Our story

Before you form a company, you should know what the state will keep charging you.

I'm Johnny Mobley. I started building systems for other people in 2000, when I was 16, and I've been doing it ever since. Along the way I automated most of my own work, and the tools I built for myself became these companies. Each one runs on rules I wrote down, not on paid AI calls, which is why it can cost so little.

The filing fee is the number everyone quotes, and it's rarely the one that hurts. The real cost is the yearly report, the franchise tax, or a rule like New York's newspaper notice that nobody mentions until it's late. I built FirmCreate to put those on one screen for the states people actually pick, before you file anything.

It's reference figures written down by hand, with the date rule for each state's next filing, so you can see your next deadline and drop it into your calendar. It doesn't file for you and it isn't legal or tax advice. Check the state's own site before you pay.

What works today

• Shows the filing fee, an estimated first-year cost and the yearly compliance filing for 12 common formation states, including Delaware, Wyoming, Texas and California
• Points out the one thing to know before you file in each state, such as New York's newspaper publication requirement
• Works out your next compliance deadline from your formation date and gives you a calendar reminder to download

What it doesn't do yet

ZenBusiness still does things FirmCreate doesn't:

• Filing your LLC or corporation with the state. FirmCreate tells you what it costs; it doesn't file.
• Acting as your registered agent.
• Filing your annual reports for you.
• Getting your EIN, operating agreement or business licenses.
• All 50 states. FirmCreate covers 12.

What it costs

ZenBusiness's price is from their pricing page as of October 29, 2026. Prices change, so check theirs before you compare.

— Johnny