Gust is similar to Clerky and Stripe Atlas and its goal is to help high growth tech startups incorporate. In addition to incorporation services, Gust offers services to help startups raise funding and equity / cap table management software. It has straightforward pricing, and they are an okay option for filing a Delaware C corp. It’s not our recommended tool for a couple of reasons. First, not everyone wants to incorporate a Delaware C corp and Gust only supports this type of filing. Second, its pricing will be more expensive than its competitors including our recommended tool (Incfile). So while Gust could be a good option if you want to file a Delaware C corp and use its fundraising services, it’s not our recommended tool for most businesses.
Read our full guide on: Business Formation Services ⚖️
Gust is a business incorporation service that helps startups file a Delaware C Corp in addition to offering cap table management software.
David Rose founded Gust in 2004 (originally called AngelSoft) after recognizing there was no universal platform connecting entrepreneurs and investors globally. For 7 years, he focused on getting angel investor groups on board to manage deal flow before launching Gust in 2011 to open the platform to entrepreneurs. This long-term market development approach allowed Gust to launch with over 35,000 accredited investors and over 125,000 entrepreneur profiles already using the platform. The business model involves providing the platform for free to entrepreneurs while generating revenue streams from premium services on both the investor and entrepreneur side.
With Gust you can form a Delaware based C corp. Delaware is where we recommend most companies incorporate (Read our full Business Filing Services guide for more details on this.) Registering your company in Delaware should work for most people, but we understand that not everyone wants to register their company there. We also think that most businesses will be better off starting with an LLC and then transitioning to a C corp as their business scales, so Gust won't be the best option for all people.
When it comes to comparing prices, you should be aware of two aspects: the cost to file your business, and the cost to maintain your business (Registered Agent fees).
The charts below compare the price of Gust against the competition for first year costs and ongoing costs. We’ve included the price for everything we view as essential to incorporate your business (core filing plus Operating Agreement, EIN, and Registered Agent service).
Unfortunately, there are not enough Gust reviews on Trustpilot for a meaningful comparison to competitors.
The process of incorporating through Gust is straightforward. You will be required to answer a handful of questions about your business, but the whole process shouldn’t take more than an hour.
Gust has 3 pricing plans: Start, Accelerate, and Raise. The Start plan costs $450 per year and includes Incorporation, Post-incorporation Setup, Founder Stock Issuance with 83(b), Digital Cap Table, Business Banking (through Brex), and Registered Agent service in Delaware. The Accelerate plan costs $1,250 per year and includes everything in the Start plan in addition to Founder Intellectual Property Assignment, unlimited Non-disclosure Agreements, unlimited Contractor Agreements, and unlimited Advisor Agreements. In addition to Cap Table Modeling, SAFEs, Convertible Notes, and Dedicated Support. The Raise plan costs $3,500 per year and includes everything in the Accelerate plan in addition to Option Plan, 409A Valuation, Option Issuance, and Option Exercise.
What is Gust used for?
Gust is a tool to help startups incorporate. Gust will help you form a Delaware C-corp. They also have tools to help startups raise money and equity / cap table management software.
Why not use Gust?
There are a couple of reasons not to use Gust. If you want to incorporate in any state other than Delaware, you will need to choose a competitor because Gust only supports Delaware incorporations. Additionally, if you want to form something other than a C-corp (e.g, an LLC) you will have to use a competitor because Gust only supports filings for C-corps.
Can you form an LLC with Gust?
No, Gust will only help you form a Delaware based C-corp.
How long does Gust take?
The application itself only takes about an hour, and the total time it will take for your business to be filed will depend on state and federal processing times but typically it will be completed within 1-3 weeks (the EIN will take longer if you don’t have a Social Security number). Gust will typically return the filed certificate of incorporation within 2-3 business days.
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