Harbor Compliance review 2024: Cost, plans, features and more

Bob Haegele

BLUEPRINT

Updated 5:44 p.m. UTC Jan. 3, 2024

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Blueprint Rating

Pros

Excellent industry-specific customer service that provides one-on-one support for customers.
Straightforward, reasonable pricing for registered agent services.
Discounts are available when you pay for two or more years.

Cons

No mobile app available.
Expensive LLC formation package.
Fewer services included in the formation package compared to competitors.

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12 companies reviewed.
21 hours of product testing.
408 data points analyzed.

Featured registered agent service offers

ZenBusiness

Learn More

Via ZenBusiness’ website

Cost

$199 annually

Same-day document delivery

Phone support

Yes

LegalZoom

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Via LegalZoom’s website

Cost

$199

Same-day document delivery

Phone support

Yes

Northwest Registered Agent

Learn More

Via Northwest Registered Agent’s website

Cost

$125

Same-day document delivery

Yes

Phone support

Yes

Harbor Compliance overview and facts

Harbor Compliance was founded in 2012 and says it has helped more than 35,000 clients in its relatively brief history. It has offices in every U.S. state. Businesses that operate in multiple states must register everywhere they operate. Thus, having a national presence may make Harbor Compliance better equipped to serve businesses with a larger footprint.

Harbor Compliance provides various services, including LLC formation services, incorporation and registered agent services. It helps customers secure and maintain licensing across many industries, such as construction and contracting, healthcare, architecture, engineering, energy, financial services and legal.

The company generally receives positive customer reviews, including a 4.3 rating on Google and a 4.5 rating on Facebook. Users praise the company for its promptness and for expertly answering all their questions. Its Better Bureau Business ratings are not the best; it earned a 3.86 rating out of five. However, it only has seven reviews.

Harbor Compliance registered agent services pricing

COMPANY	COST PER YEAR
Better Legal	$90
Harbor Compliance	$99
Bizee	$119
Northwest Registered Agent	$125
InCorp	$129
Rocket Lawyer	$150
Sundoc Filings	$159
Inc Authority	$179
Swyft Filings	$199
ZenBusiness	$199
Incorporate.com	$235
LegalZoom	$299

All LLCs and corporations must appoint a registered agent. While the registered agent can be an individual, keeping this in-house could also create risks, such as legal issues if paperwork isn’t filed properly. You can also use a commercial registered agent like Harbor Compliance. This approach has several advantages, including advantages surrounding privacy and easier compliance processes.

For example, you can avoid embarrassing legal papers from being delivered to your business in front of customers because paperwork is sent to your registered agent first. And, if your business is virtual and operates in multiple states, your registered agent can be listed as your business address to avoid having to legally open offices in each state. Finally, Harbor Compliance makes compliance easier with same-day electronic document delivery, annual report reminders and pre-filled state forms.

Harbor Compliance offers several services, including registered agent services, LLC formation and business licenses. Its registered agent service has straightforward pricing of $99 per state per year. Discounts are available when you pay for multiple years upfront. State fees may also apply, but there are no hidden fees.

There is no free trial, but, unlike some competitors, the price won’t increase after the first year if you pay for more than one year at a time. Instead, it decreases due to multi-year discounts. This makes Harbor Compliance one of the cheapest options for registered agent services. However, you may incur extra fees if you opt for services like LLC formation, business licenses or annual report filing. These additional services range from $99 to $500 per year.

The company’s fees are reasonable for many businesses, but smaller companies might struggle with the cost. Dominique Reese, financial advisor at Reese Financial Services, says, “While there is huge value in maintaining compliance for several state registrations, if the organization can manage to keep this expense in house, I would encourage them to do so until they need to outsource it.”

Harbor Compliance offers many of the most common features business owners need — but not all. Some may cost extra. For instance, Harbor Compliance charges $99 for LLC formation services while ZenBusiness offers these formation services for free. Harbor Compliance doesn’t have a chatbot on its website, and it doesn’t offer 24/7 support. Instead, support is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. Like many of its competitors, Harbor Compliance doesn’t offer any kind of mobile app.

Harbor Compliance customer support and experience

Harbor Compliance has separate contact forms for sales inquiries and support inquiries. There is also an email contact for general information, phone and fax numbers and a postage mail address. Support is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. Currently, no live chat is available and Harbor Compliance hasn’t released mobile apps.

Harbor Compliance’s staff is typically friendly and knowledgeable. We emailed the company for general information and received a response within a few hours. The sales administrator answered my question and then some, providing plenty of details.

Existing customers experience similar results. “Whenever I called or emailed customer service or our direct contact, they were responsive and helpful. I enjoyed it and thought it was professional,” Reese said.

Customer reviews are generally positive and praise the company for resolving issues quickly. “We had [fallen] behind on a payment to them for their service and there was a fee attached to it,” Reese said. “When we called and shared what happened they waived the fee for us, which was courteous.”

Harbor Compliance’s website is easy to navigate, with menu options that allow you to quickly find its most popular services. Its information center houses useful guides, white papers and webinars to help you successfully stay on top of your business’s paperwork, reporting, licenses, tax requirements and more.

Harbor Compliance vs. Northwest Registered Agent

	LOWEST PUBLISHED PACKAGE PRICE	MOBILE APP	LIVE CHAT	BBB RATING	BLUEPRINT RATING
Harbor Compliance	$89 to $99	No	No	A+	4.4
Northwest Registered Agent	$125	No	Yes: human	A	4.5

Harbor Compliance and Northwest Agent are closely matched, with both having some of the lowest prices in the industry. While Northwest Registered Agent is slightly more expensive, it gets the edge overall based on customer reviews. Its BBB customer rating is 4.52 out of five stars compared to Harbor Compliance’s 3.86 out of five stars.

Still, smaller businesses with shoestring budgets might prefer Harbor Compliance due to its lower cost. In addition, Harbor Compliance might be the right fit if you want to work with someone over the phone or need industry-specific guidance.

Harbor Compliance vs. Rocket Lawyer

	LOWEST PUBLISHED PACKAGE PRICE	MOBILE APP	LIVE CHAT	BBB RATING	BLUEPRINT RATING
Harbor Compliance	$89 to $99	No	No	A+	4.4
Rocket Lawyer	$149.99	Yes	No	A+	4.36

Rocket Lawyer and Harbor Compliance both offer registered agent services, but there are differences between the two. Harbor Compliance is cheaper, starting at $89 versus $149.99 for Rocket Lawyer. However, Rocket Lawyer offers more features such as live customer support chat and a mobile app. So, if you need a barebones service, consider Harbor Compliance. But, if you need extra support, consider Rocket Lawyer.

Both have A+ ratings from the BBB. One area where Rocket Lawyer has a significant edge is with its TrustPilot rating: it’s rated 4.6 with nearly 6,000 reviews versus 2.9 for Harbor Compliance.

Rocket Lawyer also offers extras you won’t see from Harbor Compliance, like legal advice from an attorney and tax help. However, Harbor Compliance might be a better choice if you’re on a tight budget or need industry-specific guidance.

Is Harbor Compliance right for your business?

Harbor Compliance is our top choice among registered agents for its personalized and industry-specific customer service. Its knowledgeable, friendly agents provide personalized help for everything you need. It also specializes in offering guidance for some industries, including those that require industry-specific licenses, such as health, real estate, finance and energy companies.

Harbor Compliance is also among the cheapest registered agent services we’ve reviewed, with prices starting at $89 and multi-year discounts available. Ultimately, Harbor Compliance is a great choice if you want personalized or industry-specific customer service or don’t have the budget for more expensive alternatives.

However, it’s not the best choice if you want a live chat option, a mobile app or you need certain add-ons the company doesn’t offer. For example, some competitors offer free tax consultations or legal advice. If you need these additional features, it may be best to look elsewhere.

Methodology

We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.

We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the Best Registered Agent Services.

Featured registered agent service offers

ZenBusiness

Learn More

Via ZenBusiness’ website

Cost

$199 annually

Same-day document delivery

Phone support

Yes

LegalZoom

Learn More

Via LegalZoom’s website

Cost

$199

Same-day document delivery

Phone support

Yes

Northwest Registered Agent

Learn More

Via Northwest Registered Agent’s website

Cost

$125

Same-day document delivery

Yes

Phone support

Yes

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Harbor Compliance’s registered agent services are available in all 50 U.S. states. This is helpful if you do business in multiple states since you must register in every state where you operate.

Harbor Compliance doesn’t offer a worry-free guarantee on its website. It does state that all registered agent services are non-refundable.

There are no hidden fees to use Harbor Compliance’s services. One fee you may not consider ahead of time is state fees. However, Harbor Compliance clearly reports that state fees may apply on its website.

Harbor Compliance does have a refund policy, but accounts are only credited if a cancellation request is made within three business days of purchase. Some competitors have much longer grace periods during which you can cancel and receive a refund.

To cancel your service with Harbor Compliance, follow these steps:

Contact Harbor Compliance via one of its contact options, such as phone or email.
If possible, cancel your service before the renewal date.

There are no fees for canceling your service with Harbor Compliance. However, you must pay for the entire term even if you cancel. If you want to change your registered agent, you must submit a change request, which costs $99.

Lastly, if you cancel your service within three business days of purchase, you may receive a credit as long as work on the subscription hasn’t started. This includes onboarding for the service. If you do receive a credit, you can use it for future service or filing fees.

Harbor Compliance offers several services that complement its registered agent services. These include LLC formation, annual reports and business licenses.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Bob Haegele

BLUEPRINT

Bob Haegele is a freelance writer specializing in topics such as insurance, investing and credit cards. His work has appeared on Business Insider, CreditCards.com, and other nationally recognized outlets. Follow him on Twitter @thefellowfrugal.

Alana Rudder

BLUEPRINT

Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint's small business team. She has served as a technology and marketing SME for countless businesses, from startups to leading tech firms — including Adobe and Workfusion. She has zealously shared her expertise with small businesses — including via Forbes Advisor and Fit Small Business — to help them compete for market share. She covers technologies pertaining to payroll and payment processing, online security, customer relationship management, accounting, human resources, marketing, project management, resource planning, customer data management and how small businesses can use process automation, AI and ML to more easily meet their goals. Alana has an MBA from Excelsior University.