Swyft Filings vs Northwest Registered Agent: Which Is Best?

Picture this: You have a business idea that’s ready to go. But you have neither the time nor the inclination to handle the necessary legal filings to get up and running. 

However, whether you’re forming an LLC, a corporation, or a nonprofit, there are legal requirements that will take time – time that’s probably better spent on other aspects of your venture. 

If this scenario sounds familiar, one popular solution is to use a company formation service provider. 

So today, we’re checking out two such providers: Swyft Filings vs Northwest Registered Agent. More specifically, we’re exploring the primary services they offer business owners – with a particular focus on company formation. That’s as well as their pros and cons, their prices, and customer reviews. Then, with all that info to hand, hopefully, you’ll be better positioned to decide which (if either) service provider is best for your business. 

That’s a lot to cover, so let’s make a start!

Swyft Filings vs Northwest Registered Agent’s Key Differences:

Let’s explore their most notable differences:

• Swyft Filings offers multiple plans starting at $49, whereas Northwest Registered Agent only offers two programs, either pay monthly or annually upfront
• Swyft Filings offers website development and hosting service, whereas Northwest Registered Agent doesn’t.
• The registered agent service has to be bought as an add-on if you use Swyft Filings at an additional $149, whereas this is included in the annual fee of $125 with Northwest Registered Agent.
• Swyft Filings’ customer support offering seems more comprehensive. It’s clear how and when you can access support, whereas there’s no information on the North West Registered Agent website about this. 
• Northwest Registered Agent is a longer-established company, having been in business since 1998, whereas Swyft Filings is newer, having been formed in 2012

Swyft Filings vs Northwest Registered Agent’s Key Similarities:

Let’s take a look at Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent’s apparent similarities:

• Both offer a one-stop-shop service for business owners looking to form a company legally
• Both provide a registered agent service in the state you’ll do business in
• Although they differ in their eligibility criteria, both Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent have refund policies. Swyft Filings offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee or a full refund. In contrast, Northwest Registered Agent provides a refund window of 60-days
• When it comes to company registration, both appear to offer comparable turnaround times, although times vary from state to state.
• Both Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent are easy to use 

What Are Swyft Filings? 

Founded in 2012, Swyft Filings’s primary focus is providing everything small brands need for business formation. More specifically, they provide legal services to help you form an LLC, a Corporation, a C Corporation, a DBA (Doing Business As), or a nonprofit. 

There are several pricing plans to choose from and other complimentary services you pay for outside of these, such as annual reports, 501(c)(3) Applications, and much more. As for the basics, Swyft Filings offers incorporation services such as corporate filings, business incorporations, filing taxes – to name a few!

What’s Northwest Registered Agent? 

By no means a small operator, Northwest Registered Agent has been around longer than Swyft Filings, formed in 1998. To date, they have helped over two million businesses. 

They provide several services to business owners, including LLC formation and finding a registered agent in and across all US states. Other services include forming a corporation or nonprofit, filing state taxes and reports, and more. 

Swyft Filings’s Main Features

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s take a look at Swyft Filing’s most notable features:

Company Formation

Company formation is Swyft Filings’ leading service. It covers all aspects of setting up an LLC, including:

• Preparing and filing all your paperwork
• Finding and verifying the availability of a company name
• State formation fees
• Ongoing compliance fees
• Online access to all your LLC documents
• Document delivery to your address
• A Certificate of Incorporation
• Lifetime customer support

Or, if you prefer to set up a C-Corp, Corporation, or nonprofit, Swyft Filings can help with that too. There’s a tool on its website called an incorporation wizard that walks you through deciding which type of organizational structure is best for your circumstances. 

Once you know what kind of company you want to form, you simply choose the company structure type and select the state you’re operating from. Then, the Swyft Filings website takes you to the relevant page for that state. There you’ll see the pricing packages available and what’s included in each price. 

We go into costs a bit lower down, but suffice to say, there are price levels aimed at small and larger organizations alike. 

You can view all your filing documents from your Swyft Filings dashboard. You’re only ever a login away from all your company’s essential legal details.  

Other features (outside of the price packages) are also available to help you manage your business. 

Here are a few examples:

Registered Agent Service

This is an affordable way to avoid missing important deadlines, such as tax filings in your state or any compliance regulations you need to abide by. Swyft Filings uses automated technology and a team of business professionals to prompt you when important deadlines are looming. 

A Swyft Filings registered agent will also receive your formal correspondence between your business and different government agencies. 

This service starts at $149 and is available in all 50 US states. 

Digital Corporate Kit

Starting at $99 a year, the Digital Corporate Kit is an online cloud-based service. Here, you’ll get access to all your vital LLC (and other organizational documents) from one centralized place. 

Aside from the documents mentioned above, you’ll also have access to info on bylaws, company resolutions, and your company stock or membership registry. Needless to say, it’s an ideal option for any company looking to reduce its paper usage. 

EIN/Federal Tax ID

Starting from $79, Swyft Filings can help you set up an essential Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is also sometimes called a Federal Tax ID number. It’s a nine-digit number, and without it, you can’t collect revenue, open a business bank account, or hire staff and pay them. 

This automated service is backed up by professionals and can be ordered as a one-off payment with just a click. 

Company Dissolution

If you’ve taken the decision to call it a day, Swyft Filings can end your company on your behalf. This service costs $149 + state fees and will terminate your LLC, corporation, or nonprofit. This includes filing all the paperwork in the state(s) you’re registered in.

Northwest Registered Agent’s Main Features

Northwest Registered Agent offers several features similar to Swyft Filings. The main ones focus on setting up an LLC or finding a registered agent in the state(s) you’re looking to operate in. That said, the provider can also help you set up a Corporation and/or nonprofit on your behalf. 

Suppose you already have a company set up but want to change your registered agent. In that case, Northwest Registered Agent also offers this as a stand-alone service. 

LLC Formation

Northwest Registered Agent can help you:

• Name your business
• Find you a registered agent
• Submit articles of incorporation
• Write an LLC operating agreement
• Help you obtain an EIN

…and more.

The company’s website also offers a “how-to” guide on how to do this yourself. But, of course, it also provides info on its two main price packages, which we’ll go into lower down in this review.

Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent operates in all 50 US states and offers a registered agent service in each. In addition, it also provides a National Agent service that covers you should you wish to operate in multiple states. 

This service costs $125 a year. For this fee, you’ll get access to:

• Your pre-filled state forms, any scanned and stored documents,
• Northwest Registered Agent services
• Reminders to file your annual report. 

In addition, mail forwarding is free, and Northwest Registered Agent’s yearly prices won’t fluctuate. 

Annual Report Filings

When it comes to annual report filings, Northwest Registered Agent can walk you through what to do here yourself. Or you can pay them to do it for you on your behalf. If you opt for the latter, it will cost you $100 + the mandatory state filing fee for your state. 

EIN Number

At the cost of $50, plus an additional $200 for anyone without a social security number, Northwest Registered Agent will obtain your EIN number for you. It also offers a flat $275 + state filing fees option to acquire the EIN, company incorporation, a registered agent service, and business forms. 

Virtual Office

For a $49 per month fee, Northwest Registered Agent can run your virtual office. While this service isn’t available in all US states, it is available in Florida, Delaware, Idaho, Texas, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. Subscribers receive an area code for their virtual address, phone service, physical mail forwarding, office leasing, and more. 

Swyft Filings vs Northwest Registered Agent’s Customer Support

If you need to contact Swyft Filings, you can access support via Live Chat or phone between 9-6 pm CST, Monday to Friday. There’s also a contact form you can complete on the website.

Swyft Filings also offers several articles on its website explaining why you need an LLC, the importance of annual reports, why you need a business license, and more. In addition, there’s also a Learning Center with articles on various topics such as ‘Do I Need a Lawyer to Start an LLC,’ ‘Entrepreneur vs. Wantrepreneur,’ ‘How to Start a Consulting Business,’ and more. 

As for Northwest Registered Agent, it’s not immediately apparent what type of support they offer other than the phone number listed on their website. The Northwest Registered Agent website does, however, include short articles on topics such as How to Write Articles of Organization, Meeting Minutes, Corporate Resolution, and more. In each instance, the company provides you with free templates for all these and more if you want to attempt the process yourself. 

Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent’s Prices

Budget is an important consideration when setting up a new company. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your incorporation and other business costs run away with themselves. That said, let’s take a look at how much Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent will set you back:

Swyft Filings’s Prices

If you opt for the Basic Plan, you’ll be charged $49 (billed annually) + state fees. For this, Swyft Filings will:

• Verify your company’s name availability
• Prepare Articles of Incorporation
• File the necessary documents with the Secretary of State
• Provide a free Statement of the Incorporator
• Offer online access to your incorporation documents
• Provide lifetime customer support via phone and email
• Offer a complimentary 30-minute business tax consultation
• Issue ComplianceGuard™ company alerts
• Offer a free web domain name

Next up is the Standard Plan. This will set you back $149 (billed annually) + state fees. You’ll get everything in the Basic Plan, and you’ll:

• Obtain a federal tax ID number (EIN) 
• Access to custom corporation bylaws
• Access to a custom corporate banking resolution
• Access to custom corporation meeting minutes

Lastly, there’s the Premium plan which is billed at $199 annually + state fees. You get everything in the previous two programs, plus:

• The electronic delivery of state documents, which Basic and Standard plan subscribers have to pay an additional $20 a year for
• The customized digital corporate kit, which Basic and Standard plan subscribers have to pay an additional $99 a year for
• Free business and web hosting – which isn’t available on any other pricing package

As we’ve previously mentioned, other services cost additional fees, so it’s essential to keep on top of your costs. 

But, to make things easier on your wallet, Swyft Filings offer a payment plan when you can pay your bills over two installments in a year.

Remember, there are state filing fees to consider on top of the price you pay for most Swyft Filings services. These vary according to the state you’re operating in. It’s also worth bearing in mind that some states are slower to process docs than others, so it’s essential to factor in additional time – just in case. 

Northwest Registered Agent’s Prices

Northwest Registered Agent offers two types of plans:

1. The VIP service with 12 monthly payments
2. Or, you can pay in full, upfront

We’ve already covered the cost of paying for a registered agent. But, if you want to pay to set up an LLC, nonprofit, or corporation, it will cost you a flat fee of $100 + state filing fees. 

All other Northwest Registered Agent features, such as Annual Report filing, are priced separately, some of which we’ve covered above. 

Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent’s Pros and Cons

Let’s check out the pros and cons of each service.

Swyft Filings’s Pros:

• They offer an efficient service
• Their website is easy to navigate
• Swyft Filings’ pricing plans are clear
• Swyft Filings provides a fast turnaround service

Swyft Filings’s Cons:

• Swyft Filings’s Registered Agent service is more expensive than Northwest Registered Agent.
• It’s pretty costly even if you’re on a Basic Plan where additional fees are applied.
• There are lots of upselling on every Swyft Filings page, including explanatory articles, which can be off-putting to some.

Northwest Registered Agent’s Pros:

• Northwest Registered Agent’s costs are somewhat affordable, especially for Registered Agent services
• There are plenty of free guides on their website
• There aren’t any pushy upsells on its website
• Northwest Registered Agent is an experienced and well-established company

Northwest Registered Agent’s Cons:

• Northwest Registered Agent’s services aren’t as holistic compared to other providers
• Its website is quite complex to navigate
• Northwest Registered Agent’s customer support offering isn’t great

FAQs

Swyft Filings vs Northwest Registered Agent: Our Verdict

So there you have it, our Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent review. We hope our review helps you to decide between Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent. Which do you think you’ll go for? All in all, both Swyft Filings and Northwest Registered Agent clearly offer services that ensure state compliance and digitize your documents in one centralized location.  

But, on the one hand, Northwest Registered Agent offers cheaper registered agent fees. On the other hand, Swyft Filings’ services are more comprehensive and easier to find on its website.

If, however, you just want a registered agent, then Northwest Registered Agent is longer-established and cheaper. However, suppose you want a more rounded package including online resources and a holistic suite of legal services (some of which cost more). In that case, we’d go for Swyft Filings – especially if you live in a US state that has tons of regulations and license requirements. Swyft Filings can handle all that on your behalf too. 

Have you used either? Let us know what you think in the comments below.