Delaware vs Wyoming
Delaware for the money, Wyoming for the rest of us.
If you're raising venture capital, form in Delaware. If you're not, Wyoming is almost always the better, cheaper answer.
we form in every state, so we have no reason to push you either wayWho each state is right for.
Delaware is right for you if
You're raising venture capital
- –You're raising venture capital — investors expect a Delaware C-Corp
- –You need stock options and investor-friendly share structures
- –You want the legal ecosystem every VC and law firm knows
- –You'll pay a franchise tax every year and don't mind
Wyoming is right for you if
You're building it yourself
- –You're bootstrapping or running a business you own
- –You want the lowest ongoing state fees
- –You value owner privacy — Wyoming keeps names off public filings
- –You don't want a franchise tax at all
When Delaware is the wrong choice.
Plenty of formation services default you to Delaware because it sounds impressive. But if you're not raising money, Delaware mostly gives you one thing: an annual franchise tax to pay, every year, for as long as the company lives. Wyoming, by contrast, has no franchise tax and some of the lowest annual costs in the country.
The Delaware "prestige" only converts into value when you're in front of investors. A bootstrapped business paying a franchise tax for a reputation nobody is looking at is paying for something it doesn't use. If that's you, form in Wyoming.
What the franchise tax actually costs is not a number we print — it depends on your share structure and changes over time. Here's how to find yours: the Delaware franchise tax, looked up properly.
What we charge, plainly.
Our formation price is all-in and the same shape either way: $449 — $349 Corppy + $100 Wyoming filing fee, or $508 — $399 Corppy + $109 Delaware filing fee. The difference is what comes after — Delaware's franchise tax versus Wyoming's minimal annual filings.
If you're weighing both, our which state should I form in? page works through the full decision, including the states that aren't Delaware or Wyoming.
Pick the state, we'll do the filing.
Delaware or Wyoming — or any other state — all-in pricing, no surprises at checkout.
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