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LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

Straight talk · Ohio

2 Best LLC Services in Ohio (2026): The Straight Story

If you need LLC formation services in Ohio in 2026, here's the order we'd go in: Mainstay Filing ($199) and OH Registered Agent.org ($199). Here's the money: $99 to the state, $397 to $597 to a service across three years.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

Quick facts

The short of it
State fee
$99, once, up front
After that
No report
Statutory agent
Yes, it's the law
Our pick
Mainstay Filing then OH Registered Agent.org

Ohio: our ranking

The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.

#1 Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation and agent for one price

$199 a year, plus the $99 state fee

You pay $199 yearly and get the filing and the statutory agent along with the EIN application. That's why Mainstay Filing is first.

Here's the catch: OH Registered Agent.org costs $200 less over three years, but it only works in Ohio.

What you get

  • Your formation filing, taken care of
  • Statutory agent for a whole year
  • EIN application
  • State fees passed through, no markup

Pluses

  • $199 a year covers filing, agent
  • No jump when you renew ($199)
  • The EIN application's included

What's not

  • $100 a year above OH Registered Agent.org after year one
  • Nothing recurring in Ohio for it to handle
#2 Ohio specialist

2. OH Registered Agent.org: best for owners who'll stay home

$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

OH Registered Agent.org comes in second because it starts at $199 with the first agent year thrown in, and from year two you pay $99.

What you get

  • Ohio formation filing
  • The first agent year's on them

Pluses

  • Agent renews at $99
  • The first agent year's included
  • $199 to form the LLC

What's not

  • The EIN application costs $99 extra

The numbers

#WhoFirst yearThenThree-year totalWhat you get
1 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597your formation filing, taken care of; statutory agent for a whole year; EIN application Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 OH Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397ohio formation filing; The first agent year's on them Go to OH Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whoever you pick.

The questions that matter

What's it cost to form an LLC here?

Figure $99 for the state, plus $199 if you hire help in year one.

Across three years the state collects $99, filing fee included. go check codes.ohio.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Which form do I file, and where?

Here's what starts the company: the Articles of Organization (Form 610), sent to the Ohio Secretary of State.

The law: Ohio Rev. Code § 1706.16. go check codes.ohio.gov, last confirmed October 2026

Do I have to name a statutory agent?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

An Ohio resident, or a business entity with a business address in Ohio.

go check codes.ohio.gov, last confirmed October 2026

What do I owe after that?

Nothing recurs on the report side, because Ohio doesn't ask for one.

Can I just file it myself?

You can. Skip the service and your three-year bill is the state's $99.

A service adds $397 to $597 over three years.

Why this order?

Mainstay Filing takes jobs the price actually covers, which counts 30%.

65% of the score comes from money out the door in three years and jobs the price actually covers.

It wins by a nose: filing plus agent in one yearly price.

How we judge

What Ohio requires to form an LLC

WhatDetailOfficial source
Fee to form $99go check codes.ohio.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Statutory agent Yes, it's the lawgo check codes.ohio.gov, last confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three $99The rows above, added up

Every line above links to the state's own page. The total's ours: the filing, two reports and any minimum tax.

Still wondering?

Who handles the EIN?

With Mainstay Filing it's free. OH Registered Agent.org charges $99.

What do the picks cost over three years?

Over three years you're looking at $597 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at OH Registered Agent.org, before state fees.

Are the fees official?

State fees come from Ohio's official documents, and service fees come from each company's own price page. Both are dated here.

Do I have to use a service?

No law says you need a service. It's a convenience you pay for.

What does the LLC owe every year?

Nothing recurs on the report side, because Ohio doesn't ask for one.

What's the best LLC service in Ohio?

Mainstay Filing is first: the price doesn't climb at renewal ($199), and it pays for formation and the statutory agent. Then comes OH Registered Agent.org.

Keep reading

Sources, so you can check

  1. Don't take our word on Ohio Rev: codes.ohio.gov, August 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  2. Don't take our word on Ohio formation fee: Filing fee: codes.ohio.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  3. Don't take our word on Ohio registered agent statute: codes.ohio.gov, October 2026, is where it's from, no filter
  4. Mainstay Filing Ohio service page, read November 13, 2026
  5. OH Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026