork off your plate).

The Premium option gives customers access to a skilled business attorney who will walk them through the entire process of establishing an LLC and includes expedited shipping and same-day processing, making it one of the best options for same-day filing. You also get three months of access to a business address and a library of more than 250 legal documents, along with a free website and domain for one year.

The two lower-tier plans also give customers the option to purchase features not included for an extra fee.

Pricing

Swyft Filing’s site also gives you access to state-specific pricing, so you can easily see what your total will be. The Basic plan is free and you’ll just pay the Arkansas $45 state fee. The Standard plan is $199 plus the state fee and the Premium plan is $299 plus the state fee. These prices are pretty similar to other LLC services. The price of purchasing features not included in a plan by default generally falls in the midrange of LLC services that allow à la carte purchasing.

Customer Service

Swyft’s website houses a learning center with a number of free resources to brush up on subjects such as marketing tips, state facts and business structures. You can also reach support directly by phone or email.

Reputation

Swyft has a favorable reputation online, with several customers calling out its knowledgeable and responsive customer service.

Learn more: Read our full Swyft Filings review.

Features

BetterLegal offers only one LLC formation package. Overall, it’s pretty thorough. In addition to the business filing, you get an operating agreement, EIN and a banking resolution (this identifies who is permitted to access company bank accounts). A free business website or online store is also included.

One nice extra we didn’t see commonly advertised elsewhere is the tax analysis feature. With your LLC formation package, you’re entitled to a business tax analysis with a virtual tax service. Since an LLC can be taxed as either a pass-through entity (profits and losses “pass through” the company and are declared on the business owner’s personal income tax forms) or a corporation, this tax advice may be useful.

While there are benefits, note that you’ll have to pay extra for registered agent services ($10 per month or $90 per year) with this provider. Given the already high price, that’s not ideal.

Pricing

When it comes to pricing, BetterLegal stands out from the crowd—in a negative way. Instead of offering different tiers of pricing, like most competitors, this provider just has one LLC formation package, coming in at a steep $299 plus the $45 Arkansas filing fee. While it’s pretty robust, the lack of cheaper plan options may scare off some thrifty entrepreneurs.

The company’s terms and conditions state that any purchases made through its website are final and will not be refunded.

Customer Service

BetterLegal’s customer service is available Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. You can contact the support team by phone, live chat or online form. There is also an online help page with articles on everything from hiring to choosing a business model.

Reputation

BetterLegal’s Trustpilot reviews are minimal, at less than 500. However, they are overall fairly positive, averaging more than 4.5 stars. Customers praise the service’s simplicity and efficiency. BetterLegal is also BBB accredited.

Learn more: Read our full BetterLegal review.