Top 11 UK company formation agents 2026

Formation Agent	Overall Service & Reputation	Support & Aftercare	Privacy & Address Solutions	Compliance & Additional Services	Pricing & Platform
1st Formations	9 ⭐	9 ⭐	8	9 ⭐	8 ⭐
ANNA Money	6	6	6	5	7
Quality Company Formations	7	7	7	9	7
Your Company Formations	7	6	9 ⭐	6	5
Companies Made Simple	7	6	7	7	7
Rapid Formations	7	8	8	7	7
Mint Formations	6	5	4	7	6
1st Choice Formations	7	6	7	6	6
DNS Accountants	7	6	5	6	6
Online Filings	6	5	6	7	6
Coddan	6	5	6	6	5

Best for: All-round services and support

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 9/10

Founded over a decade ago, 1st Formations is one of the UK’s most well-known and popular company formation agents. It is known for providing new and seasoned business owners a smooth, reliable and speedy experience.

It has helped launch hundreds of thousands of companies and positioned itself as an accessible, well-rounded provider, delivering excellent customer support. The service sits at the market’s more premium end but maintains reasonable prices.

With a Trustpilot score of 4.8 out of 5 based on over 22,000 customer reviews, they are by far the most-reviewed UK company formation provider. Many of these reviews cite great customer experience with fast response times to queries and requests. What’s more, almost 90% of these reviews are verified, meaning they are confirmed to have come from a legitimate customer.

Coupled with a score of 4.9 on Google based on nearly 5,000 reviews, 1st Formations stands out as best-in-class for company formation and post-formation services.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 9/10

Support is responsive, friendly, and available by phone, email and live chat.

Beyond that, 1st Formations stands out for its impressive library of help with over 300 blog articles, a help centre, multiple regular email newsletters and an active YouTube channel. Its resources are wide-ranging, covering formation, company admin, legal and compliance, tax and accounting, inspiration and more.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 8/10

1st Formations offers registered office, service and business address services, based at its Covent Garden headquarters in Central London.

• How to register a company in 4 simple steps with 1st Formations
• How to form a UK company as a non-UK resident
• What happens after I submit my company formation application?

Its mail forwarding is quick and reliable. While the addresses are popular with new and established companies, they are still credible, well-maintained and help protect your privacy.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 9/10

1st Formations provides many additional services, but its flagship is the Hassle-Free Compliance Service. This comprehensive support service includes filing your annual confirmation statement, unlimited access to the Business Document Template Library, maintenance of your company’s statutory registers, 50% off company changes (like a transfer of shares), compliance support from our expert team, and more.

You can also purchase other one-off services, including VAT registration, standalone share services, partner offers, and more.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 8/10

The basic formation package costs £2.99 (excluding the £100 Companies House fee), which is pretty standard. While its formation prices are low, some add-on services may be pricier than others. The difference isn’t big, but if your priority is price, watch out.

The website is clean and beginner-friendly, guiding users smoothly through the order process. After forming your company, the account dashboard makes managing and downloading documents easy – it’s a polished, transparent experience.

ANNA Money

Best for: Setting up a bank account directly

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 6/10

ANNA is a fintech brand offering company formation alongside its business current account, primarily for UK residents looking to incorporate and open a business account in one place.

While convenient, formations are a secondary service to its business account offering. If you need deeper or ongoing post-formation support, ANNA may not match the depth of a dedicated formation specialist. Its services aren’t available to non-residents either. Additionally, some of its limitations will be frustrating if your incorporation goes beyond the routine. For example, its terms state that you can register only once with one shareholder (yourself).

ANNA’s online reputation is mixed. Its Trustpilot score is 4.3 out of 5, which is on the lower end of the companies on this list. Further, a disproportionate amount of the customer reviews are 1 out of 5 stars, accounting for about 11% of all reviews. This is perhaps the highest proportion of negative reviews among the companies we have surveyed.

On Google Play ANNA Money receives a disappointing rating of 3.4 out of 5 from 1,390 customer reviews.

It is worth noting that many of the poor reviews relate to its business accounts, so the overall score may not reflect the experience people have had when incorporating.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 6/10

Support is available via email and chat, but primarily through the mobile app (including messaging and chatbot functionality). The app is known for being slick and feature-rich – a highlight for the company.

However, its formation support tends to be lightweight, and there’s little additional content to guide first-time founders (though the homepage does have some useful, short videos).

Be sure to double-check the information it does have. At the time of writing, ANNA’s homepage states that “it’s mandatory for limited companies in the UK to have their own separate bank account.” This is incorrect – there is no such requirement in the UK.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 6/10

Standard address services allow you to keep your personal address provided. It appears its address service is provided by a third-party, Hoxton Mix, but sold under ANNA’s name. Regardless, it’s adequate for a basic setup but not a standout.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 5/10

You can add on services like VAT registration during setup. ANNA also offers a “company secretary service” that includes much of what you’d expect from a regular compliance service. Other services include accounting functionality, although its features are considered somewhat limited.

ANNA’s offerings mean it’s ideal if your goal is to register a basic company and access a business account through ANNA, not to manage legal admin through a formation-led platform.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 7/10

Company formation starts at just £100. However, it comes with a big caveat – it’s only available to those opening a business account with ANNA.

That’s the thing – you’re signing up for a financial product to access the company formation service. It may not be the right fit if you don’t want to open an ANNA account.

Additionally, the company operates predominantly on a subscription basis. There are few “one-off” purchases, which some users may find off-putting or inconvenient.

Quality Company Formations

Best for: Technical incorporations

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 7/10

Established in 2014, Quality Company Formations (QCF) provides standard and specialist company setups to a broad customer base, including first-time business owners as well as accountants and solicitors.

QCF’s overall tone is reassuring and professional. While it’s a streamlined experience, given its work, the brand occasionally feels more formal. For more technical requests, things aren’t as fast as its standard offerings.

QCF’s reputation online is very positive. Their Trustpilot rating stands at 4.8, based on over 2,000 reviews, of which over 92% are from verified buyers (the second-highest proportion in this industry).

Their great reputation extends to their Google reviews as well, with an impressive 4.9 rating from nearly 500 reviews. Overall, prospective customers can feel very confident about their services, based on the experiences of those who have used them before.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 7/10

Support is available by phone, email or live chat. The team is confident in handling technical questions beyond basic incorporation enquiries.

Many written resources are also available, especially on its blog, which houses over 300 articles. On occasion, some may find the style a little formal.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 7/10

QCF’s Central London registered office, service address, and business address services are easy to use and reasonably priced.

Mail scanning is fast, with correspondence emailed to you and stored digitally on an online portal. It’s a practical choice for protecting your privacy without unnecessary extras. The setup is simple and integrates easily into the formation process. These services are available even if your company wasn’t formed through QCF.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 9/10

QCF offers a strong line-up of post-incorporation services, including the standard confirmation statements, share transfers, director appointments, and more.

Its strong suit is the range of technical services, including multiple share class conversions, reductions of capital, article drafting, company restorations and more. These exceed the level of detail and complexity offered by other formation agents. While most companies may never need these, they’re convenient if you do and might save you a trip to an expensive solicitor.

A company secretary service completes the set, meaning you’ll typically get everything you need from QCF.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 7/10

Formations start at £1.99 (excluding £100 Companies House fee). The checkout flow is logical, and there’s no confusing upgrade matrix. The remainder of the formation process is easy and presented as a step-by-step form. The absence of hidden charges before and after incorporation is also a plus point.

Post-formation, the customer portal allows easy access to documents and add-ons.

Some formation agents provided slightly more cost-effective offerings, although given the level of assurance and standard of work you get here, this shouldn’t be of too much concern.

Your Company Formations

Best for: Addresses and mail forwarding

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 7/10

Your Company Formations (YCF) is a well-known brand geared toward efficiency and price-conscious consumers. Reviews are positive, though some customers raise concerns about customer support, slow processing and delayed refunds. Occasional unclear pricing may lead you to pay more than expected.

When it comes to their online reputation, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for YCF. They boast an impressive Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5 from over 8,000 reviews. However, just 8% of these reviews are labelled “verified”, in stark contrast to the 90% figures for competitors like 1st Formations and Quality Company Formations. This means the rating may not be as reliable as those of other agents.

Meanwhile, YCF maintains the same 4.9 rating on Google, thanks to over 5,000 reviews. Whilst positive for them, the lack of verified Trustpilot reviews remains a problem.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 6/10

You can access support by calling or sending an email. There’s no live chat, so you’ll need to pick up the phone for an immediate response. The support can be basic and to the point – not rude, but far from conversational.

The website has a help centre, and the blog recently had a facelift. The depth of the articles can be limited, with information lifted from other sites, but they’re still worth exploring.

Overall, it’s a good fit for users who like keeping things transactional, but it may be less ideal if you’re navigating company admin for the first time or want extra support.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 9/10

This is YCF’s standout feature. Its London address is well-priced and functional, and it offers registered office, service, and business addresses.

While this address is not exclusive (used by many companies), it’s perfectly serviceable for shielding personal details on the public register (which is important in a digital age).

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 6/10

YCF offers services such as PAYE registration, confirmation statement filing, and share transfers. There is a “premium” company secretary filing service that assists with ongoing changes, and this appears to be its answer to the secretary services provided by others. However, the scope of this service seems limited, with no information provided as to what YCF will do for you. You’ll need to dig deeper in the checkout section of the incorporation packages to find it.

Generally, compliance support here works best for simple needs. The proactive and comprehensive support offered by some competitors is not provided to the same extent.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 5/10

YCF’s pricing can feel opaque. For example, incorporation packages are advertised as starting from £2.48. However, this doesn’t include the £100 Companies House filing fee or VAT, which must be paid with each package, meaning their cheapest package will cost you £102.48 plus VAT.

Some of YCF’s additional services, such as confirmation statements and dormant accounts, are noticeably pricier than those of other providers. So, while it may be cost-effective at the incorporation stage, it may not be the most budget-friendly in the long run. That said, its address services are offered at a competitive rate.

YCF’s website is modern but contains a lot of “noise”. For instance, the homepage bombards visitors with a large amount of text and images.

Companies Made Simple

Best for: Freelancers

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 7/10

Companies Made Simple has been around for years and is best known for helping small businesses and freelancers form limited companies quickly. While ownership changed hands a few years ago, it remains a recognisable name used by many.

The platform is functional and straightforward, delivering everything most basic setups require.

Despite being in the industry for so long, Companies Made Simple has accumulated just 3,600 reviews on Trustpilot, with a TrustScore of 4.7. This can be explained by their fairly recent switch from the Feefo review platform, where they enjoyed the same 4.7 out of 5 score from 11,000 reviews.

Their rating on Google is poorer at 4.0 out of 5, with many recent reviews at just 1 or 2 stars. Whilst Companies Made Simple brand name continues to carry some weight, it seems they may not be the same company they once were, and this may give people some pause for thought when deciding whether to use them.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 6/10

Companies Made Simple provides support via telephone and email. It also has a live chat function, although you must first deal with the generative AI responses. There’s also a good help centre included on its website. The information is well presented, although limited in scope and length.

Ongoing aftercare doesn’t seem to be a major focus: reminders exist, but personalised onboarding or structured follow-up can be minimal after formation.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 7/10

Registered office, service, and business address options are available via a Central London location. They’re cleanly presented and priced about average for the market. Scans arrive promptly, and mail forwarding works as expected. They’re a sensible choice if you want to keep your home address off the public record or need a UK address.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 7/10

Like many others, Companies Made Simple covers the essentials, such as confirmation statements, share transfers, and PAYE registration. Most add-ons are straightforward to access, although a few require some digging.

A basic company secretary service is available, handling up to 10 changes to your company per year. Overall, the platform seems to prefer one-off admin jobs over full-service handholding. It’s great for ticking boxes, but less so for future-proofing admin.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 7/10

Packages start at £109.99 plus VAT, slightly more than those offered by several budget-oriented agents. Be sure to watch out for upsells – some users report frequent attempts to get them to purchase more. Interactions with staff members may also feel sales-oriented.

Although the website has recently been updated, some may view it as outdated compared to competitors. That said, the incorporation form is easy to complete. A few services sit behind clunky menus, but for most freelancers and small companies, the experience is smooth enough to work the first time with minimal confusion.

Rapid Formations

Best for: Fast-track company setup

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 7/10

Rapid Formations has built a reputation for providing quick, reliable incorporations. The service feels polished and easy to use, making it ideal for time-sensitive users from the UK and overseas.

The customer reviews paint a great picture for Rapid Formations. In their time, they have accumulated almost 12,000 Trustpilot reviews – the second-highest on this list, after 1st Formations – of which over 95% are verified. This means they have the highest proportion of verified reviews in the UK company formation industry, which is an excellent achievement.

In total, those reviews give Rapid Formations an enviable TrustScore of 4.8 out of 5, with many citing excellent customer service and user experience as reasons for the score.

Their rating on Google is better still, at 4.9 out of 5, based on almost 1,500 reviews. Although sometimes overshadowed by bigger or more aggressive rivals, these reviews suggest they should not be overlooked, that they deserve attention, and offer an excellent service.

While the brand feels reliable, some customers have found that the package options could be clearer.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 8/10

Support is available by phone, email and live chat, with agents offering clear and prompt responses. Many staff members are seasoned professionals, so you’ll usually get responses that go beyond what others offer. Rapid Formations has a thorough, well-written help centre and an extensive catalogue of hundreds of blogs.

Aftercare is also solid – customers receive deadline reminders and regular newsletters covering topical matters. However, beyond the initial journey, the service remains more self-managed than concierge-style, unless you purchase the secretary service.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 8/10

A full suite of address services is provided, including registered office, service and business addresses in London and Glasgow. Mail is handled efficiently, and scanned documents appear on the user dashboard.

This allows directors to preserve their privacy easily, and pricing is competitive within mid-to-premium formation agents (cheaper options are available if you’re price-conscious). These options are reliable and well-integrated into the broader platform, particularly handy when setting up entirely remotely.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 7/10

Rapid Formations offers all standard compliance services you’d expect, like confirmation statement filings, share transfers, VAT registration and document apostilling. An ongoing secretary service is available for more intimate ongoing support. It costs £149.99 plus VAT and is particularly helpful for new users or those who want a helping hand.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 7/10

Entry pricing starts at £2.99 (excluding £100 Companies House fee), which includes everything needed for a basic formation. This is at the lower end of most formation agents, but optional services may add to that.

The site is modern and mobile-friendly, making the formation journey quick and painless. While it seems less aggressive than some of its competitors, past upselling has frustrated users, as many extras are available for purchase at checkout.

Mint Formations

Best for: Non-residents

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 6/10

Mint Formations is relatively new to the scene and seems interested in targeting non-UK residents. The company has grown aggressively in a short space of time and boasts “over 30,000 happy business owners”.

On the face of it, Mint Formations has a great Trustpilot score of 4.9. However, users should be mindful that a notice has been placed on the platform stating that Mint may be asking for reviews in “unsupported ways”, which means they may contain “bias”. This is a potential red flag, suggesting the reviews may be unreliable.

Another potential red flag is that none of the reviews that gave them this otherwise impressive score are verified. It is not surprising, therefore, that Mint Formations doesn’t feature its Trustpilot score on its homepage, like almost all other agents do.

Instead, they appear to push Reviews.io as the authority on its services (and are the only ones on this list to do so). According to Reviews.io, they have a score of 4.9 out of 5, which is based on just over 1,000 reviews.

Going back to the more standard review platforms, we find Mint Formations holds a score of 4.7 on Google, based on 250 reviews. This lower rating, based on fewer reviews on a more trusted platform, places it behind many of its competitors.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 5/10

Support is available via email, phone and live chat. Feedback is mixed – some may find responses smooth and speedy, while others may find them slow or unresponsive. Interestingly, Mint Formations’ live chat function puts you in contact with a human quicker than anyone else on this list.

Mint Formations also has a help centre and a blog. The information is sometimes limited and doesn’t appear to be updated often, so it may be of little help.

Finally, a lack of a structured onboarding experience or personalised aftercare may leave first-timers feeling slightly adrift post-formation.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 4/10

Registered office, service and business addresses are available for purchase. Mint Formations’ standard registered office service appears to be in the middle of a residential area in Ruislip (West London). It does offer a central location in Knightsbridge, but this comes with a hefty price of £360 plus VAT annually, roughly ten times more expensive than what most companies usually charge (and is itself based out of a serviced office).

This weakens Mint Formations’ address offering, particularly if you’re concerned with your image. If that doesn’t worry you or the price isn’t a concern, this may still be OK.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 7/10

Mint Formations offers the usual additional services you’d expect, like confirmation statement filings and director appointments, as well as ongoing secretarial services.

Interestingly, it provides some accountancy solutions, with a free consultation. Logo, website design, and digital marketing services are unique among the formation-focused companies on this list.

Plenty of options are available, and it’s worth exploring them, even if they seem scattered.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 6/10

Watch out for the prices. Incorporations start from £4.99 plus VAT, but this excludes the Companies House fee, taking the actual minimum cost to £104.99 plus VAT. Some also report heavy upselling, and the service tiers aren’t always as clear as they could be. So, it’s essential to watch out when you’re making purchases. The recently updated website is visually appealing, and there are no longer stock images for alleged staff members.

1st Choice Formations

Best for: First-time company owners

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 7/10

Don’t confuse 1st Choice Formations and 1st Formations – the two are entirely different companies!

1st Choice Formations is aimed at individuals setting up a company for the first time, offering straightforward, basic packages. It’s a decent option for straightforward incorporations, but anyone hoping for in-depth support or with more complex needs may encounter limitations.

They currently have a great Trustpilot score of 4.9. The number of reviews they’ve collected for this score is a little limited, at just over 2,000.

It does help, however, that over 65% of these reviews are verified – although this is not nearly as impressive as companies like Rapid Formations, it is by far and away better than competitors like Your Company Formations or Mint Formations.

So, they hold a good score here, but evidently have more work to do. With that said, their Google score is not as strong, at just 4.6 out of 5 based on 46 reviews.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 6/10

Support is available via phone, email, and live chat during business hours. While most responses are polite and functional, they tend to be short and lacking in depth.

Additional resources, such as guides and blog content, are limited compared to other agents and are not regularly updated. This means you need to double-check the information provided. For example, at the time of writing, 1st Choice Formations’ website still states the VAT registration threshold is £85,000 (this was increased to £90,000 some months ago).

Some customers have mentioned that communication can drop off after purchase. So, it may not be the best option if you’re looking for regular reminders or ongoing check-ins.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 7/10

A full suite of address services, including registered office, service, and business addresses, is offered. These are in Central London at a recognisable location.

1st Choice Formations’ website boasts having the lowest annual renewal fee for its address services in Central London. This may be true – while its registered office address is £39 plus VAT a year, you can purchase the service address for just £10 plus VAT per year, which is cheaper than other providers.

Plus, multiple individuals can use a single service address subscription (unlike most agents, which charge per individual). Even better, if you purchase the registered office, you usually get the service address free for one year.

Overall, it functions well in terms of privacy and price.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 6/10

The choice of additional services is quite limited. While VAT registration and banking referrals are available, there’s not much else on offer, like compliance packages or secretarial offerings. Again, while this makes its offering suited to people who want to keep things simple, it may not be suitable for those who require help along the way.

Additional services may be available if you contact them, but you must ensure you formed your company through 1st Choice Formations to use them.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 6/10

Formations start at £107. Extras are available; overall, the value is good for basic needs. The website is serviceable but could do with an update – the design feels dated and clunky, with various issues like content overlap. The package comparisons are clear, but the ordering process is fragmented. Navigation is also functional; however, it’s less smooth and intuitive than competitors’.

DNS Accountants

Best for: Combining long-term tax and accounting

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 7/10

DNS Accountants are an outlier on this list. The firm offers formation services but is primarily an accountancy firm. This alone can make them an appealing choice for SMEs who want to join their incorporation and accountancy services.

It’s not the only accountancy firm that does this. However, it’s well known for targeting the SME market, so it often comes to mind.

DNS Accountants’ strength lies in tax, payroll, bookkeeping and business advice. Nevertheless, the integrated solution with company formations is attractive to some, even if the registration lacks some of the structure, tech and speed offered by others.

As for customer reviews, there are far fewer of them available online, possibly due to DNS Accountants’ traditional setup. On Trustpilot, for example, they have accumulated just 377 reviews, giving them a TrustScore of 4.5 out of 5. Only 10% of these reviews are verified, muddying the waters further.

Additionally, almost 10% of the total reviews are rated 1 star, which is one of the highest proportions of negative reviews for companies on this list. Many of those reviews cite poor communication, amongst other things, as a reason for their low ratings.

Their Google score is the same: 4.5 out of 5. Overall, this is a far cry from what many e-commerce competitors can boast.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 6/10

Your assigned account manager provides support by email or phone. Communication is consultative and relationship-led, offering continuity.

Formation-only clients may find the follow-up limited, with fewer educational emails or guides. Ongoing contact kicks in when ongoing accountancy packages are purchased, making aftercare feel conditional. You should also know that DNS Accountants may not tailor its communications to beginners or first-timers.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 5/10

DNS Accountants offers London-based registered office and service addresses, usually included within accountancy bundles. However, these are pretty basic. Mail forwarding times can be slower, and there’s no self-serve dashboard. If keeping personal details off the public register is essential, you may want to weigh DNS Accountants’ convenience against more specialist address handling from other agents.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 6/10

DNS Accountants offers core company admin services – VAT, confirmation statements and annual accounts – usually bundled into wider accountancy packages. Its strength remains in tax and accounting, so expect this to be reflected in the quality of its other services.

There is no company secretary service per se, nor a compliance dashboard, and most filings are handled manually. However, for everyday SMEs, it’s functional and accurate.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 6/10

Company formation is less immediately transparent than others. You’re likely to be paying for it through its bundled accountant-led model. There are no slick portals, customisation, or guided formation journey. It works for those seeking long-term tax support or if you already have a good grounding in business compliance, but for fast setups, there are better options with greater support.

Online Filings

Best for: Automated self-service

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 6/10

Online Filings is a “business filings platform” that integrates directly with Companies House (for company formation) and HMRC, while providing a useful digital dashboard.

The price is higher than you might expect for a service pitched as low-involvement and fast. Support is limited, and customers occasionally report confusion around what each subscription plan includes. Despite its name, it also has no connection with the government (something some users have felt concerned about).

While the company has a respectable score of 4.7 on Trustpilot from about 2,300 reviews, note that Trustpilot has warned, “We’ve detected that this company may be asking for reviews in a way that Trustpilot doesn’t support. This can lead to bias and compromise the reliability of reviews.” This warning, also seen with Mint Formations, suggests that some reviews may not fully reflect unbiased customer experiences.

Meanwhile, on Google, their score is a disappointing 4.3 out of 5, with some customers stating they had not used them intentionally, having believed them to be Companies House.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 5/10

Support is available via email, phone, and live chat. Some have reported that responses can be inconsistent and transactional, with formation-specific guidance in short supply.

Educational materials are absent, which is a significant shortcoming in contrast to dedicated formation agents like 1st Formations or Quality Company Formations.

If you’re confident managing your admin, the system may suit; otherwise, it can feel sparse.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 6/10

Online Filings allows you to file certain changes with Companies House (e.g., changing director details or the company name), as well as HMRC-focused registrations such as VAT and PAYE.

Services can feel generic and lack clear explanations. Key legal documents, like board or member resolutions, don’t appear to be included, making it more of a submission tool than a complete solution.

Unsurprisingly, there’s no compliance or secretarial support package for users unfamiliar with the area, which may lead to accidental purchases or missed obligations.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 7/10

Central London address services are available for registered office, service and business addresses. These function well enough but don’t go beyond the basics. As a platform-based offering, a handy dashboard allows you to view incoming mail.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 6/10

The headline price is £20 plus VAT, but with the Companies House fee added, real-world pricing starts around £120 plus VAT – one of the highest in this guide. That wouldn’t be an issue if service delivery matched the high price, but the value feels diluted when paired with thin content and reduced support.

The platform is Online Filing’s strong suit – after all, that’s its USP. It’s modern, aesthetically pleasing, and makes filing simple. Remember, though, the platform is there to help you deliver the necessary information to Companies House or HMRC. Given the self-service style, you must ensure the information is correct, and you’ve met all other legal requirements.

Coddan

Best for: Ready-made companies

Overall service & reputation | Rating: 6/10

Coddan is a specialist provider with a history of offering complex or tailored incorporation services, most notably with its ready-made companies (pre-registered companies transferred to you).

Its offering targets a niche audience rather than casual first-timers. As a result, Coddan’s website is challenging to navigate. Pricing is not always transparent, and user reviews frequently flag issues around communication and clarity post-purchase.

With respect to their online reputation, you’ll find a mixed bag. Their TrustScore is 2.8 out of 5; however, Trustpilot states that this rating is based on just 5 reviews and that the profile itself is “unclaimed” by the company, meaning Coddan isn’t actively managing it.

Heading to Google, we find a more positive story. Whilst there are a limited number of customer reviews (53 in total, as of the date of writing), the overall score is a much better 4.9 out of 5. With so few reviews available, it can be hard for customers to accurately gauge the kind of service they can expect from this company.

Overall, the way they manage their customer reviews gives the impression that they may be slightly less digitally savvy than some of their competitors.

Support & aftercare | Rating: 5/10

Support is available via telephone and email during business hours. The tone is more formal, and customer feedback suggests that follow-up can be slow once initial ordering is complete.

There’s little in the way of dedicated guidance or learning materials to walk clients through formation and beyond (despite the large amount of text you’ll find on its website).

There also seems to be a presumption that those using its services already know what they’re doing or what’s needed. Compared to mainstream agents, those who require more hands-on assistance are likely to feel somewhat unaided.

Privacy & address solutions | Rating: 6/10

Coddan provides registered office and service address options in London, with mail forwarding as standard. These address services should do the job legally, but aren’t especially fast, flexible or otherwise noteworthy. Many users will find the self-management tools too limited, especially compared to formation-first agents who’ve built dedicated digital dashboards.

Compliance & additional services | Rating: 6/10

Coddan offers several one-off compliance services, such as document legalisation and company registration. Everyday admin services are available but are not the main event, and are not always clearly explained. UK, EU, and USA trademark registration services are unique to this list, though you may feel more comfortable getting a dedicated provider to handle them.

Pricing & platform experience | Rating: 5/10

Pricing starts at around £104.99 plus VAT, though most setups involve added fees. Many customers report that it’s hard to decipher what’s bundled and what’s extra, especially for specialist services. The website feels dated and difficult to use, with large amounts of text that frequently overlap and lack clarity overall. Coddan suits methodical users with specific needs. For anyone seeking fast, modern, or transparent service, you should look elsewhere.

Choose the right company formation agent and set up for success

Using a company formation agent instead of incorporating directly with Companies House can save time, reduce compliance errors, and get the support you need before and after forming. While top-tier providers like 1st Formations consistently earn praise for speed and reliability, others may fall short in support, transparency or pricing.

The best choice depends on what matters most – pricing, post-formation services, international support, customer care, or all-round support. Understanding common pitfalls and authentic customer experiences allows you to make a more informed decision and give your business the strongest possible start.