Who should you hire in Delaware for LLC formation services in 2026: we say Mainstay Filing ($199), Delaware Registered Agent.ai ($199) and DE Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked best first. Budget $110 for the state plus $397 to $597 in service fees over three years.
By the LLC Answered editorial team
Quick reply
Short reply
Charged by the state
$110, a single time
Ongoing
$400 on a yearly basis
Registered agent
Yes, by law
Who to hire
Mainstay Filing, Delaware Registered Agent.ai then DE Registered Agent.org
The Delaware ranking
Prices are from each company's own pricing. See how we decide.
#1Hire first
1. Mainstay Filing: best for staying away from paperwork
$199 a year, plus the $110 state fee
Hire Mainstay Filing in Delaware: a single $199 yearly price includes the formation, the registered agent and every annual tax.
$200 more over three years than Delaware Registered Agent.ai, with more of the paperwork covered.
Annual LLC Tax filing is included, with the $400 state fee charged at cost.
What is bundled
Articles prepared and filed
Registered agent for twelve months
Annual tax submitted on time
EIN request, handled
State fees at cost
Pluses
EIN step covered
$199 annually, all in
No increase ($199)
Downsides
$100 a year more than Delaware Registered Agent.ai from year two
#2For Delaware
2. Delaware Registered Agent.ai: best for tight budgets
$199 to form, $99 each year after
Why Delaware Registered Agent.ai second? Simply put, forming the LLC costs $199 and covers the agent in year one, then $99 a year.
Set aside time for the Annual LLC Tax; it is not included.
What is bundled
Delaware formation filing
Agent included in year one
Pluses
No agent charge for year one
Forms the LLC for $199
$99 a year from year two
Downsides
The Annual LLC Tax is outside the service
EIN help is $99 more
#3For Delaware
3. DE Registered Agent.org: best for another local choice
$199 to form, $99 each year after
Why DE Registered Agent.org third? Simply put, forming the LLC costs $199 and covers the agent in year one, then $99 a year.
Set aside time for the Annual LLC Tax; it is not included.
Its prices match Delaware Registered Agent.ai exactly, so either works.
What is bundled
Delaware formation filing
Agent included in year one
Pluses
No agent charge for year one
Forms the LLC for $199
$99 a year from year two
Downsides
The Annual LLC Tax is outside the service
EIN help is $99 more
The picks compared
#
Company
Year 1
Renewal
3-year cost
Included
1
Mainstay Filing
$199
$199/yr
$597
articles prepared and filed; registered agent for twelve months; annual tax submitted on time
Stay current on the Annual LLC Tax, filed every year for $400. The state gives the due date as annual alternative-entity tax due on or before June 1; do not miss it.
The bottom line adds up the filing fee, the reports for years two and three and the minimum tax if there is one. A cost with no set price, like a newspaper notice, is left out of the sum.
More quick questions
Who takes care of the EIN?
Only one pick bundles it, Mainstay Filing; Delaware Registered Agent.ai adds $99, DE Registered Agent.org adds $99.
Will I owe more if I am late?
A late filing carries $200.
After three years, what has each cost?
Three-year costs are Mainstay Filing, $597; Delaware Registered Agent.ai, $397; DE Registered Agent.org, $397 (services only).
How do you know these fees?
State side: Delaware's published fee schedules and forms. Service side: the prices each company lists.
Is a service mandatory?
No. What you pay a service covers the labor and the agent role, not anything the state demands.
Which one do you pick in Delaware?
Mainstay Filing first: it is alone on this list in filing the annual tax for you, and that comes inside $199 a year. Delaware Registered Agent.ai and DE Registered Agent.org follow.