doola vs Northwest Registered Agent: pricing and features compared
Data last updated: Apr 21, 2026doola starts at $222 plus state fees. Northwest Registered Agent starts at $39 plus state fees. Sticker-price differences between LLC formation services rarely tell the full story, since the cheapest tier usually excludes the EIN filing and operating agreement most filers need.
The registered agent renewal is the line item that actually matters over time: Northwest Registered Agent is $125 per year, doola is $197. Over five years that delta adds up to $288, which is typically a larger swing than the formation-tier sticker price.
For most filers, the decision between two services is decided by three things: whether you need a $0 tier or can absorb a mid-tier to get the EIN and operating agreement bundled, how much the registered agent will cost you in year two and onward, and whether the support quality matters to you (it matters more if you're paying $200+ for the service in the first place).
Key differences at a glance
- Northwest Registered Agent is $183 cheaper at the starting tier (both charge upfront).
- Northwest Registered Agent has the cheaper registered agent renewal ($125/yr vs $197/yr). Over five years that is a $288 difference.
- doola includes EIN filing in its default price; Northwest Registered Agent sells it as a paid add-on. You can always get an EIN directly from the IRS in five minutes for free.
- Northwest Registered Agent includes mail scanning (physical mail delivered to the registered agent gets scanned and forwarded digitally). The other does not.
Where each service fits
Pick doola when
Pick doola when you want a high-volume review history (2,005 Trustpilot reviews vs 217).
Pick Northwest Registered Agent when
Pick Northwest Registered Agent when you want the lowest possible day-one sticker price; you're optimizing for lower long-term cost (RA renewal is cheaper); you need mail scanning bundled with the registered agent.
What each service offers that the other does not
Only doola
- EIN included free
- Banking partner integration
Only Northwest Registered Agent
- Mail scanning
- Phone support
Both services
- Operating agreement included free
- Compliance dashboard
- Non-US founder support
- Live chat support
What it costs under your specific situation
Running the same LLC through three common scenarios. Year-1 and 5-year totals exclude state fees, which are identical for both services.
| Scenario | doola Year 1 | Northwest Registered Agent Year 1 | doola 5-year | Northwest Registered Agent 5-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Just the basics: state filing, RA year 1, nothing else You file the EIN yourself at irs.gov and skip a written operating agreement. | $222 | $39 | $1,010 | $539 |
| You want EIN and operating agreement handled too Most new LLCs end up here. Assumes $70 EIN and $99 OA add-ons where the service charges for them. | $222 | $109 | $1,010 | $609 |
| Standalone registered agent only (no formation) You already formed the LLC elsewhere. Just swapping to this service's RA. | $197 | $125 | $985 | $625 |
Full feature comparison
| Dimension | doola | Northwest Registered Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price Cheapest tier, excludes state fees | $222 | $39 |
| Registered agent year 1 | Included | Included |
| Registered agent renewal Year 2 onward, annual | $197/yr | $125/yr |
| Free $0 tier | No | No |
| EIN application | Included free | Paid add-on |
| Operating agreement | Included free | Included free |
| Compliance dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Mail scanning | No | Yes |
| International founders | Yes | Yes |
| Banking partner | Mercury | None |
| Phone support | No | Mon-Fri 6:00am-5:00pm Pacific |
| Live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.6/5 (2,005 reviews) | 3.8/5 (217 reviews) |
Pricing tiers side by side
doola
- Starter — $222 · renews $222/yr
Includes RA year 1 · renews $197/yr - Tax and Compliance — $1,499 · renews $1,499/yr
Includes RA year 1 · renews $197/yr - Business-in-a-Box — $2,249 · renews $2,249/yr
Includes RA year 1 · renews $197/yr
Northwest Registered Agent
- Full Service LLC — $39
Includes RA year 1 · renews $125/yr
Support and ratings, interpreted
doola offers email, live chat. Northwest Registered Agent offers phone, email, live chat. Trustpilot: doola is 4.6 across 2,005 reviews; Northwest Registered Agent is 3.8 across 217. A high-volume sample with a 4.5+ rating is the strongest signal; a small sample with either extreme rating is the weakest.
doola
No phone support.
Email: yes.
Live chat: 24/7 per vendor, via in-app chat and help center.
Trustpilot: 4.6/5 from 2,005 reviews.
Northwest Registered Agent
Phone: Mon-Fri 6:00am-5:00pm Pacific.
Email: yes.
Live chat: Mon-Fri business hours Pacific.
Trustpilot: 3.8/5 from 217 reviews.
Before you pick either service
A few things apply no matter which one you choose. These catch enough first-time filers to be worth stating plainly.
The state fee is identical. Whether you use doola, Northwest Registered Agent, or neither, your state charges the same formation fee. Nothing a service does lowers that number. The fee ranges from $35 in Montana to $500 in Massachusetts depending on where you form. See the state-by-state guide for exact numbers.
You can get an EIN for free at irs.gov in five minutes. Both doola and Northwest Registered Agent either bundle EIN filing or sell it as a paid add-on. You're never required to pay for EIN filing; the IRS charges nothing and the online form takes about five minutes. If a service is pitching "we'll handle your EIN" as a headline feature, that's convenience pricing, not necessity.
The registered agent renewal is what matters long-term. The formation fee is a one-time cost. The registered agent is what recurs every year for as long as you keep the LLC open. Over five years, the RA renewal cost usually exceeds the formation fee. Compare on that number, not just the day-one sticker.
Operating agreements are separately priced at most services. Any LLC with more than one member, and any LLC relying on its liability shield, should have a written operating agreement. It governs ownership percentages, profit splits, management structure, and dissolution. California, Maine, Missouri, and New York require it by statute; every other state treats it as strongly recommended. Don't skip it to save $99.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Which is cheaper, doola or Northwest Registered Agent?
Northwest Registered Agent is cheaper at the starting tier ($39 vs $222). Over 5 years including RA renewals, the gap is about $471.
-
Does doola or Northwest Registered Agent have better support?
doola offers email, live chat. Northwest Registered Agent offers phone, email, live chat. Trustpilot: doola is 4.6 across 2,005 reviews; Northwest Registered Agent is 3.8 across 217. A high-volume sample with a 4.5+ rating is the strongest signal; a small sample with either extreme rating is the weakest.
-
Should I just file the LLC myself instead of using doola or Northwest Registered Agent?
You can. The state fee is identical whether you use a service or not. What these services sell is convenience: a handled registered agent (which you can also buy standalone), a bundled operating agreement, compliance reminders, and in some cases banking and tax integrations. If your time is worth more than $50 an hour and you would rather not research your state's specific filing quirks, a service pays for itself. If you like DIY administrative work, file directly at your state's Secretary of State portal.
-
How much does the registered agent cost with each service from year 2 onward?
doola renews at $197/yr. Northwest Registered Agent renews at $125/yr. This number matters because it recurs every year for as long as you keep the LLC. Over a five-year window, the registered agent renewal cost typically exceeds the formation fee, so it's worth more attention than most reviews give it.
Full reviews
Sources
- Pricing: www.doola.com/pricing/ · verified April 21, 2026
Three tiers: Starter $222/yr (from $297), Tax and Compliance $1,499/yr (from $1,999), Business-in-a-Box $2,249/yr (from $2,999). All tiers are annual subscriptions. State fees not included. - Features: www.doola.com/llc/ · verified April 21, 2026
doola forms LLCs in any US state. Bundle includes EIN, registered agent (year one), operating agreement, and bank account guidance. Dashboard provides bookkeeping and compliance. - Banking partner: www.doola.com/pricing/ · verified April 21, 2026
Mercury is the named banking partner surfaced on the pricing page (fintech services via Choice Financial Group and Column N.A.). - International: www.doola.com/llc/ · verified April 21, 2026
Doola is built primarily for non-US founders needing a US LLC, EIN, and US bank account for Stripe, Shopify, and Amazon access. - Founded: www.ycombinator.com/companies/doola · verified April 21, 2026
Y Combinator profile confirms doola founding year 2020, founders Arjun Mahadevan and JP Pincheira. - Headquarters: www.crunchbase.com/person/arjun-mahadevan · verified April 21, 2026
Crunchbase and LinkedIn place CEO Arjun Mahadevan and doola HQ in New York. - Support: help.doola.com/ · verified April 21, 2026
Help center routes to a web form and ticket tracker. No public phone number on contact or help pages. Vendor markets 24/7 chat support. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/doola.com · verified April 21, 2026
Trustpilot shows doola.com rated 4.6/5 across roughly 2,005 reviews as surfaced by Trustpilot search result snippet on 2026-04-21. - Price usd: www.trustpilot.com/review/doola.com · verified April 21, 2026
Customer reviews on Trustpilot reference a $197 charge for registered agent renewal. Vendor does not publish a separate RA-only pricing card. - Pricing: www.northwestregisteredagent.com/llc/cost · verified April 21, 2026
Vendor cost page is Cloudflare-protected; pricing verified through vendor press release and multiple independent reviews citing the $39 promotional formation price (regularly $100) plus $125 per year registered agent renewal. Additional verification via Northwest press release https://www.einpresswire.com/article/887201355/ confirming the $39 discount continues through 2026. - Ein: www.northwestregisteredagent.com/ein · verified April 21, 2026
EIN filing add-on is $50 with SSN/ITIN, $200 for non-US residents without one. - Registered agent only: www.northwestregisteredagent.com/registered-agent · verified April 21, 2026
Standalone registered agent service $125 per year, flat, with a price-lock guarantee. Multi-state 5+ rate is $100 per state. - Features: www.northwestregisteredagent.com/privacy-by-default · verified April 21, 2026
Privacy by Default guarantee: Northwest states on its own page that it does not sell customer data. Formation includes operating agreement, address use, mail forwarding, phone service, and domain. - Headquarters: www.northwestregisteredagent.com/office-locations · verified April 21, 2026
Corporate headquarters 522 W Riverside Ave Suite N, Spokane, WA 99201. Founded 1998 (27 years in business as of 2026). BBB profile https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/spokane/profile/incorporation/northwest-registered-agent-llc-1296-64196830 corroborates. - Support: www.northwestregisteredagent.com/contact-us · verified April 21, 2026
US-based Corporate Guides available by phone (509-768-2249) and email (support@northwestregisteredagent.com). Hours published on contact page. - Ratings: www.trustpilot.com/review/www.northwestregisteredagent.com · verified April 21, 2026
3.8 of 5 stars from 217 reviews. Low review count relative to Inc Authority and ZenBusiness because Northwest does not actively solicit Trustpilot reviews.