Starting a Business in Texas: Formation Compared

LLC or another route? Inside: a side-by-side comparison of Texas formation options with real first-year costs — from $300 DIY to $549 with LegalZoom — so you choose once and file with confidence.

Inside this 9-page guide:

• What a formation service actually does — and the DIY baseline (filing directly with the Texas Secretary of State is $300)

• Package prices and what each tier really includes

• Total first-year cost for a Texas LLC for every company, with the math shown

• Registered agent costs and the year-2 renewal traps (one popular service can reach $950+/year if its add-ons auto-renew)

• EIN and operating agreement: who bundles them, who upsells them

• Trustpilot and BBB ratings checked October 31, 2026 — including where a company's own marketing claims don't match the BBB's grade

• Value verdicts: lowest total cost, best registered-agent value, best hand-holding, best for ongoing legal help — and who should just DIY

• Texas specifics: the $300 filing fee, the $25 assumed-name certificate, and the franchise tax / Public Information Report due May 15

Every price comes from the companies' own pricing pages; every rating from the rating platform itself, with anything unverifiable flagged instead of guessed.

Instant download (PDF). Compiled October 31, 2026 — prices and ratings change, so verify before you buy a package.

Formed and ready? "Starting an Independent Living Home in Texas" is your next step.