Place1
Best hereMainstay Filing
1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation, agent and annual report in one price
$199 a year plus the state fee; $349 due today
Our mark9.1out of 10
We put Mainstay Filing first: the Illinois formation, your registered agent and the annual report all sit under one $199 yearly price.
Each year Mainstay prepares and files the Limited Liability Company Annual Report, passing the $75 state fee through at cost; filing late in Illinois costs $100.
Over three years it costs $200 more than Illinois Registered Agent.co, and we think the extra coverage earns that here.
What you get
- Formation prepared and filed
- Your registered agent, all year
- Your annual report prepared and filed
- EIN application
Why pick it
- EIN application included
- Renewal stays $199
- No markup on the Illinois fee
- $199/yr covers formation and agent and report
Less good
- Renewal is $100 above Illinois Registered Agent.co's agent
Place2
Best value hereIllinois Registered Agent.co
2. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for a low-cost Illinois LLC
$199 up front, $99 a year from year two
Our mark8.9out of 10
Illinois Registered Agent.co comes second with the Illinois filing for $199 and a free first year of registered agent service, then $99 a year.
Its plan gives you an in-state street address for the registered office, and legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to you online.
Budget time to file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself every year.
What you get
- Formation prepared and filed
- First year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- $199 over the state fee
- First year of registered agent service included
- Then $99 a year
Less good
- No Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing
- Charges $99 for the EIN application
Place3
Lower renewal than MainstayIL Registered Agent.org
3. IL Registered Agent.org: best for a second Illinois option
$199 up front, $99 a year from year two
Our mark8.7out of 10
Third: IL Registered Agent.org, for the Illinois filing for $199 and a free first year of registered agent service, then $99 a year.
Its plan gives you an in-state street address for the registered office, and legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to you online.
Budget time to file the Limited Liability Company Annual Report yourself every year.
Prices and features match Illinois Registered Agent.co exactly, so the two are close to interchangeable.
What you get
- Formation prepared and filed
- First year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Then $99 a year
- $199 over the state fee
- First year of registered agent service included
Less good
- No Limited Liability Company Annual Report filing
- Charges $99 for the EIN application
The 3 picks side by side
| Rank | Service | Our score | Service fee | Year two | Best for | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $199/yr | Formation, agent and annual report in one price | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | Illinois Registered Agent.co | 8.9 | $199 | $99/yr | An Illinois-only LLC on a budget | Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | IL Registered Agent.org | 8.7 | $199 | $99/yr | An Illinois-only LLC on a budget | Visit IL Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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Scores are The Founders Review's own editorial scores out of 10, from the criteria on our How we rank page. They are not customer ratings.
Annual and renewal prices in Illinois, 2026
| Service | Year one | Year two | Year three | Three-year total | Limited Liability Company Annual Report filed for you |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
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| Illinois Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
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| IL Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
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Prices from each company's own pricing pages, read November 12, 2026. Illinois's filing fee ($150) is paid on top with every service and is left out of these totals.
Why Mainstay Filing is first
What one price covers decided this page. It is one of our two 30% criteria, alongside three-year cost.
Illinois expects a report every year with a $75 state fee and charges $100 when it is late. A price that includes filing it scores well on coverage, and that outweighed the lower three-year cost of Illinois Registered Agent.co.
The full method is on How we rank.
Illinois LLC filing fee, from the state
Filing the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5) costs $150 at the Illinois Secretary of State, per 805 ILCS 180/5-5; the services pass that through on top.
What comes after formation
You owe the Limited Liability Company Annual Report every year ($75 state fee), due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month. The penalty for filing late is $100. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What Illinois founders ask
How much does it cost to form an LLC in Illinois?
Budget $150 for the state and $199 for the service.
What form creates the LLC?
The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-5.5), filed with the Illinois Secretary of State.
Do I need a registered agent for an Illinois LLC?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What yearly filings does an Illinois LLC have?
The Limited Liability Company Annual Report, every year, due before the first day of the entity's anniversary month, with a $75 state fee.
Is the EIN application included?
Mainstay Filing's yearly price includes it. Illinois Registered Agent.co and IL Registered Agent.org charge $99 for it. The IRS itself charges no fee for an EIN.
Which LLC service is best in Illinois?
Mainstay Filing ranks first on our method: a single $199 price each year covers the filing, the agent and the annual report.
Official sources and price pages
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division (checked August 2026): www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/annual-reports/llc-instruc
- Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division (checked August 2026): www.ilsos.gov/departments/business-services/annual-reports.html
- 805 ILCS 180/5-5 (checked August 2026): www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K5-5
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked October 2026): www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K50-10
- Illinois formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked October 2026): www.ilsos.gov/publications/business-services/llc.html
- Illinois registered agent statute (checked October 2026): www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=080501800K1-35
- Illinois service page of Mainstay Filing, read November 12, 2026
- Pricing and service pages of Illinois Registered Agent.co, read November 12, 2026
- Pricing and service pages of IL Registered Agent.org, read November 12, 2026