Our Ranking Methodology

How we evaluate and rank LLC formation services, business banks, and other tools for non-US founders.

Core Principles

Every ranking on this site is computed from verified data, not paid placement. Our methodology is designed around one question: what actually matters for a non-US founder?

  • No pay-for-ranking: Affiliate commissions are structurally excluded from our scoring algorithm. A vendor with no affiliate program can outrank one that pays us.
  • Data over opinions: Every score component is derived from claims with verifiable sources. We show our work.
  • Non-resident lens: Prices and policies are evaluated from the perspective of someone without an SSN, US address, or US credit history. A claim that's true for US residents but wrong for non-residents is wrong for this site.

Formation Services — Scoring Weights

For LLC formation services (doola, Firstbase, Northwest, Stripe Atlas, etc.), we weight criteria as follows:

CriterionWeightWhat We Measure
Total First-Year Cost25%Base price + state fees + required add-ons
Non-Resident Support20%SSN required? Passport-only? Country restrictions?
EIN Handling15%Included? Add-on cost? Timeline for non-SSN applicants?
Processing Speed10%Days to formation (measured vs claimed)
Support Quality10%Response time, channels, timezone coverage
Banking Compatibility10%Partnerships with banks that accept non-residents
Transparency5%Clear pricing, cancellation terms, no hidden fees
Crypto Policy5%Friendly, restricted, or prohibited for crypto/web3

Banking Services — Scoring Weights

For business banks and multi-currency accounts (Mercury, Wise, etc.):

CriterionWeightWhat We Measure
Monthly Fees25%Account fees, minimum balance, hidden charges
Non-Resident Support20%Acceptance rate for non-US founders
Transaction Fees15%Wire fees, ACH fees, FX rates
Onboarding Speed10%Days to account approval
Support Quality10%Response time, channels, timezone coverage
Integration10%API, accounting software, payment processors
Transparency5%Clear fee schedules, account closure terms
Crypto Policy5%Tolerance for crypto/web3 businesses

Missing Data Penalties

To prevent unknown fields from ranking neutrally, we apply confidence penalties:

  • Verified (fetched from official source): Full weight
  • Vendor-claimed only: ×0.7 weight
  • Community-reported only: ×0.5 weight
  • Conflicting data: Suppressed from "best" lists pending review
  • Stale data (>90 days): Hidden from "best" lists
  • Missing critical field: Ineligible for ranking (listed but unranked)

What We Don't Factor In

These are explicitly excluded from our ranking algorithm:

  • Affiliate commission rates: We earn from some vendors, but payout size doesn't influence position. Stripe Atlas (no affiliate program) can rank above vendors that pay us.
  • Paid placement: No vendor can pay for a higher ranking or featured position.
  • Brand reputation alone: We rank based on current data, not historical perception.

Data Sources & Verification

Every claim on this site is sourced from one of:

  • Official vendor pricing pages (fetched and dated)
  • Terms of service and policy documents
  • Government sources (state SoS, IRS)
  • Support responses (with date and context)
  • Community reports (weighted lower, flagged as such)
  • Manual testing by our team

We run a monthly verification job to check for pricing changes and policy updates. Claims older than 90 days are flagged; claims older than 180 days are excluded from rankings.

Questions About Our Methodology?

We're committed to transparency. If you spot an error or have questions about how we rank vendors, contact us at the email in the footer.

Related