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The majority of companies set up in the UK are limited companies. They are used to conduct commercial business with the purpose of the shareholders making a profit, whilst providing limited liability protection should the company hit financial problems.
To form a company in the UK, you need a registered address, a company name, a director, and a shareholder. This can be the same person. You’ll also need to fill out a memorandum and articles of association and have a share capital of at least one share (£1).
The StartupHoncho editorial team has conducted independent research on the best UK company formation services available in 2022. We have selected a group of top-tier service providers for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Quick Overview
1
1st Formations  4.8/5 |
over 15,000 customer reviews |
2
QCF 4.7/5 |
over 2,000 customer reviews |
3
Rapid Formations  4.6/5 |
over 10,000 customer reviews |
4
The Formations Company 4.5/5 |
over 500 customer reviews |
Top UK Company Formation Services In 2022
OUR TOP PICK
1st Formations
4.8
On 1st Formations’ Website
Quality
Excellent
Usability
Excellent
Value
Excellent
Quick facts
- Price: Limited Company plans start from £12.99 for residents and £124.99 for non-residents
- 12-month free business bank account with Barclays for residents
- Free 1-year domain name for residents
- Free company dissolution within 12 months for non-residents
- Tiers: 5 for residents
- Time: 3-6 working hours
- Non-Resident Banking: Wise (formerly TransferWise) UK business banking
- Refund: ONLY IF prior to the application submission to Companies House AND written request is received within 14 days of the purchase date
1st Formations has formed over 1 million companies in the UK. It is rated 5 out of 5 on Google and 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot
The £12.99 Digital Plan includes a free .com or .co.uk domain name for 1 year. The £19.99 Privacy Plan includes a free Registered Office and Service Address for 1 year. The £44.99 Professional Plan includes the filing of the first Confirmation Statement and a free business telephone number for 1 year. The £69.99 Prestious Plan (worth £119.99) includes a free Business Address Service for 1 year. The £99.99 All-Inclusive Plan (worth £165.99) includes a GDPR Compliance Package, 12-month Cancellation Protection, and Full Company Secretary Service (worth £149.99) for 1 year.
1st Formations partners with major UK and International business bank account providers such as Barclays, NatWest, Mettle, Cashplus, Tide, Monzo, Countingup, and ANNA for all of the Resident Plans. It also offers an LLP Package for Residents at £34.99.
The £124.99 Non-Resident package includes the use of 3 address services free for 1 year: Registered Office, Service Address, and Business Address, renewable annually at £161.00. The confirmation statement filing service is renewable annually at £44.99.
The Non-Resident package provides the option to create a business account with Wise and you will very quickly receive your UK bank sort code and account number. There is a fixed one-time onboarding fee of £45. If you choose to open a bank account in your own country, the Apostilled Documents Service (£99.99 per document) can be added to legalise your UK company documents.
- 24/7 Customer Support by phone
- Free Wise UK Business Banking for Non-Residents
- Free 1-year Business Telephone Number (worth £59.99 +VAT) for Non-Residents
- No free domain name for Non-Residents
BEST CUSTOMER SUPPORT
QCF
4.7
On QCF’s Website
Quality
Excellent
Usability
Excellent
Value
Good
Quick facts
- Price: Limited Company plans start from £11.99 for residents and £119.99 for non-residents
- Tiers: 4 for residents
- Time: 3-6 working hours
- 12-month free business bank account with Barclays for residents
- Non-Resident Banking: Wise (formerly TransferWise) UK business banking
- Refund: ONLY IF prior to the application submission to Companies House AND written request is received within 14 days of the purchase date
- Company Dissolution: £49.99 + VAT
- Free domain name for Residents & Non-Residents
Quality Company Formations has helped over 250,000 people set up a limited company in the UK. It is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google and 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
The £11.99 Basic Plan includes digital company documents only. The £19.99 Privacy Plan includes a free registered office address and a service address for 1 year. The £39.99 Privacy Plus Plan includes a GDPR Compliance Package and the filing of the first annual confirmation statement. The £89.99 (worth £179.99) Fully-Inclusive Plan includes a free Business Address Service, business telephone number, and call-answering service for 1 year.
Quality Company Formations partners with major UK and International business bank account providers such as Barclays, NatWest, Mettle, Cashplus, Tide, Monzo, Countingup, and ANNA for all of the Resident Plans. It also offers an LLP Package for Residents at £29.99.
The £119.99 Non-Resident package includes a Central London registered office address with same-day digital mail service and business address service with international mail forwarding of all your business correspondence, all can be renewed at a total cost of £161.00 annually. It also includes a UK business account from Wise (fixed one-time onboarding fee of £45.00).
- 24/7 Customer Support by phone
- Free Wise UK Business Banking for Non-Residents
- Free 1-year domain name for Residents & Non-Residents
- No 12-month free company dissolution if you decide to close the company
BEST PACKAGE DEAL
Rapid Formations
4.6
On Rapid Formations’ Website
Quality
Excellent
Usability
Good
Value
Excellent
Quick facts
- Price: Resident Limited Company plans start from £12.99 for residents and £119.99 for non-residents
- Tiers: 4 for residents, 2 for non-residents
- Time: 3-6 working hours for Resident
- Free .com or .co.uk Domain Name for residents & non-residents
- Non-Resident Banking: Wise (formerly TransferWise) UK business banking
- Refund: ONLY IF prior to the submission to Companies House AND request is received within 14 days of the purchase date
- Free GDPR Compliance Package for all non-residents
- Company Dissolution: free within 12 month for non-residents, £69.99
Rapid Formations has formed over 750,000 companies in the UK and is proud to be a certified Carbon Neutral Business in 2022. It is rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google and 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
The £12.99 Basic Plan includes digital company documents only. The £19.99 Privacy Plan includes London Registered Office Address and Service Address FREE for 12 months. The £49.99 Compliance Package includes a GDPR Compliance Package and the filling of the first confirmation statement. The £99.99 All Inclusive Package includes Call Answering with Business Tel Nr FREE for 1 month, London Business Address Service FREE for 12 months (worth £89.00), and Full Company Secretary Service FREE for 12 months (worth £149.99).
The £119.99 Non-Resident Plan includes three free addresses (registered office, service, and business) for 1 year. It also includes Free International Business Tracked Delivery, GDPR Compliance Package, and 12 Month Cancellation Protection. The £199.99 Non-Resident Plus includes Call Answering with Business Tel Nr for 12 months (worth £199.99), Full Company Secretary Service FREE for 12 months (worth £149.99), Preparation and Filing of Annual Confirmation Statement, the most comprehensive plan available in the market.
Rapid Formations partners with major UK and International business bank account providers such as Barclays, NatWest, Mettle, Cashplus, Tide, Monzo, Countingup, and ANNA for all of the Resident Plans. You may a get a free business account from one of the partners. It also offers an LLP Package for Residents at £29.99 and a Scottish Package at £29.99.
For Non-Residents, a business account with Wise is available with a fixed one-time onboarding fee of £45. If you choose to open a bank account in your own country, the Apostilled Documents Service costs £99.99 per document.
- 24/7 Customer Support by phone
- Free Wise UK Business Banking for Non-Residents
- Free 1-year domain name for Residents & Non-Residents
- Free business telephone number is only available for the Non-Resident Plus plan
TOP CHOICE FOR USABILITY
The Formations Company
4.5
On The Formation Company’s Website
Quality
Excellent
Usability
Excellent
Value
Good
Quick facts
- Price: Limited Company plans start from £9.99 for residents and £129.99 for non-residents
- Tiers: 5 for residents
- Time: 3-6 working hours for Resident, 24 hours for Non-Resident
- Partner with multiple banks including Barclays and Revolut
- Non-Resident Banking: Barclays, Cashplus and Anna Money business bank accounts
- Refund: less administration charge of £15, ONLY IF prior to the submission to Companies House AND request is received within 28 days of the purchase date
- Company Dissolution: £60 + VAT
The Formations Company has helped over 750,000 companies in the UK over the past 12 years. It is rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
The basic £9.99 E-Formation Plan includes digital company documents only. The £19.99 Essential Plan includes printed documents but no registered agent services. The £59.99 Entrepreneur Plan includes registered office & service addresses and mail forwarding for free for 3 months. The £99.99 Super Plan includes free first-year registered agent service and confirmation statement. The £114.99 Pro Plan includes yearly confirmation statements, 24/7 legal advice helpline, and Company credit checking.
The Non-Resident package includes a free City address for a year (renewable at £139.99 annually) to use as your Registered Address, Service Address, and international mail forwarding.
The formations company partners with the major UK and International business bank account providers and provides exclusive offers such as extended free banking periods and cashback for all packages. It currently offers Barclays, Cashplus, and Anna Money business bank accounts.
- Free Business Banks Accounts from Barclays for Residents & Non-Residents
- Free Business Phone Number (Resident Plans Only)
- Free Bookkeeping Software (Resident Plans Only)
- 12-month free company dissolution is only available for Pro plan
- Customer support Monday to Friday 9am – 5:00pm excluding bank holidays
