Inc Authority Review: Is the Free Plan Actually Free? [2024]

An Intuitive, User-Friendly Website – But No Prices Listed

The Inc Authority sign-up process is easy to follow, beginning with the sign-up link. There is a step-by-step guide on the website which is tailored to each state, where you can review the specific requirements. An online dashboard is available once your business is registered with the US state of your choosing.

You can speed up Inc Authority’s filing time by paying a one-time fee, or opting for the Fast Track Business Bundle, although typical overall processing time depends on your chosen state. For example, New York will process the LLC documents in about a week, whereas Delaware will take three to four weeks. The volume of requests at the time the documents are received by the state is also a factor in the turnaround time.

The only major ease-of-use problem I found is that pricing for the premium Business Bundles is not available on the website, nor is it available via live chat, so you either have to call Inc Authority to find out prices, or start the sign-up process without that information. Obviously, if you’ve already had a phone chat with customer service, you’ll have this information when you begin.

Getting Started With Inc Authority

To begin this process, you’ll need to choose a business entity and the state in which you want to file. After choosing your state you’ll be prompted to answer a series of questions.

They then directed me to a screen where I answered questions about my business type and whether I’ll have employees. Additional inquiries covered business specifics and accepted payment methods. In total, reaching the payment screen only requires a few minutes.

User-Friendly Account Dashboard

Once you have signed up and your documents are processed by the state, you’ll then be able to access the account dashboard. The Inc Authority dashboard is clearly laid out and straightforward to use.

Free Plan Is Very Basic, and Premium Plans Are Pricey

Inc Authority offers a free plan with optional one-off fees, and a couple of subscription-based service bundles. You can stick to the free plan and add important features like an EIN, or choose one of the paid plans. The plan pricing is not transparent – I had to contact support in order to get price quotes.

Inc Authority’s free plan is a good deal primarily due to the aforementioned Registered Agent service. Other useful features in the free plan are the business name check to ensure your chosen name is available, and support from real living people during business hours.

Inc Authority will try to upsell you on important services like obtaining an EIN and drafting an Operating Agreement. These are often included by other vendors in paid plans that tend to be more affordable. While it’s easy to decline any add-on costs during sign-up, you may want or need these services.

The premium Starter Business Bundle includes a number of useful additional services you won’t get with the free plan. It features near-essentials like an Operating Agreement draft and EIN application alongside useful items like ownership certificates. The plan includes access to a personal consultation with tax experts. My issue with this intermediate-level plan is that it costs a fair bit more than that of many other companies, yet you still have to pay extra for expedited filing.

In addition to all the features of the Starter package, the Fast Track Business Bundle also comes with access to a banking specialist and personalized business advice. Expedited filing is included in the cost of this plan. The cost of this plan is quite a bit higher than the competition’s offerings.

The big problem with all plans is that you’ll have to pay $179 per year after the first year if you want to keep the previously free Registered Agent service – and this fee is charged even if you’re on one of the premium Business Bundles. That being said, if you’re planning to be your own Registered Agent after the first year, then this won’t matter to you.

Attentive Customer Support With Detailed Responses

Inc Authority has a number of different ways for customers to get assistance, including phone, chat, and email. Phone support is available during business hours, 6 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday (PST).

I waited about three minutes to get connected by phone, and under three minutes to get transferred to an expert. The agent answered all of my questions.

The agent answered my questions thoroughly. I asked about features I could not find information about on the website, including whether a mobile app was available (the answer was no).

Live chat is available during regular business hours only. While chat support offered useful assistance, the email support from Inc Authority did not. I did not receive a response to my request at all.

Inc Authority also has a blog where answers to common questions are posted. It covers a wide range of useful subjects from the specifics of business compliance to developing alternatives to holding meetings, with step-by-step instructions for necessary tasks.