StartGlobal vs Entity Inc.: What’s actually included for non-resident founders (2026 review)

You may have seen comparisons of StartGlobal and Entity Inc. floating around, including one published on StartGlobal’s own website. We think comparisons are healthy. Choosing who forms and manages your US company is a big decision, and you deserve the full picture, not just the parts that favor one provider.

So here it is: a side-by-side look at what StartGlobal and Entity Inc. actually include, how the pricing models really work, and real answers to the claims you may have read elsewhere. As always, we compare real scope, not just entry-level prices.

StartGlobal is a software-led formation platform built around a one-time setup fee and a monthly subscription for ongoing management. Entity Inc. (2024) is a newer brand, but it grew out of Online Taxman, a US CPA firm with 15+ years of experience helping non-residents and expats navigate US taxation.

This comparison is based on publicly available information from StartGlobal’s website, last reviewed July 2026. Pricing and features may change; we update this page regularly and note the review date above.

A note on where you read your comparisons

Before we compare: a comparison hosted on any provider’s own website, including this one, is marketing. That’s not a criticism, it’s just worth remembering. What separates a useful comparison from a sales page is whether it shows its sourcing, states its review date, compares identical scope, and acknowledges what the other provider does well.

We’ll hold ourselves to that standard here. StartGlobal is a legitimate service that fits some founders well, and we’ll tell you exactly which ones below.

How StartGlobal and Entity Inc. compare for US LLC formation

Both providers handle the essentials: LLC filing, EIN, registered agent, and operating agreement. The differences are in the pricing model, the depth of human guidance, and what happens after formation.

LLC formation essentials	StartGlobal	Entity Inc.
US LLC formation
State fees
Operating Agreement
EIN registration
Registered agent (1 year)
Bank account opening support	Included (Mercury, Lili partners)	Guided setup: banks (Mercury, Relay, Lili) plus payment platforms (Wise, Airwallex, Payoneer)
Consultation with incorporation specialist		Included (30 min)
Year-round support	Support team, 24-hour response target	Dedicated incorporation specialist
Tax filings (Form 5472 + 1120 pro forma)	Via $149/month managed plan or a la carte add-ons	Separate flat-fee package or bundle, prepared by licensed CPAs
Formation package price	$399 one-time	$899 flat
Ongoing management	$149/month fully managed, or a la carte from $99/year	Flat-fee packages, quoted upfront, no subscription
First-year total (fully managed)	$399 + ($149 x 12) = $2,187 (managed plan; bundles bookkeeping + tax)	Incorporation + Tax bundle = $1,578, bookkeeping separate
Overall perspective	Low setup cost, software-led, subscription-based ongoing management	Higher flat setup fee, CPA-led, one-time package pricing with no recurring subscription

StartGlobal: Low setup cost, subscription-based management

• Software-led platform with an established brand and formation track record
• $399 one-time formation covering the essentials
• Ongoing compliance, bookkeeping, and tax handled through a $149/month managed plan or a la carte add-ons

StartGlobal has built a straightforward product: pay once to form, then subscribe for ongoing management. The dashboard-driven experience works well for founders who are comfortable self-navigating and want predictable monthly billing. The company advertises a money-back guarantee and fast support response times.

The thing to check carefully is the subscription math. A $149/month managed plan comes to $1,788 per year, every year, on top of the formation fee. For founders with simple needs (a single-member LLC with straightforward compliance), that recurring cost can exceed what the same filings would cost as one-time flat-fee engagements. For founders who genuinely need continuous bookkeeping and management, the subscription may be good value. Run the numbers for your situation, not the advertised entry price.

Entity Inc.: Tax-first, flat-fee, CPA-led

• Newer brand, experienced team from a US CPA firm
• $899 flat formation package including state fees, EIN, registered agent, guided banking setup, and a specialist consultation
• Tax, compliance, and bookkeeping available as flat-fee packages and discounted bundles, all quoted upfront

Formation with Entity Inc. begins with a consultation to review your goals, business model, and international structure. Because the same team later manages US tax and compliance, every formation decision is made through a tax lens, preventing missed filings or costly restructures later.

The $899 package seems pricey next to a $399 setup fee, but it includes not only items that many providers include: state fees, a full year of registered agent service, guided bank account setup across multiple banks and payment platforms. It also includes tax compliance focused guidance on the setup and direct access to an incorporation specialist all year. There is no subscription. When you need tax filings or bookkeeping, you buy exactly that, at a price quoted before you commit.

Setting the record straight

If you’ve read StartGlobal’s comparison of Entity Inc., a few claims deserve context. We’ll take them one at a time.

“Entity Inc. charges $899 but doesn’t include tax filing”

This is true, and it’s deliberate. Our formation package covers formation completely: state fees, EIN, registered agent, legal documents, banking setup, and specialist guidance, with no required add-ons.

Tax filings are a separate, clearly priced service because your first tax filing isn’t due when your company is formed. Bundling a year of tax services into a formation fee means paying for filings months before you need them, whether or not your situation fits the bundle. We quote every service separately and upfront, and we offer discounted bundles (like our Incorporation + Tax bundle and our 5472 + Bookkeeping bundle) for founders who want everything arranged from day one.

What matters most isn’t whether tax filing is bundled. It’s who prepares it. Form 5472 carries a $25,000 penalty for late or incorrect filing. At Entity Inc., these filings are prepared by tax specialists from the CPA-led team behind Online Taxman, not outsourced or automated. When you compare tax offerings, ask any provider one question: who signs the return?

A quick word on how we prepare returns, since this is where quality is won or lost. Each return is prepared by one of our specialists and independently reviewed by a CPA or IRS Enrolled Agent before it is filed. This gives every return a second set of eyes and an additional layer of quality control.

“Entity Inc. is a new brand with limited reviews”

The Entity Inc. name is new (2024) but the team is not. Entity Inc. is operated by the same team behind Online Taxman, a US CPA firm that has served non-US founders and American expats since 2010, across 100+ countries. Our founder is a PwC-alum CPA, a Forbes contributor, and the author of a published book on US taxes for Americans abroad. Entity Inc. was highly commended at the America’s Expatriate Management & Mobility Awards 2025.

We’re actively building our public review base under the Entity Inc. name, and we’d rather earn reviews slowly from real clients than inflate them quickly. In the meantime, our 15-year track record is not hard to verify.

“Bank account setup is guided rather than hands-on”

No provider, including StartGlobal, can open a US bank account for you – that is a regulatory reality, not a service scope. Neither can any provider guarantee bank approval. Banks make that decision under strict KYC rules, and any mismatch between your formation papers and your application can delay approval for weeks.

What we do is prepare your application properly: we help you choose the right fit among US business banks (Mercury, Relay, Lili) and payment platforms (Wise, Airwallex, Payoneer), and we make sure your EIN, company documents, and application details line up before you submit. That preparation is exactly what reduces avoidable declines. We think “guided by a specialist who knows what banks reject” is a feature, not a shortcoming, but you can judge that for yourself.

“StartGlobal keeps everything in one place; Entity Inc. runs services as separate pieces”

Both providers offer formation, compliance, tax, and bookkeeping. The difference is the billing model, not the scope. StartGlobal wraps ongoing services into a monthly subscription. Entity Inc. prices each service flat and upfront, with bundle discounts, so you only ever pay for what your business actually needs that year. Neither model is wrong. One favors predictable monthly billing; the other favors total-cost transparency and no recurring commitment.

But “one place” on a pricing page is about how you’re billed, not about who does the work, and that second question matters far more. Buying separate packages from Entity Inc. does not mean your services run as separate pieces. Everything is handled by our in-house team: the same firm that forms your company also keeps your books and prepares your tax filings, and those teams work together all year.

Here’s a concrete example of why that matters. Form 5472 requires reporting the transactions between your LLC and you as its foreign owner: capital contributions, distributions, loans, payments for services. If your bookkeeping and your tax preparation live in different systems, or with different vendors, those reportable transactions have to be reconstructed at filing time, which is exactly where errors and $25,000 penalties can come from. At Entity Inc., our bookkeeping team works directly with our tax team so your books are 5472-ready.

So when you evaluate any provider’s “all-in-one” claim, look past the dashboard and ask who is actually behind it. Our team is public: named professionals with certifications, led by a PwC-alum CPA who has done this work since 2010.

As of our review date, StartGlobal’s website presents its founders and investors, both from technology backgrounds, but does not name any licensed tax or accounting professionals on its team. That doesn’t mean the work isn’t done well. It does mean you should ask before you buy: Who prepares my filings? Are they licensed? Are they in-house or contracted? And do the people doing my bookkeeping talk to the people signing my tax return? With us, the answer to all four is on this website.

“Entity Inc. is a Wyoming-only provider”

StartGlobal’s comparison page lists Entity Inc. as “Wyoming focus.” Entity Inc. forms companies in all 50 states. We lead with Wyoming because it is usually the strongest fit for non-resident founders: no state income tax, low annual fees, and strong privacy protections. But if your business needs a different state, whether for licensing, nexus, or client requirements, we file there too. The choice of state is one of the things we cover in the consultation that comes with every formation package.

“Entity Inc.’s add-on services are expensive, like payroll at $499 plus $46/month”

Payroll only matters to founders that have US-based employees (not contractors). The typical non-resident single-member LLC has no US payroll and never needs this service. StartGlobal doesn’t even mention providing payroll setup.

Let’s also talk about other add-on services, like bookkeeping. StartGlobal includes bookkeeping in its $149/month managed plan at any volume. We price bookkeeping separately, because the need varies: some founders have heavy monthly activity, others almost none, so one bundled number rarely fits everyone.

We offer three bookkeeping tiers plus a bundle, so you can match the service to your real volume, on a cash or accrual basis, with monthly reconciliation and your books kept in QuickBooks or Xero. It is handled by our in-house team working directly with the people who prepare your tax return, not run through a software template.

Who benefits most from StartGlobal or Entity Inc.

• StartGlobal: Best for founders who want a low upfront cost, are comfortable with a software-led, self-serve experience, and prefer (or genuinely need) a monthly subscription that covers continuous management.
• Entity Inc.: Ideal for founders who want US tax compliance guidance from day one, flat pricing with no subscription, and a single accountable team from formation through tax filing, especially when Form 5472 and cross-border tax optimization are in play.

Common questions non-US founders ask about StartGlobal and Entity Inc.

Is StartGlobal or Entity Inc. cheaper?

Does Entity Inc.’s formation package include tax filing?

Can I trust a new company like Entity Inc.?

Can StartGlobal or Entity Inc. open a US bank account for me?

I already formed my company elsewhere. Can Entity Inc. take over?

StartGlobal vs Entity Inc.: Which one should I choose?

This comparison wasn’t about declaring a winner. Both providers can form your LLC and keep it compliant; they just do it through different models.

If your priority is the lowest possible setup cost and you’re happy managing your business through a software dashboard with a monthly subscription, StartGlobal is a reasonable choice.

If your priority is getting the structure right the first time, with a team led by a licensed CPA, flat and predictable pricing, and one accountable group from formation through tax filing, that’s exactly what we built Entity Inc. to be.

Whichever you choose, read past the entry price, check who prepares your tax filings, and make sure every “included” claim is verified on the provider’s live pricing page, ours included.