Position 1
Our national favorite
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a company in any state
Year one costs $199 plus the state fee; from year two it's $149 to keep the agent
Our score
9.2out of 10
9.2 out of 10
Our national favorite is Mainstay Filing, because it's $199 plus the state fee in any state, your first year of registered agent service is included, and then it's $149 a year.
Over three years it costs $100 more than RI Registered Agent.org does in Rhode Island. For that you get one account for every state.
In the price
- Preparation and filing of the registration
- Legal papers served on the company are scanned within the business day at no cost
What we like
- All fifty states for $199
- Renewal price is $149
- Same-day scanning of legal papers, no fee
Trade-offs
- Priced above the single-state agents
Position 2
Best for Rhode Island
2. RI Registered Agent.org: best for Rhode Island businesses
Year one costs $199 plus the state fee; from year two it's $99 to keep the agent
Our score
9.0out of 10
9.0 out of 10
Second is RI Registered Agent.org, because registering in Rhode Island is $199 plus the state fee, a year of agent service is included, and then it's $99 a year.
Rhode Island is home base, so it fits a company that does business there.
In the price
- Your Rhode Island registration, prepared and filed
- Year one of registered agent service in Rhode Island
What we like
- A $99 renewal, under Mainstay Filing's
- Renewal price is $99
- Legal mail gets scanned and posted online
Trade-offs
- Made for Rhode Island; other states need another agent
- It doesn't file reports for you
Position 3
Best for New York
3. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for New York businesses
You pay $199 and the state's fee up front, then $99 annually to keep the agent
Our score
8.8out of 10
8.8 out of 10
Third is New York Registered Agent.ai, because registering in New York is $199 plus the state fee, a year of agent service is included, and then it's $99 a year.
New York is home base, so it fits a company that does business there.
In the price
- Your New York registration, prepared and filed
- Year one of registered agent service in New York
What we like
- A $99 renewal, under Mainstay Filing's
- $99 a year from year two
- You see scans of served papers in your account
Trade-offs
- Only works in New York
- It doesn't file reports for you
Our 3 picks, side by side
The 10-point scores are ours. They come from the criteria on How we rank and don't use customer ratings.
Foreign Registration: what three years cost at 2026 prices
We took the service prices from each company's own pages on November 12, 2026. The state services only price their own state, and every one adds the state's filing fee at cost.
How we picked the order
Three-year cost and filings in the price each count for 29%, and renewal price, state fit and up-front totals make up the other 42%. On a national list, coverage settles it: only one service here works in every state at a single price. RI Registered Agent.org (Rhode Island) and New York Registered Agent.ai (New York) cost less than Mainstay over three years in their home states, so they take second and third for companies there.
One agent per state
Registered agents work state by state: every state where your company is formed or registered needs its own agent on file. Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia do it differently, so check their state pages. A national service keeps all your renewals in one account. A state specialist might cost less, but only in its own state.
Find your state
Each state page compares Mainstay Filing with that state's own agents, using the state's fees, forms and due dates. Find your state.
Your questions about Foreign Registration Services
What are the best foreign registration services in 2026?
Our 2026 favorites, in order: Mainstay Filing, RI Registered Agent.org and New York Registered Agent.ai.
How much is a foreign registration service?
Prices on this list go from $199 to $199, plus the state fee.
Can one service cover every state?
Only Mainstay Filing. It works in all fifty states for one price, while every state service on this list covers just one.
Are state fees in these prices?
No. State filing fees are extra with every service, and they're different in each state.
Why do single-state services show up on a national list?
If your company will stay in one state, a local specialist can cost less. RI Registered Agent.org is our pick for Rhode Island businesses; New York Registered Agent.ai for New York businesses.
How did we choose the order?
With five weighted criteria, explained on How we rank: three-year cost, filings in the price, renewal price, state fit and up-front totals.
Where we got the numbers
- Source: Mainstay Filing, pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
- Source: RI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
- Source: New York Registered Agent.ai, pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026