---
title: Firstbase.io
slug: firstbase-io
product: Firstbase.io
excerpt: 'An independent expert review of Firstbase.io: the $1,950 bundle saving is
  exactly right, but $399 is not what it costs to incorporate.'
created_at: '2026-09-20T00:00:00Z'
updated_at: '2026-09-20T00:00:00Z'
---

**[Firstbase.io](https://findstack.com/go/firstbase-io) advertises "Save up to $1950 annually with Firstbase One", and for once the arithmetic backs it exactly.** Buy Accounting, Tax Filing, Mailroom Premium and Agent Autopilot separately and you pay **$4,338 a year**; the bundle is **$2,388**. The difference is **$1,950**, to the dollar — one of the few bundles in this review series that genuinely beats à la carte. The number to be careful with is the other one: **$399 is not what it costs to incorporate**, because the registered agent that incorporation requires is a separate $299 a year.

- **What it is**: A "Company OS" for forming and running a US company from anywhere.
- **Best for**: Non-US founders incorporating a Delaware or Wyoming entity remotely.
- **Pricing**: $399 one-off to incorporate; $199/month for the operating bundle. Verified August 2026.
- **The honest catch**: Registered agent is mandatory and charged separately.

## What Is Firstbase.io?

Firstbase.io forms US companies for founders anywhere in the world and then sells the services that company needs to keep running. It reports **30,000+ companies incorporated** across **190+ countries**.

The product line splits cleanly. **Firstbase Start** handles the one-off event: **LLC or C-Corp formation in Delaware or Wyoming**, expedited **EIN** setup, the founding documents (stock purchase agreement, bylaws), and help opening a US business bank account through banking partners. Around it sit the recurring services — **Agent** (registered agent and compliance filings), **Mailroom** (US address and virtual mailbox), **Accounting**, **Tax Filing**, **Sales Tax** and **Loop** (a deals and rewards programme advertised at **more than $350K in deals**).

**Firstbase One** is the bundle that packages the four recurring essentials into one monthly price.

There is also an **Incorporation API** for partners, and a set of genuinely free tools — business name search, an LLC vs C-Corp comparison, a VC database, headcount and compliance calculators — that are useful whether or not you buy anything.

![Firstbase.io's pricing page, showing Firstbase Start at $399 one-off alongside the Firstbase One bundle at $199 a month.](https://assets.findstack.com/ja9hds58gg4md16dkc0z95nm3sez)

## How Firstbase.io Works

- **Start** — a one-off $399 to incorporate in Delaware or Wyoming.
- **Agent** — registered agent, required, $299 per state per year.
- **Firstbase One** — the four recurring services bundled at $199/month.
- **30,000+ companies** incorporated across 190+ countries.
- **Free founder tools** with no purchase needed.
- **Lifetime expert support** included with Start.

## Firstbase.io Pricing

| Product | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| **Start** (incorporation) | **$399** | One-time |
| **Firstbase One** (bundle) | **$199/month** | Billed yearly at **$2,388** |
| **Accounting** | **$189/month** or **$1,890** | Annually — priced by expense tier |
| **Tax Filing** | **$1,799** | Annually, per package |
| **Mailroom** | **$35/month** or **$315** | Annually (Premium listed at $350 in the bundle) |
| **Agent** | **$299** | Annually, **per state** |
| **R&D Tax Credit** | **15% of the credit received** | Invoiced separately |
| **Sales Tax** | Custom pricing | Monthly |

![Annual cost of Firstbase One against buying Accounting, Tax Filing, Mailroom Premium and Agent Autopilot separately.](https://assets.findstack.com/07skhzjq1miedk1k05ligdjcxj89)

What actually decides your cost:

- **$399 does not incorporate you — $698 does.** The Start plan's own feature list ends with the line *"Registered agent services are required for incorporation"*, and registered agent is **not** among the things it includes. It is a separate product at **$299 per state per year**. So the realistic first-year cost of getting a company formed and legally able to operate is **$399 + $299 = $698**, not the advertised $399. Firstbase does disclose the requirement on the same card, which is better than hiding it, but the headline price omits a mandatory component.
- **The bundle saving is real and exactly as advertised.** Accounting **$1,890**, Tax Filing **$1,799**, Mailroom Premium **$350** and Agent Autopilot **$299** total **$4,338** a year. **Firstbase One costs $2,388.** The gap is **$1,950**, which is precisely the *"save up to $1950 annually"* the page claims. The advertised **45% off** ($199 against $362) is likewise accurate to within a rounding cent. In a review series where discount claims routinely shrink under a calculator, this one holds.
- **Accounting is metered on your expenses, so the bundle maths moves with you.** The Accounting product carries a slider — **$0–10k, $10k, $25k, $50k, $75k, $100k, $200k+** of expected monthly expense — and the **$189/month** figure is the bottom bracket. Every comparison above therefore reflects the cheapest case. Before relying on the $1,950, check what your own expense bracket costs, because both the standalone price and the bundle's value shift with it.
- **Agent is charged per state, which multiplies for anyone operating across state lines.** **$299 annually, per state.** A Delaware entity actually trading in California needs foreign qualification there too, and the page notes that **state fees for foreign qualification and any taxes owed are paid separately**. Two states means $598 a year before any of it.
- **State government fees are not addressed by the $399 headline.** Start advertises *"Zero filing fees for all required documents"*, which reads as Firstbase not charging its own filing markup. What the page does not say anywhere is whether **Delaware or Wyoming's own state incorporation fees** are covered by the $399 or billed on top. Given that the only explicit "paid separately" note concerns foreign qualification and taxes, this is genuinely ambiguous — ask before paying, because state formation fees are a real and unavoidable cost.
- **A live promotion offers Accounting free with incorporation.** The Start page carries a *"Limited time offer — Get Firstbase Accounting for free when you incorporate with us"*, with a dedicated bookkeeper. Given Accounting lists at **$1,890 a year**, that is a substantial giveaway if it lasts more than a token period — and the page states no duration at all. Worth asking exactly how many months are covered before treating it as part of the value.
- **Tax Filing is a fixed $1,799 package covering a lot.** Corporate return (Form 1120), unlimited state or city returns, unlimited 1099-NEC/MISC, Forms K1 and 1065, Form 5472 for non-US-owned single-member LLCs, and extension filing. For a non-US founder, Form 5472 alone is the kind of obligation that carries heavy penalties for getting wrong, and having it in a fixed-price package is worth something.
- **R&D credits are contingency-priced at 15%.** *"We charge 15% of your total credit received, invoiced separately."* That is a normal structure for this service, and it means no cost if nothing is recovered — but on a large credit the fee scales without limit.
- **Sales Tax pricing is not published.** Two tiers exist — Startups (up to $5M ARR) and Scale-Ups — both **custom priced**, and access is *"subject to valid Stripe connection and eligibility requirements"*. Expect a sales conversation.
- **The affiliate link tracks correctly.** `/go/firstbase-io` resolves through PartnerStack to `firstbase.io` with the partner key intact and sets PartnerStack attribution cookies. Note that PartnerStack links return an error status to automated checkers while working normally in a browser.

## Who Should Use Firstbase.io

- **Non-US founders forming a US entity.** This is the core case and the product is built around it.
- **Founders who want one vendor.** The bundle genuinely undercuts assembling the same services.
- **Companies needing Form 5472 handled.** Non-US-owned single-member LLCs have real exposure here.
- **Anyone comparing LLC against C-Corp.** The free tools answer that without a purchase.

It fits poorly for founders whose only need is formation, since cheaper one-off incorporation services exist; for companies with high monthly expenses, where metered accounting changes the sums; and for multi-state operations, where per-state agent fees stack up quickly.

## Honest Pros and Cons

### Strengths

- **The $1,950 bundle saving is exactly accurate.**
- **45% off claim verifies** to the cent.
- **Fixed-price tax filing** covering Form 5472 and K1/1065.
- **Free founder tools** — name search, VC database, calculators.
- **Lifetime expert support** included with incorporation.
- **30,000+ incorporations** across 190+ countries.

### Limitations

- **$399 excludes the mandatory registered agent** ($299/year).
- **State government fees are not addressed** on the pricing page.
- **Accounting is metered** by monthly expense bracket.
- **Agent is charged per state.**
- **Sales Tax pricing is quote-only.**
- **The free-accounting promotion states no duration.**

## Firstbase.io Alternatives and How It Compares

- **[Mercury](https://findstack.com/go/mercury-bank)** covers the banking side and is free — worth pairing rather than replacing.
- **[doola](https://findstack.com/products/doola/reviews)** targets the same non-US founder incorporating in the US.
- **Stripe Atlas** is the best-known competitor for Delaware C-Corp formation.
- **A local registered agent plus direct state filing** is the cheapest route if you are willing to do the paperwork.

## The Verdict

Firstbase.io is a well-assembled product for a specific person: a founder outside the United States who wants a US company and does not want to learn US corporate compliance to get one. The formation package covers the things that are genuinely hard to do remotely — **EIN setup, founding documents, a route to a US bank account** — and the recurring products cover what comes after.

Its bundle deserves the credit it claims. **Firstbase One at $2,388 a year replaces $4,338 of separately-bought services, a saving of exactly $1,950** — the precise figure advertised. The **45% off** headline is equally accurate. Across this series, bundles more often lose to à la carte than beat it; this one wins, and by the amount stated.

The number to distrust is the one in the largest type. **$399 gets you incorporated but not operational**, because the registered agent that incorporation *requires* is a separate **$299 a year**. Firstbase says so on the same card — *"Registered agent services are required for incorporation"* — so this is disclosure rather than concealment, but the practical first-year figure is **$698**, and every comparison against a competitor should start there. Add the open question of whether **Delaware or Wyoming's own state fees** sit inside the $399 or outside it, which the site does not answer anywhere we could find, and the real cost of formation needs a direct question to sales before you commit.

Two further things move the sums. **Accounting is metered by monthly expense bracket**, and the $189 rate is the bottom one, so anyone spending real money should re-run the bundle comparison at their own tier. And **Agent is per state**, so a Delaware company genuinely operating in another state pays twice, plus that state's own fees.

Finally, if you are incorporating now, ask about the **"Get Firstbase Accounting for free when you incorporate"** promotion on the Start page. It is advertised with no stated duration, and against a $1,890 list price the difference between three months and a year is most of the bundle's annual value. That is a question worth asking before, not after.

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to incorporate with Firstbase.io?

The advertised price is **$399 as a one-time fee**, covering LLC or C-Corp formation in Delaware or Wyoming, expedited EIN setup, founding documents and help opening a business bank account. However, **registered agent services are required for incorporation and are not included** — that is a separate product at **$299 per state per year**. The realistic first-year cost is therefore **$698**. Whether the state's own government filing fees are included in the $399 is not stated on the site, so confirm it before paying.

### Is Firstbase One worth it compared with buying products separately?

Yes, by a verifiable margin. The four services it bundles cost **$1,890 (Accounting) + $1,799 (Tax Filing) + $350 (Mailroom Premium) + $299 (Agent Autopilot) = $4,338** a year individually. **Firstbase One is $2,388**, a saving of **$1,950** — exactly the figure Firstbase advertises. The caveat is that Accounting is priced by expected monthly expense, so this comparison holds at the lowest bracket and both sides rise together above it.

### What does Firstbase.io's registered agent service cost?

**$299 annually, per state.** A registered agent is legally required to incorporate, so this is effectively mandatory rather than optional. The per-state pricing matters if you operate beyond your state of incorporation: foreign qualification in a second state means a second $299, plus that state's own fees and any taxes, which Firstbase notes are paid separately.

### Does Firstbase.io handle taxes for non-US founders?

Its **Tax Filing** package at **$1,799 a year** covers C-Corps and multi-member LLCs, non-US-owned single-member LLCs, **Form 5472**, the corporate return (Form 1120), unlimited state or city returns, unlimited 1099-NEC/MISC, Forms K1 and 1065, and filing an extension if needed. Form 5472 in particular carries substantial penalties for non-US owners who miss it, so having it inside a fixed-price package is a genuine benefit.

### What is included free with Firstbase.io?

Several tools require no purchase: **business name availability search**, an **LLC vs C-Corporation** comparison, a **VC database**, a **headcount planning calculator**, an **incorporation checklist**, a **compliance guide**, and mission-statement and business-name generators. There is also a **"limited time"** offer of **free Firstbase Accounting when you incorporate**, though no duration is stated — worth confirming before counting it as value.