Firstbase vs doola: Which for a Non-Resident LLC

Firstbase and doola are two of the most visible US company formation platforms for non-US founders, but they solve different parts of the problem. Here is how they actually compare on pricing, scope, and support.

What Firstbase and doola actually do

Both platforms exist to help non-US founders form a US LLC or C-corp remotely, without a US address or visa. Neither requires you to be a US resident, and neither requires an SSN to get started. Both will file your formation paperwork with a state (Wyoming and Delaware are the common defaults), act as your registered agent, and help you apply for an EIN.

Where they differ is in how far the service goes after formation. Firstbase positions itself more as a formation and compliance dashboard, with add-on bookkeeping and tax support depending on the plan. doola leans more heavily into an all-in-one pitch that bundles formation with bookkeeping and annual tax filing, particularly through its higher tiers aimed at non-resident founders.

Pricing structure: what to actually expect

Neither company publishes a single fixed price that fits every founder, because pricing depends on state filing fees, whether you need an ITIN, whether you want ongoing bookkeeping, and which support tier you choose. Instead of quoting numbers that change and vary by state, it is more useful to understand the structure both use:

• Formation fee. A one-time charge for filing your LLC or corporation with the state, on top of the state's own filing fee.
• Registered agent. An annual recurring fee to maintain a physical in-state address that receives legal and state mail on your behalf.
• Compliance and bookkeeping add-ons. Optional or bundled fees for annual report filing, bookkeeping software access, and tax preparation.
• EIN assistance. Often included in the base package, though the EIN itself is free to obtain directly from the IRS if you file the SS-4 yourself.

Before comparing, check both companies' current pricing pages directly, since packages and tiers are updated frequently and vary by the state you choose.

Comparison at a glance

Support: what "done for you" really means

Both platforms offer chat or email support during onboarding, and both can get you an LLC, an EIN, and a registered agent without you ever visiting the US. The gap tends to appear later in the year, when annual report deadlines, registered agent renewals, and federal tax filings come due. Some founders find that self-serve dashboards are fine for formation but leave them managing renewal reminders and filing deadlines themselves once the first year is over.

This is the point where a fully done-for-you service, like Founders Credit, tends to differ from either platform: rather than handing you tools and add-ons to assemble, the entity, EIN, ITIN, and US bank and card setup are handled end to end, with ongoing compliance tracked rather than left to the founder to remember.

The compliance step both platforms leave with you

Regardless of which formation platform you use, if your LLC is foreign-owned (a non-US person owns 100% of it) and it has no other owners, it is treated as a foreign-owned single-member LLC by the IRS. That triggers a specific annual obligation: Form 5472, filed together with a pro-forma Form 1120, even if the company had zero revenue and zero activity all year. This is an informational filing, not a tax calculation in itself, but missing the deadline can carry a penalty of $25,000. Neither Firstbase nor doola nor any formation platform removes this obligation from you; it is a separate filing that has to happen every year the LLC exists, regardless of which package you originally purchased.

Similarly, getting an EIN does not require a US visa or a Social Security Number. Non-residents apply using Form SS-4, and the IRS allows this to be submitted by fax for applicants without an SSN or ITIN, since the mail path is slower and the online EIN application is not available to non-resident applicants without an SSN. An ITIN is a separate number, used mainly for personal tax filing purposes, and also does not require a visa to obtain.

Quick glossary

EIN (Employer Identification Number): the federal tax ID for your business, required to open a US bank account and file taxes. ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number): a personal tax ID for non-US individuals who need to file US tax returns but are not eligible for an SSN. Registered agent: a person or company with a physical address in your formation state who receives legal and state notices on your LLC's behalf. Form 5472: an annual informational return required for foreign-owned single-member LLCs, filed with a pro-forma Form 1120. Foreign-owned SMLLC: a single-member LLC where the sole owner is a non-US person or entity, triggering the 5472 filing requirement even with no income.

Which one fits a non-resident founder

If you want a lean, self-serve formation with the option to add bookkeeping or tax support later, Firstbase's dashboard approach may suit you. If you would rather buy formation and basic annual filing in one bundle from day one, doola's bundled tiers may be simpler to reason about. Either way, budget time for the annual 5472 filing and registered agent renewal, and confirm in writing what each platform's package actually includes for year two, since the first-year price rarely tells the whole compliance story. For founders who want the entity, EIN, ITIN, and US banking handled together without piecing together separate add-ons, a done-for-you provider like Founders Credit is built specifically around that gap.

Frequently asked questions