Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom both have an extensive slate of offerings, including ones to help you file business formation documents in any state. The main difference between the two is their respective pricing models.
As previously mentioned, there are two ways of accessing Rocket Lawyer’s services: as a member or as a non-member. Non-members can purchase the services they need à la carte, while members pay $39.99 per month for a range of free or discounted services. You can cancel your membership at any time, and there’s a seven-day free trial period, although some services are not included in the trial.
LegalZoom offers multiple business formation plans starting for free (plus state filing fees) for a limited liability company (LLC) and varying in price depending on the type of business you want to start. Filing the final documents with your state incurs an additional fee. The biggest difference between individual plans is the document turnaround time; the more you pay, the quicker the filing process will be. LegalZoom also offers other useful services that could help your business but you’ll have to make separate purchases to access them.
Both companies can also help you with family and personal legal matters. If you’re a Rocket Lawyer member, access to these services and documents is included in the monthly membership. If you’re a non-member, you’ll have to pay on a per-document basis. Since LegalZoom does not have a subscription-based business model, you’ll have to make separate payments to access the legal services you want.
Rocket Lawyer
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Pricing
From $39.99
per month, or à la carte
Registered Agent Service
Yes,
for $149
Access to Attorneys
Free 30-minute consultations
included with membership
From $39.99
per month, or à la carte
Yes,
for $149
Free 30-minute consultations
included with membership
Editor's Take
As mentioned previously, Rocket Lawyer members have much less restricted access to the company’s services, including templates for hundreds of legal documents. New members get free business incorporation services for their first LLC and a 25% discount thereafter. The membership also includes 30-minute attorney consultations, the option to ask a lawyer unlimited questions through Rocket Lawyer’s website and up to a 40% discount if you hire a Rocket Lawyer On Call attorney.
While Registered Agent services are not included in its Premium Membership, you can elect to hire one for a discounted rate of 25% off.
If you don’t elect to become a member, then you’re going to be paying full price ($39.99) every time you need a legal document. Not only that, but some of the most attractive legal services that are included in the membership will cost you as well. Without a membership, you’ll be stuck paying out of pocket for each of these services—fees that will add up quickly if you use them often.
The membership is an appealing option because you get access to the full slate of Rocket Lawyer’s offerings. Not only can it help with incorporating your business or reviewing your business’s important legal documents, but it can also help with your real estate, family and personal legal needs, such as Last Will and Testament, Divorce Settlement Agreement and Child Care Authorization.
Pros & Cons
- Unlimited access to full library of legal templates with membership
- LLC registration included with membership
- 30-minute consultation with attorneys included with membership
- Membership is expensive if you don’t need legal forms or access to a lawyer
- Pricing for non-members can be more expensive than LegalZoom
- Registered Agent services not included for free with membership
LegalZoom
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Pricing
From $0
(plus state filing fees) for basic business filing services
Registered Agent Service
Yes,
for $199 per year
Access to Attorneys
Yes,
with purchase of Business Advisory Plan
On LegalZoom's Website
From $0
(plus state filing fees) for basic business filing services
Yes,
for $199 per year
Yes,
with purchase of Business Advisory Plan
Editor's Take
LegalZoom offers multiple packages to help you with your business registration needs. The cheapest option is filing an LLC with the Basic package ($0 plus state fees), which includes business filing, articles of incorporation, name check service and customizable website. This package has a document turnaround time of 20 days, and LegalZoom will guide you through a review of all your LLC documents before they are submitted to make sure there aren’t any errors. Paying for a more expensive plan will get your documents filed more quickly.
LegalZoom offers the same business formation services as Rocket Lawyer and can also help with the legal documents necessary for loaning money or filing for bankruptcy. LegalZoom also offers more robust intellectual property offerings than Rocket Lawyer, including trademark and copyright registration, patent applications and a host of other intellectual property services.
Unfortunately, access to immediate legal advice is not included in any of LegalZoom’s LLC packages. If you need legal advice for your business then you’re also going to need to purchase its Business Advisory Plan. This plan includes unlimited 30-minute sessions with an attorney, and rates start at $39.09 per month when you sign a multimonth contract.
LegalZoom also boasts a legal library with more than 1,600 templates of a wide range of legal documents that can be used for personal needs (family and estate planning, real estate agreements, etc.).
Pros & Cons
- Only pay for what you need
- Unlimited downloads from its legal library with one-time payment
- Robust IP services
- Higher costs for faster document delivery
- Registered Agent Service only available with an additional purchase
- Legal advice requires a separate subscription
