Setup, ranked.
US incorporation, business banking, EIN, and setup tooling. doola, Stripe Atlas, Mercury, Northwest.
Business setup in 2026 means US LLC formation, EIN acquisition, business bank account opening for non-US founders, and the registered-agent layer. Buyers are international founders launching US entities for Stripe access, agencies setting up separate LLCs per client, or US-based founders just choosing between doola, Stripe Atlas, and ZenBusiness for speed.
The trade-off is white-glove versus self-serve. Stripe Atlas is the premium $500-flat option - clean UX, integrated business bank account, fastest path to a Stripe account, but limited to Delaware C-corps and lacks affiliate access for publishers. doola covers more state and entity options with strong international-founder support and an active affiliate programme. ZenBusiness sits at the lower-cost end with longer turnaround times. Northwest is the registered-agent specialist most operators add as a separate layer regardless of which formation service they pick.
We anchor on total cost including state fees and the first year of registered agent, time from form-submit to EIN-in-hand, and business bank account access on day one (Mercury or Relay or similar). The winner is the formation service that gets an international founder from idea to live Stripe account in under 14 days. The best-value pick covers 80 percent of the same outcome at 40 percent of the premium-tier cost.
Every setup guide
Sorted by guide type. Best-of comparisons first, then head-to-heads, then pricing.
Best Business Bank for Non-US Founders in 2026
Relay wins as the best business bank for non-US founders in 2026: free, accepts non-SSN applicants with an EIN and LLC. Mercury and Novo compared.
Best LLC Formation Service for Startups in 2026
doola wins for non-US founders forming a US LLC in 2026. Bank account setup, EIN, registered agent, $297. Stripe Atlas for VC-backed, Northwest for solo US.
How Much Does It Cost to Incorporate a US Company in 2026
US LLC formation costs $39-500 in service fees plus $50-300 in state fees. Delaware C-Corp costs $500-1,500 plus annual $300+ franchise tax. Plan for $300-2,000 total year one.
doola vs Stripe Atlas in 2026: Which US Incorporation Wins
doola wins for non-US founders forming a US LLC. Stripe Atlas wins for VC-backed startups forming Delaware C-Corps. $297 vs $500, different paths.
Setup FAQ
Relay wins our 2026 Setup ranking. Relay wins for non-US founders banking in 2026. Free business checking, accepts founders without SSN given a US LLC and EIN, profit-first sub-accounts built in, strong Shopify integration.