Inc Authority is a real, established option, and if you are a non-US founder comparing it against WyomingLLC, you deserve a clear, honest picture of both. This page is that comparison. It explains what Inc Authority genuinely does well, what its free-formation model actually costs once you account for the add-ons most founders end up needing, and the specific situations where Inc Authority is the smarter pick. It also explains where WyomingLLC's flat $397 all-inclusive package fits better, particularly for founders who live outside the United States and have no Social Security number. The goal is not to talk you into anything. It is to help you choose the provider that matches your situation, because the wrong fit costs you time and money you will not get back.
What Inc Authority Actually Is
Inc Authority is a US-based business formation company that became well known for one thing: free LLC and corporation formation. Their headline offer is that they file your formation paperwork at no service charge, so you pay only the state filing fee. That is a genuine hook, and for a slice of founders it is a perfectly reasonable way to get an entity on the books cheaply. They have been operating for years, they process a high volume of filings, and they have the infrastructure of a mature filing company.
The free-formation model works because formation is a loss leader. Inc Authority makes its money on the add-ons and recurring services that surround the filing: registered agent service, EIN acquisition, operating agreement preparation, expedited processing, compliance reminders, and their business funding products. None of this is hidden in a malicious sense, but the practical reality is that the truly free version gives you a bare entity and very little else. Most founders who start with the free package end up adding several paid items before they have a usable business.
It is worth being precise about who Inc Authority is built for. Their orientation is overwhelmingly toward US-based small business owners: people with a Social Security number, a US address, and a US phone, who can open a bank account at a branch and who file a normal US tax return. Their funnel, their funding products, and their support assume that profile. That assumption is the single most important thing for a non-resident to understand before choosing them.
Where Inc Authority Genuinely Wins
Credit where it is due. The free formation offer is real, and if your only goal is to register an LLC for the lowest possible upfront cash outlay and you are comfortable handling everything else yourself, Inc Authority can get you there for little more than the state fee. For a US resident who already has a bank, already has an EIN path through their SSN, and just needs the entity filed, that is a legitimate value.
Inc Authority's business funding products are their second real differentiator. They offer help with business credit building, lending introductions, and funding strategy aimed at US entrepreneurs who want to access financing. If you are a US-based founder who specifically wants those funding products, that is a genuine reason to choose Inc Authority, and it is something WyomingLLC does not offer at all. We are honest about that: funding access is not our product.
They also have scale and a long operating history, which means their core filing process is well-worn and reliable. For a straightforward US-resident formation, you are unlikely to hit surprises on the mechanical side of getting the entity registered. If that describes you, you can stop reading here and go with them in good conscience.
The Real Cost of "Free"
The phrase "free formation" describes one line item, not the total. To form a functional company you generally need more than the bare filing, and that is where the actual cost lives. Below is an approximate breakdown of items a non-resident typically needs and how the two providers tend to handle them. Treat all competitor figures as approximate and verify current pricing on Inc Authority's own site, because formation-company pricing changes frequently.
| Item | Inc Authority (approx.) | WyomingLLC |
|---|---|---|
| Formation service charge | $0 (free hook) | Included in $397 |
| Wyoming state filing fee | ~$100, paid by you | Included in $397 |
| Registered agent (year 1) | Often a paid add-on after intro period | Included (1 year) |
| EIN acquisition | Paid add-on | Included (no SSN needed) |
| Operating agreement | Paid add-on | Included |
| Bank account introductions | Not a focus | Included (Mercury/Relay/Wise intros) |
| Non-resident specialization | Limited | Core focus |
The pattern is consistent. The free entry price is real, but the items you actually need are unbundled and priced individually. By the time a non-resident adds a registered agent, an EIN they cannot easily get themselves without an SSN, and an operating agreement, the "free" path has stopped being free. WyomingLLC's $397 is deliberately the opposite structure: one price, the whole core stack, no decision tree of upsells at checkout.
This is not a claim that Inc Authority is dishonest. It is a claim about structure. A free-plus-upsells model and a flat all-inclusive model are simply built for different buyers, and the buyer the upsell model serves worst is the one who needs the most add-ons. For a non-resident, that is usually you.
The Five-Year Cost Math
Upfront price is the wrong number to optimize. An LLC is a multi-year commitment, and the recurring costs matter far more than the first invoice. Every Wyoming LLC has two unavoidable annual obligations regardless of who you form with: the registered agent (someone must maintain a Wyoming address to receive legal mail) and the Wyoming annual report license tax, which is a minimum of roughly $60 per year for most small LLCs with few Wyoming-based assets.
Here is a simplified five-year illustration. The state annual report license tax (about $60/year minimum) is identical no matter which provider you use, so it is omitted from the comparison below to isolate the provider-controlled costs. Inc Authority figures are approximate and depend heavily on which add-ons you select, so verify them on their site.
| Year 1 | Years 2-5 (each) | 5-year provider total (approx.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inc Authority (free + typical add-ons) | State fee + paid RA + paid EIN + paid OA | Registered agent renewal | Varies widely; add-ons compound |
| WyomingLLC | $397 all-in | Registered agent renewal (quoted at signup) | Predictable, flat |
The honest takeaway is not "WyomingLLC is always cheaper to the dollar." It is that WyomingLLC's cost is predictable and bundled, while Inc Authority's depends on how many add-ons you accept and how their renewal pricing moves over time. If you are disciplined, decline every upsell, and handle EIN and banking yourself, the free model can be very cheap over five years. If you need the full stack done for you, the bundled model usually wins on both money and aggravation. Run your own math against current prices before deciding.
Why Non-Residents Are a Different Buyer
The reason this comparison even needs to exist is that non-residents face problems US founders never see. The biggest is the EIN. A US resident gets an EIN online in minutes using their Social Security number. Without an SSN or ITIN, that online route is closed, and the EIN must be obtained by filing Form SS-4 with the IRS, typically by fax, which realistically takes about 8 to 10 business days. A provider that assumes you have an SSN is not built to walk you through the SS-4 path. WyomingLLC handles the no-SSN EIN process as a standard part of the $397 package.
Banking is the second wall. Non-residents generally cannot walk into a US bank branch, and traditional business credit cards from issuers like Chase, Amex, or Capital One require an SSN and a personal guarantee, which a non-resident without an SSN cannot satisfy. The realistic path is through fintech platforms such as Mercury, Relay, or Wise. Important and often misunderstood: these are fintechs operating on top of FDIC-insured partner banks, not chartered banks themselves, and Wise and Payoneer are money service businesses, not banks at all. Approval is each provider's own decision, never guaranteed, and depends on your country profile and documents. Some countries are prohibited entirely, so always check the provider's current list. WyomingLLC provides introductions to these platforms; it cannot promise any of them will approve you.
The third difference is federal tax filing. A foreign-owned single-member LLC is a disregarded entity that must file Form 5472 together with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, due April 15 (extendable with Form 7004). Missing it carries a $25,000 penalty under IRC 6038A. Multi-member LLCs file Form 1065 with K-1s, due March 15. A US-focused formation company often does not flag these non-resident-specific obligations, because its typical customer never faces them. This is exactly the knowledge gap a non-resident-focused provider is built to close.
A Worked Example
Consider Amara, a freelance software developer in a country that does not have a US income tax treaty. She wants a US LLC to invoice American clients and hold a US dollar account. She has no SSN, has never visited the US, and does not want to.
If Amara starts with Inc Authority's free package, she gets her entity filed for roughly the state fee. Then reality sets in. She needs an EIN, but the free package does not solve the no-SSN SS-4 process for her, so she adds the paid EIN service. She needs a registered agent to keep after the intro period, so that becomes a recurring charge. She needs an operating agreement to open a bank account, another add-on. She still has to figure out fintech banking on her own, and nobody has told her about Form 5472. Her "free" company has quietly become a stack of separate purchases plus an unflagged $25,000 compliance risk.
With WyomingLLC, Amara pays $397 once. The LLC is formed in about 24 hours, the EIN is obtained via SS-4 in roughly 8 to 10 business days without her SSN, the operating agreement and one year of registered agent are included, and she gets introductions to Mercury, Relay, and Wise (with the clear caveat that approval is the bank's call and depends on her country). She is also told upfront that her disregarded LLC owes Form 5472 each year. The difference is not just price. It is that someone built the path for her exact situation.
When Inc Authority Is the Better Choice
There are clear cases where you should pick Inc Authority, and we will not pretend otherwise. If you are a US-based founder with an SSN, a US address, and a US bank relationship, the free formation model can genuinely save you money, because you can decline the add-ons and handle EIN and banking yourself in minutes. The non-resident pain points that justify a bundled price simply do not apply to you.
The strongest single reason to choose Inc Authority is their business funding products. If part of your plan is to build business credit and access lending in the US, and you specifically want a provider that offers funding help, Inc Authority is built for that and WyomingLLC is not. That is a real capability we do not match, and if it is central to your goals, it should drive your decision.
You might also prefer a large, long-established US filing company if brand scale matters to you, or if you want one vendor that handles a broad menu of US small business services beyond formation. For a domestic small business with growth and financing ambitions inside the US market, that breadth has value. Match the provider to where your business actually lives.
When WyomingLLC Is the Better Choice
WyomingLLC is the better fit when you are a non-resident and you want the whole core stack handled at an honest, flat price with no upsell maze. The $397 includes formation, one year of registered agent, the operating agreement, the EIN obtained without an SSN, and bank introductions. You are not assembling a company out of à la carte parts and discovering the real total at the end. You see it at the start.
It is also the better fit when you value being told the unglamorous truth. We will tell you that bank approval is never guaranteed, that some countries are prohibited by the fintechs, that your disregarded LLC owes Form 5472 with a $25,000 penalty for non-filing, and that Wyoming still charges a roughly $60 minimum annual report license tax every year. A provider whose model depends on add-on revenue has a structural incentive to keep things vague at checkout. Our flat-price model does not.
Finally, Wyoming itself is a strong home state for this buyer. There is no state income tax and no franchise tax, and Wyoming offers strong charging-order protection that extends even to single-member LLCs under Wyo. Stat. 17-29-503. Combined with a provider that specializes in non-residents, that makes for a clean, defensible setup for a founder who lives abroad and serves clients globally.
Common Mistakes and Edge Cases
The most common mistake is treating "free formation" as "free company." Free covers the filing service charge and nothing else. You will still owe the state filing fee, you will still need a registered agent every year, and as a non-resident you will still need help with the EIN and banking that the free tier does not provide. Budget for the functional company, not the entry coupon.
A second frequent error is assuming the EIN is instant. For anyone with an SSN it nearly is, but without one you are on the SS-4 fax path, which takes about 8 to 10 business days. Plan your bank application and client onboarding around that timeline rather than expecting an EIN the same day. Do not let a vendor's marketing make you think you can skip it.
The biggest and most expensive edge case is Form 5472. Founders routinely form a foreign-owned single-member LLC, do no US business, assume they owe nothing, and never file. The disregarded entity still must file Form 5472 with a pro forma 1120 every year, and the penalty for not filing is $25,000. Whichever provider you choose, put this on your calendar for April 15 and use Form 7004 if you need an extension. On the tax substance itself, remember the US taxes a non-resident only on effectively connected income and US-source FDAP (30% default, reduced only by a treaty actually in force); services you perform abroad are generally foreign-source. Confirm your specifics with a CPA, and check the IRS A-Z treaty list before assuming any treaty rate applies, because many countries have no US treaty at all.
How Switching From Inc Authority Works
If you already formed with Inc Authority and want to move to WyomingLLC, you do not need to dissolve and refile. You file a change of registered agent. The steps are straightforward. First, order WyomingLLC at $397. Second, we file a Change of Registered Agent form with the Wyoming Secretary of State, which carries a small state fee of about $5. Third, we become your registered agent within roughly 5 to 10 business days. Fourth, once that is confirmed, you cancel your Inc Authority subscription. The whole migration typically completes within about two weeks.
You can do this at any point in the year; the change of registered agent is not tied to a renewal date. Your LLC keeps its name, its EIN, and its formation date, so there is no disruption to your bank account or your contracts. The only thing that changes is who maintains your Wyoming address and who is on file as your agent.
If you are still deciding, the honest summary is this: choose Inc Authority if you are a US-based founder who wants their funding products or who can decline every add-on and self-serve the rest. Choose WyomingLLC if you are a non-resident who wants the full core stack and clear answers at one flat price. If that second description is you, you can form your Wyoming LLC with WyomingLLC for $397 all-inclusive: formation in about 24 hours, EIN without an SSN, registered agent, operating agreement, and bank introductions, with no surprise upsells.