Our 2026 nationwide recommendations, best first: Mainstay Filing ($199), Colorado Registered Agent.co ($199) and Alaska Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing leads because $199 placed on each state's own fee, with the first agent year included.
Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·
Best reading
Who we would engage
Measured on the protocol. The two state services suit businesses based in their own states.
Best overall
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one price nationwide
$199 plus the state's own fee, $149 a year thereafter
Mainstay Filing heads the list. The reason: $199 placed on each state's own fee, with the first agent year included.
The additional $100 over three years, set against Colorado Registered Agent.co, buys nationwide reach.
Prices observed November 13, 2026; each service adds the state fee at cost.
What matters most
Compare the price for years two and three, not only year one, and note which state procedures the price takes off your list. If growth beyond one state is likely, coverage deserves substantial weight.
The reasoning
The heaviest criteria are three-year cost and the share of the state paperwork the price covers. A national list serves owners in every state, so the provider that works for all of them reads highest. Places two and three go to Colorado Registered Agent.co and Alaska Registered Agent.co, which cost less if your company is based in Colorado or Alaska.
What are the best foreign registration services in 2026?
Mainstay Filing, Colorado Registered Agent.co and Alaska Registered Agent.co, ranked in that order.
What does a foreign registration service cost?
$199 to $199 before state fees on this list.
Can one service cover every state?
Yes: Mainstay Filing is priced identically in all fifty states, whereas the second and third picks serve only their home states.
Why are one-state services on a national list?
They offer a better price to a company that stays put. Colorado Registered Agent.co is our pick for Colorado businesses; Alaska Registered Agent.co for Alaska businesses.
How did you grade them?
The how-we-grade page lists the five criteria and their weights.
Where do I learn the steps for my state?
In the state sheets: registering in another state, one sheet for each state.