ZenBusiness
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Fine for first-time founders who want guided LLC filing with registered agent and compliance handled for them.
Comparison
ZenBusiness vs SMB Guide
ZenBusiness and SMB Guide both land on Depends.
SMB Guide
Depends
Confidence: Low
Use it as a free starting point to shortlist and compare small-business software, not as your final word.
| Compare | ZenBusiness | SMB Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | First-time LLC founders | SMB owners shortlisting software |
| Who it's not for | Confident DIYers . file directly with your state for less | Enterprises needing analyst-grade research (Gartner/Forrester tier) |
| Privacy | Breached March 2026: 5.1M accounts including SSNs leaked via ShinyHunters; class-action investigations ongoing.⁶ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | BBB complaints; mixed Reddit reports | No support evidence |
| Public sentiment | Sentiment is mixed: users like the easy setup but frequently question recurring fees and upsells, and the 2026 breach dented trust.⁵ | Direct public user feedback is scarce; only a positive employee review on Glassdoor surfaced.15 |
| Biggest gotcha | Annual renewals reportedly $199-$499 for compliance/registered agent . Reddit asks whether to keep paying⁵ | Guess: affiliate-style review sites can favor vendors with referral deals; check disclosures16 |
Pick ZenBusiness when
- First-time LLC founders
- Solo founders wanting guided filing
- Side hustles needing agent + compliance bundle
When ZenBusiness is not a fit
- Confident DIYers . file directly with your state for less
- Privacy-cautious founders . 5.1M SSNs leaked in 2026 breach
- Existing businesses needing only cheap registered-agent renewal
- Guess: anyone wanting legal or tax advice . this is filing, not counsel
Pick SMB Guide when
- SMB owners shortlisting software
- Quick pricing comparisons
- Plain-English buyer guides
When SMB Guide is not a fit
- Enterprises needing analyst-grade research (Gartner/Forrester tier)
- Buyers who want hands-on product testing results
- Anyone treating one review site as final proof
Sources
- ZenBusiness Review 2026 - LLC Universityllcuniversity.comreview
- ZenBusiness Review 2026 - NerdWalletnerdwallet.comreview
- ZenBusiness Reviews - Trustpilottrustpilot.comreview
- ZenBusiness BBB Complaintsbbb.orgreview
review
- ZenBusiness Data Breach - Have I Been Pwnedhaveibeenpwned.comsecurity
- ZenBusiness Breach Added to HIBP - NeuraCybIntelneuracybintel.comsecurity
- ZenBusiness Breach Lawsuit Investigation - ClassAction.orgclassaction.orgsecurity
- Start an LLC for $0 + state fees - ZenBusinesszenbusiness.comofficial
- ZenBusiness Series C $200M Press Releasezenbusiness.comofficial
- ZenBusiness Raises $200M - Built In Austinbuiltinustin.comnews
- ZenBusiness Revenue & Valuation - GetLatkagetlatka.comnews
- SMB Guide homepagesmbguide.comofficial
- The SMB Guide - Crunchbase Company Profile & Fundingcrunchbase.comnews
- The SMB Guide - Good company - Glassdoorglassdoor.sgreview
review