Best Company Formation Agent UK 2026: Prices Compared

The best company formation agent in the UK is the one whose total cost covers what your company actually needs, not the one with the lowest headline price. Formation packages were advertised in Google from £2.48 to about £200 on 27 October 2026, but the real cost depends on the £100 Companies House fee, identity verification for every director and PSC, and a registered office and service address. This guide compares the agents Google shows for this search and the best choice for each situation.

Best Company Formation Agents in the UK Compared

Prices below are what each provider advertised in Google results and adverts on 27 October 2026. We have not checked them on each provider’s own site, and promotions change often, so confirm the price and what is included before ordering.

Agent	Advertised price	Notes from the listing
Your Company Formations	From £2.48; non-resident package £98	Adverts mention a bank account, cash back and setup in about 3 hours
Quality Company Formations	Fully-inclusive package £9.99 (advert)	Registration in 24 hours and free business bank account options, per the advert
Icon Offices	£93.99	For UK and non-UK residents; free domain, bank account and Google Ads voucher listed
1st Formations	Non-residents package £199.99	Packages for residents and non-residents; frequently recommended in Reddit threads
Rapid Formations	Price not shown in the listing	Known for fast registration and virtual office and bank account add-ons
Companies MadeSimple	Non-UK residents package from about £199.99 + VAT	Packages with virtual address services and VAT and accounting extras
Mint Formations	Price not shown in the listing	Mentioned for privacy-focused address services
ANNA Money and Tide	Formation bundled with a business account	Banking apps that register the company when you open an account
GOV.UK (Companies House direct)	£100 online	No agent; you prepare the application and verify identity yourself
CorpAssist	From £159.99	£100 fee included. Privacy £199.99 with addresses; International £249.99 with addresses and identity verification for one director

CorpAssist is not the cheapest headline price on this list. Its packages include the Companies House fee and are built so that identity verification, addresses and the registration are handled in one order, including for directors who live outside the UK.

Why the Headline Price Is Rarely the Total

A £2.48 package and a £199.99 package can end up close in price. Check each of these before you compare:

The £100 Companies House fee. Some low prices exclude it. Every online registration pays it.
Identity verification. Every director and person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House before the company is registered. Some agents leave this to you; others charge for it per person. See identity verification for company formation.
Registered office and service address. Without one, your home address goes on the public register. Address services are often a yearly add-on with a higher renewal price.
Upsells and bank offers. Very cheap packages are often paid for by bank account referrals, cash-back offers and later add-ons. That is not a problem, but compare the price of what you will actually buy.
VAT. Some prices include VAT and some do not.

Best Choice by Situation

UK resident, happy to use your own address, comfortable with the GOV.UK app: a low-cost package or registering directly with Companies House is likely to be enough.
You want your home address kept off the register: choose a package that includes a registered office and a director service address for the first year, and check the renewal price. CorpAssist Privacy is £199.99 with all three addresses for 12 months.
You live outside the UK: choose an agent that verifies foreign passports and provides the UK addresses. CorpAssist International is £249.99, including identity verification for one director; see UK company formation for non-residents.
You want a business bank account straight away: banking apps such as ANNA and Tide, or agents with bank partnerships, can bundle it. Check whether they accept directors who live abroad.
Your passport does not work with the GOV.UK app: use an agent that arranges verification through an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, so a non-biometric passport or a missing NFC phone does not hold up the registration.

Example: What Three Founders Pay With CorpAssist

Founder	Package	Total
UK resident, own address, needs identity verification	Essential + verification for 1 director	£195.98
UK resident, home address kept private, needs verification	Privacy + verification for 1 director	£235.98
Lives outside the UK, one director	International (verification included)	£249.99

Each total includes the £100 Companies House fee. Each extra director or PSC who still needs to verify adds £35.99. Full step-by-step detail is in our guide to how to set up a limited company.

Formation, Verification and Addresses in One Order

CorpAssist forms UK limited companies for UK residents and non-residents:

Packages from £159.99, with the £100 Companies House fee included
Identity verification for directors and PSCs arranged in the same order, submitted through our Companies House-registered ACSP partner
Passports from 190+ countries accepted for verification, including non-biometric passports
No UK visit, UK bank account or UK phone number needed to form the company
Registered office, director service address and business address for 12 months in Privacy (£199.99) and International (£249.99)
Every application checked by a person before it is filed

Form my company — £199.99 Compare packages

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best company formation agent in the UK?

There is no single best agent for everyone. The cheapest headline prices (from £2.48 to £9.99 in adverts on 27 October 2026) suit UK residents who already have an address and only need the registration. If you need identity verification, a registered office or you live outside the UK, compare the total cost of those extras, not the package price.

How much does it cost to set up a company in the UK?

The Companies House fee is £100 online, or £124 by post. Formation agents add their own fee on top or include it in the package. With CorpAssist, packages start at £159.99 including the £100 fee. See our guide to how much it costs to set up a limited company for a full breakdown.

Is 1st Formations reliable?

1st Formations is an established UK formation agent and is often recommended by users in Reddit discussions such as r/ContractorUK. As with any provider, check what its package includes and what it costs to renew any address service after the first year.

Can I form a company myself without an agent?

Yes. You can register directly with Companies House for £100 online. Every director must also verify their identity, and PSCs within 14 days of incorporation at the latest, which the free GOV.UK route does with an app, a chip-enabled ID and a phone that can read it. Agents add value when you need an address, help with documents, or verification for a passport the app does not accept.

Which formation agent is best for non-UK residents?

Choose one that accepts foreign passports for identity verification, provides the UK registered office and service address you will need, and does not require a UK visit, bank account or phone number. CorpAssist’s International package (£249.99) includes all of these for one director.

Compare all CorpAssist company formation packages, or see how much it costs to set up a limited company.

Competitor prices and claims as advertised in Google on 27 October 2026; check each provider’s site for current prices. CorpAssist is an independent commercial service and is not Companies House or GOV.UK.