Incfile vs. Direct Incorporation

Which Is Right For You?

Woman gesturing to four point three star Incfile and four point one star Direct Incorporation.

Are you starting a new company, but don’t want to invest the long hours necessary to go the do-it-yourself route? Need to file documents to start your business, but can’t afford to work with a law firm?

Fortunately, business formation services can serve as a happy medium between DIY and hiring an attorney. They handle the entire incorporation process and offer tons of other easy solutions. It’s about convenience, security, and leaving you with more time and energy to actually get started with and run your business.

In this Incfile vs. Direct Incorporation comparison, we’ll examine two big players in the industry through their commonalities, differences, package options, features, and more. By the time you’re through, you’ll know why Incfile is our #1 choice for business formation.

We Recommend:

Incfile - 4.7 out of 5 stars
Incfile ($0 + State Fees)

Common Features

So, any two companies offering incorporation services are going to have common ground. Here are some other ways in which Incfile and Direct Incorporation are similar:

1) Both have safe, modern, secure websites or web platforms; protected by Norton Web Security, meaning your private data stays that way.

2) Both companies have perfect A+ ratings as Better Business Bureau (BBB) Accredited Businesses.

3) Incfile and Direct Incorporation have awesome and professional customer-service reps. Give them a call, send an email, or start a chat session on their sites — they make communication easy.

4) Both provide online learning centers, including a host of document libraries and reference materials, as well as helpful blog posts.

5) Looking to incorporate a business with a large employee base? How about a sole proprietorship? No matter what, Direct Incorporation and Incfile have you covered. There’s no company too big or startup too small.

6) Both are far less expensive than the conventional route of hiring a lawyer.

What Sets Them Apart

We’ve created this Incfile vs. Direct Incorporation comparison for a reason - because no two companies are ever exactly alike. Take a look, and consider how these differences affect which company’s right for you:

  • Incfile costs less across the board. Their base and top-tier packages are both significantly less than Direct Incorporation’s comparable packages, with their Silver package starting at $0; you'll be responsible for the state fees.
  • Direct Incorporation offers their Executive Club for $13.99 per month; benefits include advice from lawyers and accountants, a compliance program, discounts on future services and more. That’s a lot of added value.
  • Incfile includes a full year of registered agent service, free of charge with any package; only $119/year after the first year. Direct Incorporation doesn’t include this service.
  • Direct Incorporation has a wider variety of options than Incfile though. Incfile has their standard packages without a ton of add-ons, whereas Direct Incorporation’s four service-tiers cover basic incorporation, robust one-stop startup shopping, and everything in between.
  • Incfile includes a cool real-time tracking tool, which keeps you constantly updated on where exactly your application stands.
  • Turnaround times do vary by state, but Direct Incorporation’s processing times are generally faster.

Customer Reviews

As mentioned in the commonalities section, both Direct Incorporation and Incfile are accredited by the Better Business Bureau, with A+ ratings.

As for customer reviews, Incfile clearly has legions of happy clients with well over 1,500 reviews on ShopperApproved, sporting a sterling 4.8/5-stars. Here are a couple of examples:

“I really like the email reminders for renewing, and the site is so very easy to follow. Definitely made this process so easy.” - Deborah F.
“This company is definitely in my list of trusted companies by now. The services are quick and provided in an extremely professional manner allowing me to focus on my business. The online dashboard is clean and easy to understand. Highly recommended.” - Binoy M.

It’s difficult to find a large volume of Direct Incorporation reviews online, although we do wonder if that’s partially because both, the words “direct” and “incorporation” appear on many sites regarding filing services.

There are some customer testimonials on Direct Incorporation’s website, like this one:

“This was very easy. This was great. Working with your company was a pleasure. I paid $3,000 to someone else before, and this was much better. Be sure and tell your company that.” - Gregory Brue

It’s definitely a good thing Direct Incorporation doesn’t really have any negative reviews. Still, if customer reviews have a strong impact on your decision-making process, the truckload of positive reviews for Incfile tip the scales in their direction.

Pricing Differences

Incfile Starts at $0

Incfile Pricing for LLC

As you can see, all three packages include things like registered agent service, order tracking, access to incorporation document libraries, and more. As for the differences between the tiers, check out the screenshot below:

Incfile LLC Premium services

Note: The Platinum tier also includes expedited processing, a $100 value.

Turnaround times with Incfile vary drastically by state, as they do with most companies. Their standard processing times take anywhere from 1-8 weeks, but if you need it done faster, your order can be expedited to a 1-30 day window (depending on state of formation).

Direct Incorporation Starts at $147

Like most document filing services, Direct Incorporation also has three service tiers: Standard, Premier and Elite. However, Direct Incorporation also has a ‘startup package’ known as Venture.

Direct Incorporation LLC Pricing

Note: Turnaround times with Direct Incorporation are very fast — their standard filing times are roughly equivalent to Incfile’s expedited processing!

Direct Incorporation’s services are interesting because they’re a bit different than just about any other document filing company.

  • Their Standard package is a fairly typical base-tier package, although it includes an Employer Identification Number — an additional $70 cost on Incfile, which essentially evens out the prices between their base tiers.
  • When you get into the middle tiers, Direct Incorporation’s Premier package is probably most similar to Incfile’s top-tier Platinum service.
  • Up at the Elite tier, Direct Incorporation includes everything you need to launch a professional website, which is a strong value for about $32 more than the Premier level.

If you want your entire startup to be a one-stop shopping experience, then you might want to check out Direct Incorporation’s Venture package. The price is steep, but it really does include a ton of features that you’ll need to start a business.

Which Should You Choose?

If you need more than a basic incorporation service, Direct Incorporation’s Venture “startup package” is worth looking into.

It would be incredibly convenient to have trademark protection, graphic design and web design — along with all your document filing needs — in one place, which Direct Incorporation exclusively offers.

However, if all you want is standard incorporation that includes a year's worth of free registered agent services, saving $147 with Incfile might be a better option.

Both companies are perfectly capable of providing a smooth, worry-free incorporation process. Whether you go with the more in-depth offerings of Direct Incorporation, or keep your costs down a bit with Incfile, we’re confident you’ll be happy with your decision. Here’s to a prosperous year ahead!

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