LegalZoom vs. LegalShield: Which Is Right for Your Business?

LegalZoom is likely the better choice if your business needs incorporation services or has a specific one-time legal need. You might opt for LegalShield if you want ongoing access to a business attorney.

Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

Updated Mar 24, 2026 · 1 min read

Written by

Contributing Writer

+ more

Edited by

Managing Editor

+ more

Co-written by

+ more

SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATED

This page includes information about these cards, currently unavailable on NerdWallet. The information has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.

LegalZoom and LegalShield are both online legal services, but their approaches are quite different. LegalZoom focuses on business formation documents, legal forms and add-on services, while LegalShield is built around subscription-based access to attorneys for ongoing legal support. For small-business owners deciding between the two, the choice largely depends on whether you need one-time help getting started or more consistent access to legal guidance.

» MORE: NerdWallet's best online legal services

LegalZoom vs. LegalShield features

LegalShield and LegalZoom offer most of what you’ll need from a legal perspective to start and run your business.

Here’s a breakdown of features on each platform:

LegalZoom features	LegalShield features
Formation services for limited liability companies (LLCs), corporations, nonprofits, sole proprietorships. Employer identification numbers (EIN). Tax, license and permit services. Business name check services. Bill of sale. Independent contractor agreement. Nondisclosure agreements. Trademarking services.	Business formation services through attorney help. Phone consultation with your attorney. Document and contract review. Letters and calls on your behalf. Debt collection services. Trial defense. Member discounts.

LegalZoom vs. LegalShield pricing

Both platforms offer fixed-price packages. LegalZoom also has individual fees for specific services, like trademark registration and business formation documentation. To decide which online service works for you, think about whether you need a one-time document versus ongoing legal support.

LegalZoom business formation pricing

Service	LegalZoom Cost
Business formation	LLC: $0 (plus state filing fees). S corp and C corp: $149+ (plus state filing fees). Nonprofit: $99+ (plus state filing fees).
Registered agent service	$249 per year.
Legal forms	Single form: $59. Unlimited access to form library: $99 per year, or included with Business Attorney Plan.
Business Attorney Plan	$39.09 per month for 1-year plan. $43.17 per month for 6-month plan. Includes: Phone consultations with a lawyer. Unlimited access to legal forms. Document review. Annual business evaluation (1-yr plan only). 25% off attorney’s hourly rate for additional work.
Trademark registration	$899 (plus federal filing fees).
Copyright application	$114 (plus federal filing fees).
Initial patent application	$299 (plus federal filing fees).

Read our full LegalZoom review.

LegalShield pricing

LegalShield Plan	Cost	Features
Essential	$49 per month.	Consultation and research. 10 phone consultations or letters per year (up to three in a single month). 10 documents up to 15 pages reviewed per year (up to three in a single month). Five debt collection letters per month. 25% off attorney’s hourly rate for additional work.
Plus	$99 per month.	Consultation and research. Two designated users. 20 phone consultations or letters per year (up to five in a single month). 20 documents up to 20 pages reviewed per year (up to five in a single month). 10 debt collection letters per month. 25% off attorney’s hourly rate for additional work.
Pro	$169 per month.	Consultation and research. Three designated users. 40 phone consultations or letters per year (up to 10 in one month). 40 documents up to 25 pages reviewed per year (up to 10 in a single month). 15 debt collection letters per month. 25% off attorney’s hourly rate for additional work.
Business Plus supplement	$63.95 per month for the Essentials plan + Business Plus. $113.95 per month for the Plus plan + Business Plus. $183.95 per month for the Pro plan + Business Plus.	CRM tool to manage communications. Unlimited access to the business form library. 2,000 marketing emails per month. Website builder. Book meetings, offer live chat and track prospects.

Read our full LegalShield review.

LegalZoom vs LegalShield: Pros and cons

Determining which services are your non-negotiables will help you decide whether LegalZoom or LegalShield is better for your business.

LegalZoom pros and cons

Pros

60-day money back satisfaction guarantee

Customer service is accessible with quick response times.

Competitive pricing with free options for base plans.

Free document review using Doc Assist, an AI-powered platform that summarizes documentation.

Cons

There are no free trials available for flagship services.

LegalZoom may try to upsell you to a more expensive product during registration.

LegalShield pros and cons

Pros

Ongoing access to business attorneys for a low monthly fee.

One of the only platforms to offer debt collection assistance.

Provides trial defense services and trial preparation work.

Cons

No trial membership.

No money-back guarantee.

Limits on lawyers’ time, as well as page limits for document review.

Customer reviews

Customers found LegalShield attorneys to be responsive and helpful when they needed legal services, but some users said it was difficult to cancel their plan when they no longer needed it.

LegalZoom comes with mixed reviews. People said that LegalZoom was able to get them the legal information they needed quickly and for a fraction of what they would have paid at a law firm. However, some users describe delays in receiving refunds, canceling services and unexpected changes to their account.

Generally speaking, LegalShield has stronger customer reviews. Take a look at how the two fare in online review platforms:

Review Platform	LegalZoom	LegalShield
Better Business Bureau	A+.	A+.
TrustPilot	4.6 out of 5.	4.6 out of 5.
Consumer Affairs	4.0 out of 5.	4.6 out of 5.
SmartCustomer	2.9 out of 5.	4.4 out of 5.

A version of this article was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet

Article sources

NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary, trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high standards for journalism by reading our editorial guidelines.