For LLC formation services in Texas in 2026, we'd rank Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199), TX Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. Here's the money: $300 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
What the state charges
$300, one time
After that
Report's free
Registered agent
Yes, you have to
Our pick
Texas Registered Agent.ai, TX Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing
Texas: our ranking
The order comes from our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
#1Our top pick
1. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for owners who'll stay home
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year
Texas Registered Agent.ai wins the top spot: it starts at $199 with the first agent year thrown in, and from year two you pay $99.
Price decides this one: three years here come to less than at Mainstay Filing.
You're still on the hook for the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report.
What you get
Texas formation filing
Agent service covered for year one
Pluses
$99 a year from year two
No agent charge in year one
Starts at $199 over the state fee
What's not
You're stuck filing the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report
They charge $99 to apply for your EIN
#2Texas only
2. TX Registered Agent.org: best for single-state outfits
$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year
It starts at $199 with the first agent year thrown in, and from year two you pay $99. That puts TX Registered Agent.org second.
You're still on the hook for the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report.
It charges what Texas Registered Agent.ai charges.
What you get
Texas formation filing
Agent service covered for year one
Pluses
Starts at $199 over the state fee
$99 a year from year two
No agent charge in year one
What's not
You're stuck filing the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report
They charge $99 to apply for your EIN
#3Works in all 50 states
3. Mainstay Filing: best for handing off the upkeep
Annual price $199, renewal price $199, state fee on top
Mainstay Filing comes in third because one yearly price of $199 covers the formation, the registered agent and every Public Information Report.
It ranks lower because three years cost $200 more than Texas Registered Agent.ai, and price is the biggest test.
It files the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report too, and Texas doesn't charge for it.
What you get
Formation handled start to finish
Registered agent for twelve straight months
Public Information Report done for you
EIN application
State fees passed through, no markup
Pluses
EIN handled for you
$199 a year covers filing, agent and report
Renews at $199
What's not
$100 a year above Texas Registered Agent.ai after year one
Side by side
#
Company
Year one
Then
3 years
What you get
1
Texas Registered Agent.ai
$199
$99/yr
$397
texas formation filing; agent service covered for year one
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whoever you pick.
What you need to know
What's it cost to form an LLC here?
The state takes $300, and a service that files for you in year one adds $199.
Across three years the state collects $300, filing fee included. go check sos.texas.gov, last confirmed October 2026
What do I actually send the state?
The Certificate of Formation (Form 205) goes to the Texas Secretary of State, and approval is what creates your LLC.
Statute: Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005. go check sos.texas.gov, last confirmed October 2026
Do I have to name a registered agent?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent.
Nobody's making you hire anyone. State fees alone run $300 across three years.
That $397 to $597 over three years is what you pay somebody else to deal with the paperwork and the agent role.
Why this order?
Texas Registered Agent.ai scores best on money out the door in three years, and that test is worth 35%.
We run five tests: money out the door in three years (35%), jobs the price actually covers (30%), no hunting for the price (14%), no surprise at renewal (11%) and where it works (10%).
Do the math: Texas Registered Agent.ai is $397 for three years, and that's $200 less than Mainstay Filing.
The last row is our math, not the state's: filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. If a cost has no fixed amount, like a newspaper notice, it's explained above and left out.
Still wondering?
Is the EIN application included?
Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application. The others make you pay: Texas Registered Agent.ai $99; TX Registered Agent.org $99.
What if I'm late with the report?
A late report costs $50 more.
What's the three-year damage for each?
Over three years you're looking at $397 at Texas Registered Agent.ai, $397 at TX Registered Agent.org, $597 at Mainstay Filing, with state fees on top.
Are the fees official?
State fees come from Texas's official documents, and service fees come from each company's own price page. Both are dated here.
Is a service required?
No. You can file with the state yourself. A service saves you time and can be your agent, but nothing makes you hire one.
What's the best LLC service in Texas?
Texas Registered Agent.ai, because three years with it total $397, thanks to a $99 renewal. After that, TX Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.