Montana ledger, best value first
Rows ranked by value from company price pages. The $35 state fee is kept out of the rows.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for the most paperwork per dollar
Top of the tally
$199/yr with $35 state fee extra
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $199/yr
- Three-year tally
- $597
Mainstay Filing tops the Montana tally: the annual report sits inside the $199 yearly price, which no other row can claim.
Registered Agent MT.org nets $200 lower over three years but leaves more filings on your desk.
You skip the annual report; Montana still bills $20, passed through at cost.
Included lines
- The formation line
- Registered agent, full year
- Annual report, filed each cycle
- EIN application
- Official fee, nothing added
Gains
- Locked at $199 a year
- No separate EIN charge
- Year two books at $199
Minus column
- A $100 annual premium compared with Registered Agent MT.org
2
2. Registered Agent MT.org: best for staying in one state
In-state
$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
In second place, Registered Agent MT.org, where $199 in year one and $99 in every year after.
Put aside your own time for the annual report.
Included lines
- Montana formation filing
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Year one of the agent comes with it
- Agent renews at $99 after that
- $199 to get going
Minus column
- The annual report stays on your list
- The EIN application costs $99 more
3
3. Montana Registered Agent.co: best for a second local line
In-state
$199 plus state fee, then $99/yr
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
In third place, Montana Registered Agent.co, where $199 in year one and $99 in every year after.
Put aside your own time for the annual report.
Registered Agent MT.org posts the same prices.
Included lines
- Montana formation filing
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Agent renews at $99 after that
- $199 to get going
- Year one of the agent comes with it
Minus column
- The annual report stays on your list
- The EIN application costs $99 more
Running tally by year
Prices as booked on November 13, 2026; every column carries one more renewal. The order holds through year ten.
Break-even calculator
How long will you keep the company? Pick the years and compare, EIN application optional.
Official state fees
Each row above links its official source. The final line is our own addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, and it leaves out variable costs such as publication.
Why the table is ordered this way
At 28%, jobs ticked off is the column that decided the first row.
Montana wants the annual report every year, and a price that files it ranked above a lower price that does not.
With the EIN application included, Mainstay Filing's running total passes Registered Agent MT.org's in year 2.
Montana LLC filing fee and rules (official)
The filing is the Articles of Organization, the fee is $35 and the office is the Montana Secretary of State. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Per source sosmt.gov, last tallied October 2026 for this entry
The zero-service option
Zero-service cost: $75 to the state across three years. Service fees of $397 to $597 are what it costs not to file it yourself.
Quick answers
What does an LLC service cost in Montana?
Expect $199 plus $35 in state fees.
What do three years of service add up to?
Three-year service tallies: $397 to $597.
How much does Montana charge to file an LLC?
$35, which accompanies the Articles of Organization.
What does Montana charge each year after formation?
$20 each year for the annual report, due April 15.
Is the EIN application included?
Mainstay Filing at no extra cost, Registered Agent MT.org for $99 and Montana Registered Agent.co for $99.
When does one service turn into the lower total?
Not within ten years; no row overtakes another.
Which LLC service is the best value in Montana?
The Montana tally reads Mainstay Filing, Registered Agent MT.org and Montana Registered Agent.co from top to bottom.
Sources and price pages
- Montana Secretary of State fee (sosmt.gov), tallied October 2026
- Montana yearly filing: Annual report (sosmt.gov), tallied October 2026
- Montana yearly filing: Annual report (sosmt.gov), tallied October 2026
- Montana report due date (mca.legmt.gov), tallied August 2026
- Mont (mca.legmt.gov), tallied August 2026
- Montana formation fee: Filing fee (sosmt.gov), tallied October 2026
- Montana registered agent statute (mca.legmt.gov), tallied October 2026
- Mainstay Filing Montana service page (ledger date November 13, 2026)
- Registered Agent MT.org pricing page (ledger date November 13, 2026)
- Montana Registered Agent.co pricing page (ledger date November 13, 2026)