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Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
Launchwise Review

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Launch guide · Illinois · LLC service

3 Best LLC Services in Illinois (2026)

Researched and written by the Launchwise Review editorial team
For a 2026 launch in Illinois, Launchwise Review grades LLC services this way: IL Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($199). IL Registered Agent.org earns the top grade here: $199 for formation plus the state fee, then $99 yearly for the agent.
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Number one here

1. IL Registered Agent.org: best for a Illinois LLC that wants to stay close to home

$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, plus the state fee

Our mark 9.4 out of 10

Top grade, IL Registered Agent.org: Illinois formation at $199 on top of the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year.

You get an in-state street address for the registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not in its published price, so that task stays on your list with Illinois, due every year.

Add up three years and it lands below Mainstay Filing; cost is one of our two biggest criteria.

In the price

  • LLC filing done for you
  • Your registered agent for year one

Pros

  • Year-one registered agent duty is covered
  • Year-two agent price: $99
  • $199 to start the LLC, plus the filing fee

Less good

  • No Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing in the price
  • EIN application costs extra ($99)
Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the IL Registered Agent.org launch review
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Report filing included

2. Mainstay Filing: best for formation, agent and annual report wrapped into one price

$199 yearly, state fee billed on top ($349 at checkout in all)

Our mark 9.2 out of 10

Next up is Mainstay Filing: $199 a year covers the Illinois filing, registered agent duty for the year and the annual report; it renews at $199.

When renewal comes, Mainstay prepares and files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report so it is off your list. The Illinois fee is $75 every year, with a before the first day of the entity's anniversary month deadline, and being late adds $100; Mainstay passes the fee along at cost.

IL Registered Agent.org is $200 lower across three years, which puts Mainstay Filing behind it on cost.

In the price

  • Preparation and filing of the formation document
  • Your registered agent all year
  • Annual report, prepared and filed each cycle
  • Your EIN application, done for you

Pros

  • Illinois's fee goes through at cost
  • A single $199 yearly price that covers the annual report
  • Your EIN application is included
  • Renews at $199 without add-ons

Less good

  • After year one the agent portion is $100 a year above IL Registered Agent.org's
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing launch review
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Lower renewal than Mainstay

3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for a launch that stays in Illinois

$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, plus the state fee

Our mark 8.9 out of 10

Rounding out the list is Illinois Registered Agent.co: Illinois formation at $199 on top of the state fee, year-one registered agent service included, then $99 a year.

You get an in-state street address for the registered office, and any papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is not in its published price, so that task stays on your list with Illinois, due every year.

IL Registered Agent.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co post the same price and the same features, so you can choose either.

In the price

  • LLC filing done for you
  • A first year as your registered agent

Pros

  • Year-one registered agent duty is covered
  • $199 covers the formation work, fees extra
  • $99 each year for the agent from year two

Less good

  • No Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing in the price
  • EIN application costs extra ($99)
Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Illinois Registered Agent.co launch review

The 3 grades at a glance

Place Company Launch grade Service price Second year Best fit Go
1 IL Registered Agent.org 9.4 $199 $99/yr A Illinois launch on a tight budget Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 9.2 $199 $199/yr Formation, agent and annual report wrapped into one price Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Illinois Registered Agent.co 8.9 $199 $99/yr A Illinois launch on a tight budget Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Scores out of 10 are Launchwise Review's own editorial grades, set from the criteria on How we rank. Customers do not rate anything here.

Illinois LLC service cost in 2026: first year, renewals, three-year total

Company Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Three years, total Files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report for you
IL Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 No
Mainstay Filing $199 $199 $199 $597 Yes
Illinois Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 No
Prices were copied from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. Add Illinois's $150 filing fee to any row; it is not in the totals.

Why this order

Two criteria weigh 26% each in these grades: cost to launch and stay and launch paperwork handled. Renewal behavior, state match and price transparency share 48%, and Illinois turned on cost to launch and stay.

IL Registered Agent.org comes to $397 over three years, $200 under Mainstay Filing. Mainstay would file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report too, but an owner can handle it alone for the state fee, so the lower price took this page.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Launching in Illinois: the state filing fee and form

Plan on $150 at the Illinois Secretary of State when you file the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5). Each company below adds that state fee at cost.

Your Illinois LLC after launch: the upkeep list

Next on the list: the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. Set aside $75 for the state. Late filing adds $100. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Quick answers about Illinois LLC services

What will it cost to launch an LLC in Illinois?

The state filing fee is $150; add a service fee of $199.

Which form starts the LLC?

Look for the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) at the Illinois Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent required on the Illinois formation form?

Yes. You name one on the formation form and keep one on file, with a street address in Illinois.

What stays on the to-do list after the LLC is launched?

The Limited Liability Company Annual Report is the recurring item, filed every year with a before the first day of the entity's anniversary month deadline and a $75 state charge.

Will the EIN application be handled in this price?

Mainstay Filing folds it into the yearly price. The application runs $99 at IL Registered Agent.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co. Founders can also get an EIN from the IRS directly, with no fee.

Which service is the best start for a new Illinois LLC?

IL Registered Agent.org, because it forms the LLC in Illinois for $199 over the state's fee, with the registered agent free for year one, and keeps the agent for $99 a year.

More from us

Sources and dates

  1. Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, dated August 2026
  2. Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division, dated August 2026
  3. 805 ILCS 180/5-5, dated August 2026
  4. Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, dated October 2026
  5. Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source, dated October 2026
  6. Illinois registered agent statute, dated October 2026
  7. From IL Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, copied November 12, 2026
  8. From Mainstay Filing: Illinois service page, copied November 12, 2026
  9. From Illinois Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, copied November 12, 2026