Doola and Firstbase target the same person: a founder outside the United States who needs a US entity, a tax ID, an address and a bank account, and who cannot simply walk into a bank or use the IRS online EIN tool. Both are competent. Both are legitimate. And almost every comparison of the two comes down to a feature table that ignores the only thing that actually separates them — how they bill.
Firstbase charges a one-time formation fee and sells everything else separately. Doola charges an annual subscription with the agent and address already inside. Over one year that makes Firstbase look cheaper. Over three, for a lean setup, it reverses. This piece does the arithmetic.
Soveraine earns a commission on either link. That is precisely why we published the totals rather than a winner. Our editorial policy explains how we handle that.
Keeping it lean and long-term? Doola bundles the agent and address into US$297/yr. Want the lowest entry cost and state fees included? Firstbase forms for US$399 one-time.
The structural difference
Firstbase sells a one-time formation and then charges à la carte:
- Start — US$399 one-time, formation in Delaware or Wyoming, state filing fees included, expedited EIN, core legal documents, banking introductions.
- Agent Autopilot — US$299 / year, per state.
- Mailroom — US$35–50 / month.
- Tax Filing — US$1,799 / year.
- Firstbase One bundle — US$199 / month billed yearly, US$2,388.
Doola sells an annual subscription with infrastructure inside it:
- Starter — US$297 / year + state fees: LLC formation, EIN, registered agent, US business address, operating agreement.
- Pulse — US$300 / year, bookkeeping software only, no formation.
- Tax and Compliance — US$1,599 / year + state fees: everything in Starter, expedited EIN, federal and state tax filing, 1:1 tax consultation, bookkeeping software, annual state report filing.
- Business-in-a-Box — US$2,399 / year + state fees (or US$329/month): everything above plus a dedicated bookkeeper, monthly financial statements, quarterly estimates, free dissolution.
Read those two lists again and the real difference appears. Firstbase's US$399 buys you a company. Doola's US$297 buys you a company and the agent and the address — the two things Firstbase then charges US$299 and US$315+ a year for.
The three-year cost
A lean Wyoming LLC. Formation, EIN, registered agent. No bookkeeping, no tax filing. State annual report at roughly US$60.
| Firstbase | Doola Starter | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | US$399 formation (state fee included) + US$299 agent = US$698 | US$297 plan + ~US$100 WY formation fee = US$397 |
| Year 2 | US$299 agent + US$60 state = US$359 | US$297 plan + US$60 state = US$357 |
| Year 3 | US$299 agent + US$60 state = US$359 | US$297 plan + US$60 state = US$357 |
| Three-year total | ≈ US$1,416 | ≈ US$1,111 |
Doola comes out roughly US$300 cheaper over three years on a lean setup — the opposite of what the headline prices suggest.
The mechanism is simple: Firstbase's registered agent costs US$299 a year, which is more than Doola's entire Starter subscription. Firstbase wins year one on the one-time formation and gives it back from year two onward.
Add a mailbox and the gap widens further, because Doola Starter already includes a US business address while Firstbase Mailroom is US$315–350 a year on top.
Where Firstbase wins the maths back
Two scenarios:
You dissolve inside a year. A company formed and closed within twelve months costs US$698 through Firstbase against US$397 through Doola — Doola still wins. But if you form and immediately drop the agent, Firstbase's US$399 one-time is the cheapest way to simply own a formed entity.
You register in multiple states. Firstbase charges US$299 per state for the agent; Doola's structure differs. Price both directly if you are operating across state lines.
Full compliance: the tier that actually matters
Most non-resident readers eventually need Form 5472 filed. A foreign-owned single-member LLC that misses it faces a US$25,000 penalty. That is not a line item — it is the reason the compliance tier exists.
| Doola Tax and Compliance | Firstbase One | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US$1,599 / year + state fees | US$2,388 / year |
| Formation and EIN | Included | Bought separately (US$399) |
| Registered agent | Included | Included in bundle |
| US business address | Included | Mailroom Premium included |
| Federal and state tax filing | Included | Included |
| Form 5472 / pro-forma 1120 | Covered on this tier | Covered via Tax Filing |
| Bookkeeping | Software + invoicing | Accounting service |
| 1:1 tax consultation | Included | — |
| Dedicated bookkeeper | Business-in-a-Box tier | Included |
Doola's compliance tier is roughly US$789 a year cheaper and includes the formation. Firstbase One buys a heavier accounting service and a dedicated bookkeeper, which is worth real money if you have transaction volume — and dead weight if you invoice four clients a quarter.
Doola's Tax and Compliance price is currently shown as a markdown from US$1,999, and Business-in-a-Box from US$2,999. Promotional pricing moves. Check both before buying rather than trusting this table's numbers in six months.
Where each one genuinely leads
Firstbase leads on:
- State fees included at formation — the US$399 is the number you actually pay.
- Lowest cost to simply own an entity, if you strip the recurring services.
- Expedited EIN quoted at 8–12 business days.
- Banking introductions to Mercury, Relay and Brex.
- Honest bundle arithmetic — One's components total US$4,338 against a US$2,388 price.
Doola leads on:
- Agent and address inside the base subscription, which is what drives the three-year result.
- Cheaper full-compliance tier — US$1,599 against US$2,388.
- Form 5472 and pro-forma 1120 handled explicitly for foreign-owned single-member LLCs.
- 1:1 tax consultation with a licensed professional on the compliance tier.
- Fast formation — quoted at one to two business days.
Who should buy which
Buy Doola if you are keeping the company for more than a year, want the agent and address bundled, and expect to grow into tax filing and 5472 handling without switching provider. It is the better default for most non-resident readers running an ongoing business.
Buy Firstbase if you want the lowest one-time cost to get a US entity and EIN standing, prefer state fees included so the checkout price is the real price, and intend to keep ongoing spend deliberately minimal — perhaps sourcing a cheaper standalone agent later.
Buy neither if you already understand US compliance and want the floor price. Filing directly with the state costs around US$100 in Wyoming, and a standalone registered agent runs US$100–150 a year. See best LLC formation services for non-residents for the full field, and which state is best before you pick a jurisdiction.
The verdict
There is no winner here, which is the honest finding. There is a billing shape that fits your holding period.
If you are forming a company you intend to run for years, Doola's subscription already contains the two recurring services Firstbase charges extra for, and it wins on three-year cost and on the compliance tier that eventually matters. If you want an entity and a tax ID at the lowest possible entry price with the state fee inside it, Firstbase's one-time US$399 is the cleaner instrument.
What neither of them will do is file your Form 5472 at the entry tier. Whichever you choose, work out who is filing that before your first deadline — it is worth more than the entire price difference on this page.
Pick the shape that matches your holding period
Doola — US$297/year with registered agent and US business address included, cheapest over three years, and a US$1,599 compliance tier that covers Form 5472. Firstbase — US$399 one-time with state filing fees included and an expedited EIN in 8–12 business days, lowest entry cost. Soveraine readers go through our partner links, and your signup funds independent editorial.
FAQ
Doola or Firstbase — which is cheaper?
Over one year, Firstbase looks cheaper because its formation is a US$399 one-time charge against Doola's US$297 annual subscription. Over three years, that reverses for a lean setup. Firstbase charges US$299 per year per state for the registered agent on top of formation, while Doola's US$297 Starter subscription already includes the registered agent and a US business address. Running a Wyoming LLC with an agent and nothing else, three years costs roughly US$1,416 through Firstbase against roughly US$1,111 through Doola. The direction of the answer depends entirely on how long you keep the company.
Which one handles Form 5472 for a foreign-owned LLC?
Both can, and neither does at the entry tier. Doola covers Form 5472 with the pro-forma 1120 on its Tax and Compliance plan at US$1,599 per year plus state fees. Firstbase covers it through Tax Filing at US$1,799 per year, or inside the Firstbase One bundle at US$2,388. Neither the US$297 Doola Starter plan nor the US$399 Firstbase Start package includes the filing. This matters more than any price difference on the page, because the penalty for a foreign-owned single-member LLC that misses Form 5472 is US$25,000.
Which is better for a non-resident founder?
Both are built for exactly this reader, so the split is about billing shape rather than capability. Doola is the better fit if you want one annual subscription that already contains the agent and address, and you may later upgrade into bundled bookkeeping and tax filing without changing provider. Firstbase is the better fit if you want to own the entity for a low one-time cost, keep ongoing spend minimal, and add services deliberately. Neither is a bad choice; the mistake is picking on the headline number without projecting three years.
Does either include the state filing fees?
Firstbase does — its US$399 Start package advertises zero filing fees, meaning the state's charge is inside the price. Doola does not: every Doola plan is quoted as the plan price plus state fees, which run roughly US$50 to US$500 depending on the state, with Wyoming near US$100 to form. Factor this into year one only, since it is a formation charge. Annual state report fees, roughly US$60 in Wyoming and around US$300 in Delaware, are payable to the state on either platform every year regardless of provider.
How fast is the EIN with each?
Both sell speed on the EIN, and both are solving the same problem: a responsible party without a Social Security number cannot use the IRS online tool and must file Form SS-4 by fax or mail, which routinely takes the IRS four to six weeks. Firstbase quotes an expedited EIN of roughly 8 to 12 business days. Doola includes an EIN on Starter and offers expedited processing, up to two weeks faster, on its Tax and Compliance tier. If speed is your binding constraint, confirm the current quoted turnaround with each before buying, because both figures move.
Can I switch from one to the other later?
Yes. The LLC is registered with the state, not with the platform — the platform is an intermediary providing filing, agent and address services. You can change registered agent by filing a change-of-agent form with the state, redirect your business address, and take your bookkeeping elsewhere. There is friction and usually a small state fee, but you are not locked in. This is worth remembering if a bundled annual plan starts to look like poor value in year two.
Is there a cheaper option than either?
Yes, if you are willing to assemble it yourself. Filing directly with the state costs the state fee alone — Wyoming is around US$100 — and a standalone registered agent runs US$100 to US$150 a year against the US$299 Firstbase charges. Northwest Registered Agent is the usual recommendation for cost-conscious founders who understand US compliance. The saving is real but it buys you the EIN problem back, and for a non-resident that is the part worth paying to avoid.