Stripe Atlas has straightforward pricing and a solid service. We think it’s great for companies filing a Delaware LLC or C corp. It’s not our recommended business filing service for a couple of reasons. First, not everyone wants to incorporate in Delaware, and Stripe Atlas only supports filing in Delaware. Second, while its pricing is competitive, our recommended tool Incfile is cheaper. Finally, Stripe’s Atlas product isn’t the company’s main focus. This shows up in little ways like it being hard to find key documents in the dashboard and reminders occasionally slipping through the cracks. Our recommended tool Incfile has one focus - incorporating your business. So while Stripe Atlas is a good option, we don’t think it’s the best option.
Read our full guide on: Business Formation Services ⚖️
Stripe Atlas is Stripe's business filing service for filing Delaware LLCs or C Corps.
Stripe Atlas was launched by Stripe in 2016 with the goal of making incorporating a business easier. Stripe’s overall goal is to increase the GDP of the internet, and one way to do that is to make what is often the first step in starting a business easier.
With Stripe Atlas you can form a Delaware based C corp or LLC. Delaware is where we recommend most eCommerce 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.
Stripes Atlas pricing is very straightforward. It is $500 for filing and includes Delaware state filing fees. Since most competitors do not include the State filing fees in their pricing, we’ve removed the $90 Delaware state filing fee from its pricing so that the comparisons are more comparable. As you can see Stripe Atlas’ pricing is good especially for ongoing Registered Agent services but there are cheaper options including our recommended tool Incfile.
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 Stripe Atlas 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 is no account on Trustpilot for dedicated reviews of the Stripe Atlas product specifically. There is a single Stripe business account and the majority of the reviews are for its payment product. Stripe overall has a 3.7 star rating on Trustpilot.
The process of incorporating through Stripe Atlas is very 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.
The dashboard that will hold all of your key documents will be the same as your Stripe dashboard. This dashboard prioritizes the core payments product, and Atlas documents are occasionally difficult to locate. This is one small example where it's clear the company prioritizes (for good reason) the core product over the Atlas product.
Stripe Atlas pricing is very straightforward. It costs $500 to file your business which includes the $90 Delaware state filing fee. To use their ongoing Registered Agent service will cost an additional $100 per year (after the first year which is included in the filing cost).
Included in the $500 cost is:
Is Stripe Atlas legit?
Yes, Stripe Atlas is legit. It is owned by the very legitimate company Stripe, and it has helped over 20,000 businesses to incorporate.
What is Stripe Atlas?
Stripe Atlas is the service that Stripe offers to help businesses incorporate Delaware C Corps or LLCs.
Is Stripe Atlas worth it?
Yes, we think most people should use a business incorporation service like Stripe Atlas over filing themselves. You will only save a couple of hundred dollars by filing yourself and the piece of mind and time savings from using a business filing service is worth it in our eyes.
What is the difference between Stripe Atlas and Clerky?
Both Stripe Atlas and Clerky offer similar services focused on helping high growth startups incorporate (they are both very popular among YC companies). The key difference is that Stripe Atlas allows companies to form both Deleware LLCs and C Corps, whereas with Clerky one can only form a Deleware based C Corp.
Why not use Stripe Atlas?
There are a couple of reasons not to use Stripe Atlas. If you want to incorporate in any state other than Delaware you will need to choose a competitor because Stripe Atlas only supports Delaware incorporations. Additionally, there are cheaper options than Stripe Atlas when it comes to business filing services.
Can you form an LLC with Stripe Atlas?
Yes, Stripe Atlas will help you form a Delaware based LLC.
How long does Stripe Atlas 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).
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