Is Bizee Legit? Honest 2026 Review of Ratings, Pricing, and Complaints
Short answer: Yes, Bizee is legit. It has operated since 2004 (formerly as Incfile), claims over 1,000,000 businesses formed, and shows a 4.8 out of 5 Trustpilot score across roughly 26,000 reviews as of early September 2026. Its Basic package costs $0 plus your state filing fee. That said, the $0 headline only covers formation: if you are a non-US founder who needs an EIN, US address, and bookkeeping in one place, doola Starter at $297/yr is the stronger all-in-one pick.
Last updated: 2026-09-02
When a formation service offers to start your LLC for free, skepticism is healthy. Free usually means something else costs money later. So this review checks the trust signals one by one: company history, customer ratings, what the $0 package actually includes, where the upsells sit, and who should look elsewhere.
Who is Bizee, and how long has it been around?
Bizee began in 2004 in Houston, Texas, where it is still headquartered, according to its own FAQ. For most of its life it operated under the name Incfile; the company rebranded to Bizee and now runs an "Incfile Is Now Bizee" explainer page for old customers. A 20-plus-year operating history does not guarantee good service, but fly-by-night scam sites do not usually survive two decades or process a claimed million-plus formations.
The rebrand itself is worth knowing about. If you find older reviews under the Incfile name, they refer to the same company. Some long-time customers reported confusion during the name change, which explains a slice of the negative reviews you will see online.
What do customer ratings actually say?
Three numbers matter here, all checked on September 2, 2026:
- Trustpilot: 4.8 out of 5 across about 25,956 reviews, displayed on bizee.com itself. That is a large sample, and a 4.8 average at that volume is genuinely strong.
- Volume of formations: 1,000,000+ claimed on the homepage. Treat vendor-claimed totals with a grain of salt, but the order of magnitude lines up with the review volume.
- BBB profile: Bizee maintains a Better Business Bureau profile with accreditation history. Letter grades and complaint counts shift over time, so open the live BBB page for Bizee LLC before you buy rather than trusting any single snapshot quoted in a blog post, including this one.
Reading the one-star reviews reveals a pattern: most complaints are about upsells, renewal charges (especially registered agent renewals after the free first year), and slower-than-expected state processing. Almost none allege the company fails to file. That matches the profile of a legitimate budget provider with aggressive add-on marketing, not a scam.
What does the $0 package include, and where are the upsells?
Bizee sells three one-time-payment tiers, each plus your state filing fee, per its homepage pricing checked September 2026:
| Package | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bizee Basic | $0 + state fee | DIY filers who only need articles of organization prepared and filed |
| doola Starter | $297/yr | Founders who want EIN, US address, and ongoing support bundled |
| Bizee Standard and Premium | $199 / $299 + state fee | Buyers who want EIN filing, operating agreement, and faster processing included |
Every package includes one year of registered agent service free, per Bizee's pricing page. After year one, the agent service renews at a paid annual rate, which is the single most common billing surprise in customer complaints. Set a calendar reminder before month twelve and decide then whether to renew or switch agents.
What is the cheaper-in-practice alternative?
Bizee wins on headline formation price; nothing beats $0 plus the state fee. But first-year total cost is the honest comparison. A US founder using Bizee Basic pays only the state fee (often $50 to $300 depending on the state) plus any add-ons selected at checkout, then a registered agent renewal in year two.
doola takes the opposite approach: Starter at $297 per year covers LLC or C Corp formation filed in 1 to 2 business days plus an EIN and a US business address, according to doola.com/pricing. Higher upfront, but built for founders who need the extras Bizee charges separately, especially non-US founders. doola also scales into bookkeeping ($300/yr) and tax filing ($1,999/yr) under one roof, which Bizee does not match.
When to pick doola: you are forming from outside the US, you want EIN and address handled for you, or you plan to add bookkeeping and taxes with the same provider.
Verdict: should you use Bizee?
Yes, with eyes open. Bizee is a legitimate, long-running formation service with strong aggregate ratings and genuinely free basic formation. Decline the add-ons you do not need, note the registered agent renewal date, and file your own EIN free with the IRS to keep the total near the state fee. If instead you want formation plus EIN, address, and ongoing compliance handled together, check doola Starter pricing here.
- Confirm your state filing fee on your Secretary of State site before budgeting.
- Choose Bizee Basic if you only need formation; Standard or Premium if you want EIN and documents bundled.
- Uncheck add-ons at checkout that duplicate free options (IRS EIN, self-made operating agreement).
- Calendar the registered agent renewal before the free year ends.
- Non-US founder or want bookkeeping bundled? Price doola Starter instead.
FAQ
Is Bizee legit or a scam?
Bizee is legitimate. It has operated since 2004 (as Incfile until the rebrand), claims over a million formations, and holds a 4.8 out of 5 Trustpilot score across roughly 26,000 reviews as of September 2026. Complaints center on upsells and renewals, not on filings never happening.
Is Bizee really free?
The Basic package charges $0 service fee plus your state filing fee. You still pay the state, and optional add-ons plus the year-two registered agent renewal cost extra.
What happened to Incfile?
Incfile rebranded to Bizee. Same company, same Houston headquarters. Old Incfile reviews and accounts carried over.
Does Bizee work for non-US founders?
It can file for anyone, but non-US founders usually need more help: EIN without an SSN, a US address, and ongoing compliance. Providers built for that segment, such as doola, bundle those pieces where Bizee sells them separately or not at all.
How much is Bizee after the first year?
Formation is a one-time charge, but the included registered agent service renews annually at a paid rate after the free first year. Confirm the current renewal price on bizee.com before checkout, as add-on pricing changes.
Get our free LLC Formation Checklist
Step-by-step guide: state fees, timelines, EIN process, and the exact paperwork checklist. Used by 200+ founders.
Download Free Checklist