Last checked: 7 October 2026
Registering a limited company in London is relatively straightforward. Comparing company registration companies is not.
The most obvious problem in 2026 is price.
Companies House now charges £100 for digital incorporation, but formation agents display that government charge in very different ways. One provider might advertise a £1.99 formation service and add £100 at checkout. Another might show £104.99 because the statutory fee is already included.
Then there are registered-office addresses, identity verification, director service addresses, mail handling, confirmation statements, accounting packages and annual renewals.
That means the lowest number on a formation company’s homepage does not necessarily represent what a founder will actually spend.
For this guide, Companies.London compared current information published by company formation providers alongside Companies House guidance. We looked particularly at entry-level formation pricing, treatment of the £100 statutory fee, identity verification, address services, ongoing administration and recurring costs.
The ten companies below are not arranged from best to worst. They represent different approaches to UK company formation, from low-cost digital registration to banking-led and accounting-led services.
Company Registration Companies in London at a Glance
Prices are snapshots checked on 2 October 2026 and can change. VAT, eligibility, optional services and renewals should always be checked directly with the provider before purchasing.
What Does It Cost to Register a Company in 2026?
The government cost provides the starting point for every meaningful comparison.
Companies House currently charges:
| Companies House Service | Digital/Online Fee |
|---|---|
| Company incorporation | £100 |
| Same-day software incorporation | £156 |
| Confirmation statement | £50 |
| Company name change | £20 |
| Voluntary strike off | £13 |
Paper incorporation costs £124.
These fees have applied since 1 February 2026.
This creates an important distinction between:
the formation agent’s own fee
and
the statutory Companies House fee.
They are not the same thing.
The Companies.London £100 Test
Before comparing two company formation offers, ask one question:
Is the £100 Companies House fee already included?
Consider these two hypothetical prices:
| Headline Formation Price | Government Fee | Starting Cost |
|---|---|---|
| £2.99 | £100 extra | £102.99 |
| £102.99 | Included | £102.99 |
The first appears approximately £100 cheaper.
In reality, both start at the same amount before applicable VAT or additional services.
We call this the £100 Test.
It is a simple way to stop unusually low headline prices from distorting a company-formation comparison.
1. 1st Formations
1st Formations is a London-based specialist formation provider offering incorporation alongside registered-office, service-address, accounting and compliance services.
Its current Digital package is listed at £102.99 excluding applicable VAT, with the £100 Companies House fee already included. Its pricing page explains that the statutory £100 portion is not subject to VAT.
Address services are separately priced, including a registered office at £39 per year, service address at £26 and business address at £96, before applicable VAT.
This makes it useful to compare two different approaches.
A founder who needs only incorporation can examine the Digital package.
Someone operating from home can instead calculate the cost of adding the particular address services they require rather than automatically buying every available extra.
Its packages also cover limited-by-guarantee companies, LLPs and non-resident formations, alongside additional services such as VAT registration and confirmation statements.
What to check: Decide whether address privacy and continuing compliance services are actually required, then examine their renewal costs rather than considering only the formation price.
Official website: https://www.1stformations.co.uk/
2. Rapid Formations
Rapid Formations provides one of the clearest examples of the £100 Test.
Its current Basic package is displayed as:
£2.99 + £100 Companies House fee
so the starting formation amount is £102.99 before applicable VAT on the agent’s taxable services.
The Basic package currently includes company formation, Companies House identity verification and a personal code, company documents, company registers and filing of the first confirmation statement.
The confirmation-statement point deserves attention.
A formation company can include the service of preparing or submitting a confirmation statement while the separate statutory Companies House filing fee remains payable.
Rapid’s higher packages add services including London registered-office and service-address facilities, with selected benefits included for 12 months.
That introduces one of the most important questions in this article:
What happens after month 12?
What to check: Identify every service supplied for an introductory period and establish its renewal price before ordering.
Official website: https://www.rapidformations.co.uk/
3. Quality Company Formations
Quality Company Formations currently displays one of the lowest agent charges among the providers compared here.
Its Basic package starts at:
£1.99 + £100 Companies House fee.
Its Privacy package is currently £3.99 plus the statutory fee, while the Fully Inclusive package is £9.99 plus the statutory fee.
The difference between these packages becomes much more interesting after incorporation.
For example, its Privacy package currently includes a Covent Garden registered office and service address for 12 months. Its published renewal prices are £39 + VAT annually for the registered office and £26 + VAT for the service address.
The business-address service renews at £96 + VAT per year.
Its Basic and Privacy packages also include first confirmation-statement preparation and submission, but the company states that the £50 statutory Companies House filing fee remains payable.
This demonstrates why analysing a package over more than the first day is useful.
What to check: Compare the formation charge, statutory fee and annual renewal costs separately.
Official website: https://www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk/
4. Your Company Formations
Your Company Formations currently advertises its Digital package at:
£2.48 + £100 Companies House fee.
The package includes digital company formation documents and Companies House identity verification. Higher packages add services such as address privacy and further company administration.
The provider currently lists separate services including a registered-office address, director service address and London virtual office.
This provides a useful way for founders to build a package rather than automatically paying for a large bundle.
Someone with appropriate commercial premises may not require address services at all.
Someone establishing a company from home may value them considerably more.
That difference can easily matter more than a few pounds saved on the original incorporation fee.
What to check: Compare the Digital package with the cost of adding only the address and administration services your particular situation requires.
Official website: https://www.yourcompanyformations.co.uk/
5. Companies MadeSimple
Companies MadeSimple uses a different presentation.
Its Basic package is currently advertised at £104.99 + VAT, and the provider explicitly states that the £100 Companies House incorporation fee is included.
It also includes identity checks and company incorporation documents.
This is a good example of why sorting providers from lowest to highest based solely on headline numbers produces a poor comparison.
£104.99 looks dramatically more expensive than £2.99.
But if the £2.99 provider adds the mandatory £100 statutory charge, the gap becomes much smaller before VAT and optional services are considered.
Companies MadeSimple also provides registered-office, service-address and broader company administration options.
What to check: Compare the final checkout amount rather than the number used in marketing headlines.
Official website: https://www.companiesmadesimple.com/
6. The Formation Company
The Formation Company’s current Basic package costs:
£4.99 + £100 Companies House fee.
Its published information states that ACSP identity verification is available, while all company directors and PSCs must complete the relevant checks before the formation request is submitted.
Higher packages introduce more administrative and address support.
This is another provider where the distinction between formation and ongoing registered-agent services becomes important.
For example, its international-package information currently shows registered-agent services renewing yearly at the then-current price, stated as £99.99 excluding VAT at the time checked.
A founder should therefore compare not just the £4.99 entry charge but the particular combination of services they intend to retain.
What to check: Look at annual registered-agent or address costs if your company will continue depending on those services.
Official website: https://www.theformationcompany.co.uk/
7. 1Office
1Office represents a different section of the market.
It focuses heavily on establishing and maintaining UK companies for both resident and international entrepreneurs rather than competing purely on an ultra-low incorporation fee.
Its current Essentials formation package is advertised at:
£119 + VAT + £100 mandatory Companies House fee.
The package includes a central London registered address with mail forwarding and identity verification.
The address service then has an annual recurring charge currently stated as £99 + VAT.
1Office also has an operational London office at London Wall and provides accounting, bookkeeping and tax services.
This means comparing it with a £1.99 basic formation service is not especially informative.
A more useful comparison for an overseas founder would be:
formation + London address + mail management + ongoing administration
against the same combination assembled from separate providers.
Founders wanting to outsource financial administration after incorporation can also compare independent accounting firms in London rather than assuming their formation provider must remain their accountant.
What to check: Focus on the recurring cost of maintaining your UK address and other continuing services.
Official website: https://1office.co/uk/
8. Osome
Osome takes another approach by combining incorporation with accounting and company administration.
Its current Basic resident package costs £100, including the £100 Companies House formation fee.
Optional services currently include:
- Registered London office address at £113 per year
- Manual document review at £49
- Confirmation-statement and company-change service at £100 per year
- VAT registration at £50
- PAYE registration at £50
- Accounting from £71 per month
This creates an interesting comparison.
If a founder already plans to appoint an external accountant, comparing Osome’s incorporation price alone misses most of the commercial decision.
The better calculation may be:
formation + accounting + compliance
versus
basic formation agent + independent accountant + separate compliance services.
Neither structure is automatically cheaper.
The founder needs to compare the combination they will actually use.
What to check: Model the monthly or annual cost after formation if you intend to keep accounting and compliance services.
Official website: https://osome.com/uk/
9. Tide
Tide belongs to a different category again: banking-supported company formation.
Its current stand-alone registration offer is £14.99, compared with the £100 direct Companies House incorporation charge.
Tide currently states that the package also provides a business account and supports multi-director company registrations without an additional formation fee.
This corrects an important point that appears in some older comparisons: the current offer is not restricted to a single director.
Tide also states that it is registered as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider and can carry out Companies House identity verification.
The reason the incorporation offer should be placed in its own category is simple.
The commercial relationship does not end at registration.
Tide is primarily establishing a banking relationship with the new company.
A founder who already intends to use Tide may view the discounted incorporation differently from somebody who wants to choose their formation agent and bank independently.
What to check: Evaluate the business-account proposition as well as the £14.99 incorporation offer.
Official website: https://www.tide.co/company-registration/
10. ANNA
ANNA also subsidises formation through a broader business-account relationship.
Its Just Register package currently costs £19 + VAT.
ANNA states that it pays the £100 Companies House registration charge provided the customer opens an ANNA business account within 10 days of incorporation.
If the account is not opened within that period, ANNA says the £100 fee can be charged to the customer.
This condition completely changes how the £19 price should be interpreted.
It is a genuine commercial offer, but it is not simply an independent £19 alternative to paying Companies House £100.
The discount exists as part of a broader customer relationship.
Higher ANNA packages add further administration and selected London-address services.
What to check: Decide whether you would choose the ANNA business account even without the registration discount.
Official website: https://anna.money/register-a-company/
What Is the Real Cheapest Company Formation Option?
There is no useful answer without first defining what the founder requires.
Consider three people.
Founder A: Already Has Everything
They have suitable business premises, understand Companies House requirements and already work with an accountant.
Their formation requirements are small.
Founder B: Works From Home
They can manage administration but do not want to use their residential address unnecessarily.
Address services become much more important.
Founder C: Lives Outside the UK
They may need a UK registered office, international mail handling, assistance with identity verification, accounting support and help navigating banking options.
All three people are registering limited companies.
Their realistic costs are completely different.
The Effective First-Year Cost
Companies.London therefore uses a second comparison concept:
Effective First-Year Cost
Calculate it as:
formation agent charge + statutory fee + applicable VAT + services you genuinely require during the first year
The last part is important.
Do not add services purely to make a cheap package look expensive.
But do not ignore services that you will genuinely have to purchase elsewhere.
For example, a home-based founder requiring both a registered office and director service address should include those costs.
Someone with suitable commercial premises should not.
The Formation Friction Gap
Price is only one part of the comparison.
The second is the amount of work that remains after the company exists.
We call this the Formation Friction Gap.
A founder’s journey might look like this:
Identity verification → incorporation → company documents → address arrangements → banking → accounting → tax registrations → confirmation statement → annual accounts
A low-cost service may intentionally handle only the first few steps.
An integrated provider may take responsibility for substantially more.
This is not an argument that bigger packages are better.
Some experienced founders actively want the simplest possible incorporation service.
Instead, ask:
How much administration will still be sitting on my desk after incorporation?
That is the Formation Friction Gap.
The Month-13 Test
Day-one pricing receives most of the attention in formation comparisons.
Month 13 deserves just as much.
Suppose a package includes:
- Registered office
- Director service address
- Business address
- Mail scanning
- Compliance service
- Confirmation-statement assistance
for the first 12 months.
Before buying, find out exactly what happens after those 12 months expire.
Ask These Questions
What renews automatically?
What does each service cost in year two?
Is VAT additional?
Can individual services be cancelled?
What happens to the company’s registered office if you cancel?
How quickly must Companies House records be changed?
Does mail handling continue?
Does confirmation-statement assistance renew separately?
Does the advertised filing service include the statutory Companies House fee?
Those questions reveal what we call the Year-Two Holding Cost.
Three Prices Are More Useful Than One
Instead of comparing a single formation price, write down three figures.
1. Day-One Cost
What must you pay to get the company incorporated?
2. Effective First-Year Cost
What will incorporation plus the services you genuinely need cost during the first year?
3. Year-Two Holding Cost
What will maintaining those continuing services cost once introductory benefits have expired?
This three-price model gives founders a much clearer comparison than arranging companies according to the smallest number on their homepage.
How Has Companies House Identity Verification Changed Formation?
Identity verification is now central to the company-registration process.
Companies House made identity verification a legal requirement from 18 November 2025.
New directors appointed from that date must verify their identity when incorporating or being appointed. Existing directors must provide their personal code as part of their company’s confirmation-statement process during the transition period.
PSCs also have verification obligations according to the relevant Companies House timetable.
After verification, an individual receives a Companies House personal code.
The same personal code can then be used for the person’s relevant company roles rather than obtaining a new code for every company.
Do You Have to Pay a Formation Agent for Identity Verification?
Not necessarily.
Companies House provides identity verification through GOV.UK One Login, and people can also use an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, commonly called an ACSP.
Companies House says an ACSP must be appropriately supervised for anti-money-laundering purposes in order to register as an authorised agent.
That gives founders another useful question to ask:
Is identity verification included in this package, optional, or something I can complete directly?
Do not pay for a service automatically without understanding whether you need it.
Does Being Listed by Companies House Mean a Formation Agent Is Recommended?
No. Companies House publishes a directory of formation and company-secretarial agents with software capability to submit electronic incorporations.
The directory was updated on 1 June 2026.
Companies House specifically states that it does not warrant the content of the agents’ websites or accept liability for the services they provide.
The list is therefore useful for research and verification, but it should not be interpreted as a recommendation.
What Is an ACSP?
ACSP stands for Authorised Corporate Service Provider.
These are authorised agents that can carry out specified activities for clients within the Companies House system.
For identity verification, Companies House says an agent must register as an ACSP and be supervised for anti-money-laundering purposes.
Companies House also maintains a public ACSP list, most recently updated on 24 September 2026 at the time this guide was checked.
For founders, ACSP status has therefore become a more relevant research point than it was in older formation-company comparisons.
Registered Office and Business Address Are Not the Same Thing
One of the easiest formation mistakes is assuming every “London address” service does the same job.
It does not.
Registered Office
This is the company’s official registered address and appears on the Companies House register.
Director’s Service Address
This is the correspondence address associated with a director’s appointment.
Business Address
A commercial address service can be used for business correspondence subject to the provider’s terms.
Physical Workspace
A virtual or registered address does not necessarily provide somewhere to work.
Companies that eventually need desks, meeting rooms or a staffed physical workspace can separately compare serviced office companies in London rather than assuming a formation address provides office facilities.
Does a London Registered Office Mean a Company Operates in London?
Not necessarily.
A company may use a London registered-office provider while its directors and day-to-day operations are somewhere else.
Companies.London therefore distinguishes between:
Registered London presence – a London address used for official company purposes.
and
Operational London presence – actual staff, premises or significant operations located in London.
The distinction matters when researching a business.
A London postcode appearing on Companies House should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that employees work from that location.
What Should Non-UK Residents Compare?
International entrepreneurs should not use exactly the same checklist as a founder living in London.
Start with five questions.
Can the Provider Support Overseas Founders?
Check eligibility before paying.
What UK Address Is Included?
Determine whether it covers the registered office, director correspondence, general business mail or a combination.
How Is Identity Verification Completed?
Check whether the provider handles it as an ACSP or whether you will complete it through another permitted route.
What Happens to Mail?
A London address is much less useful to an overseas director if important correspondence cannot be forwarded or scanned reliably.
What Are the Annual Costs?
Address and administrative services become continuing operating expenses when the business depends on them.
For an international founder, the relevant question is rarely:
“Who has the cheapest formation fee?”
It is:
“What does maintaining my UK company setup cost after incorporation?”
Should You Use Companies House Directly Instead?
Using a formation agent is optional for many straightforward incorporations.
Direct digital incorporation currently costs £100 through Companies House.
This gives founders a useful baseline.
If an agent costs more than the direct route, determine what the difference buys.
That could include:
- Application assistance
- Identity-verification support
- Registered-office services
- Director-address services
- Company registers
- Company documents
- Mail handling
- Compliance assistance
- Banking introductions
- Accounting support
If you need those services, the additional amount may be reasonable.
If you need none of them, compare the agent route carefully with registering directly.
When Should You Arrange an Accountant?
Company formation and accounting are separate decisions.
You can form a company through one provider and subsequently appoint another accountant.
That freedom matters because the cheapest formation provider is not automatically the most appropriate accounting provider for the next five years.
When comparing ongoing bookkeeping, Corporation Tax, VAT or financial reporting support, review specialist accounting firms in London independently.
This reduces the risk of choosing a long-term professional service merely because it happened to be bundled with an inexpensive company-formation promotion.
What Changes When the Company Starts Hiring?
Formation agents commonly advertise PAYE registration as an add-on.
That is useful, but registering for PAYE is different from running payroll every month.
Once a company begins employing staff, payroll can involve RTI submissions, tax deductions, National Insurance, pensions, statutory payments, starters and leavers.
At that stage, compare your accountant’s payroll service with specialist payroll service companies in London rather than assuming the original company-registration provider must handle payroll indefinitely.
When Might a Founder Need Legal Advice?
Most straightforward limited-company formations do not require a solicitor.
More complicated situations can be different.
Examples might include bespoke articles, shareholder agreements, investment rounds, ownership disputes, option arrangements, acquisitions or more complex corporate structures.
Formation software and legal advice should not be treated as interchangeable.
Where legal work becomes necessary, founders can separately research law companies in London and choose expertise relevant to the particular issue.
A 10-Minute Check Before Paying a Formation Company
Before entering payment details, answer these ten questions.
What Is the Real Formation Total?
Include the statutory fee and applicable VAT.
Is the £100 Companies House Charge Included?
Never assume it is.
What Identity-Verification Service Is Included?
Establish whether you need to pay for it separately.
Which London Address Am I Buying?
Registered office, service address and business address perform different functions.
What Is Included for Only 12 Months?
Identify every introductory service.
What Happens in Month 13?
Write down the renewal costs.
Is Confirmation-Statement Filing Actually Included?
Then check whether the separate £50 statutory fee is included too.
Is Discounted Formation Connected to a Bank Account?
This is particularly important with banking-led offers.
Can I Cancel Individual Recurring Services?
Find out before the renewal date approaches.
What Happens If Companies House Rejects or Delays the Application?
Understand what assistance the provider gives after submission.
Which Formation Model Fits Different Founders?
Instead of looking for a universally “best” provider, identify the service model that matches your situation.
DIY Founder
You have a suitable address, understand the process and want minimal additional administration.
Compare direct Companies House registration with basic digital packages.
Privacy-Focused Home Business
Your main concern is separating residential details from appropriate business-facing addresses.
Compare registered-office and service-address packages carefully.
Supported First-Time Founder
You want assistance with incorporation and future administration.
Compare compliance packages as well as basic formation.
International Entrepreneur
You need to operate the UK company remotely.
Address management, identity verification, mail forwarding and accounting can matter far more than the initial registration charge.
Growing Startup
Formation may be the smallest expense.
Accounting, payroll, commercial contracts, staff and workspace can quickly become more important.
Technology founders can also explore London’s wider tech startup company ecosystem when researching how other businesses in the capital are developing.
Company Formation Costs Founders Commonly Miss
The formation charge itself receives disproportionate attention.
Other potential costs can include:
| Potential Expense | Why It Arises |
|---|---|
| Registered office | Official company correspondence/address |
| Service address | Director correspondence/privacy |
| Business address | General business mail |
| Mail forwarding | Handling physical correspondence |
| Confirmation statement | Annual Companies House requirement |
| Accounting | Accounts and tax obligations |
| Payroll | Needed when employing staff |
| VAT services | Registration/returns where applicable |
| Company changes | Shares, directors, addresses or name |
| Workspace | Physical office requirements |
Not every business needs every service.
The useful exercise is identifying which ones apply before selecting the package.
Final Thoughts
Company registration companies in London are increasingly difficult to compare using one headline price.
The £100 Companies House incorporation fee now represents most of the cost behind many entry-level packages. Some agents add it to their advertised formation charge, while others build it into the displayed package.
Banking platforms can subsidise it.
Address providers can bundle it with London registered-office services.
Accounting platforms can use incorporation as the first step in a longer financial-services relationship.
Identity verification has added another consideration since mandatory requirements began in November 2025.
For that reason, a useful company-formation comparison in 2026 should answer more than:
“Who advertises the lowest price?”
Instead, calculate:
Day-One Cost
What must you actually pay to incorporate the company?
Effective First-Year Cost
What will the company and the additional services you genuinely require cost during year one?
Year-Two Holding Cost
What will those services cost after introductory periods expire?
Then consider the Formation Friction Gap:
How much administration remains for you to handle after the company is incorporated?
A founder who already has an office and accountant may need little more than incorporation.
A home-based entrepreneur may care far more about address privacy.
An international founder may prioritise London mail handling, identity verification and accounting.
A fast-growing startup may soon care more about payroll, legal agreements and financial reporting than the original formation fee.
The certificate of incorporation gets the business started.
A stronger company-registration decision considers what happens after the certificate arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does It Cost to Register a Limited Company in 2026?
Standard digital incorporation through Companies House costs £100. An agent may charge an additional service fee, include the £100 in its package price or subsidise the government charge through another commercial product.
Is £1.99 Company Formation Really £1.99?
It can accurately describe the agent’s own service charge, but it does not necessarily describe the total amount required for incorporation. For example, Quality Company Formations currently advertises £1.99 plus the £100 Companies House fee.
Can I Register a Company Without a Formation Agent?
Yes. Companies House provides a direct digital incorporation route, currently costing £100.
Do New Directors Need to Verify Their Identity?
Yes. Mandatory identity verification began on 18 November 2025. New directors must verify their identity as part of incorporation or appointment, while existing directors are subject to the transition requirements.
Can an Agent Verify My Identity?
A registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider can carry out Companies House identity verification on behalf of clients.
Is Companies House Identity Verification Free?
Companies House says individuals can verify through GOV.UK One Login without paying an agent. An ACSP may offer verification as part of a package or charge for its service.
How Much Does a Confirmation Statement Cost?
The current Companies House digital confirmation-statement fee is £50. An agent may charge an additional preparation or filing service fee.
Does a London Registered Office Give Me an Office in London?
No. A registered-office service provides an eligible official company address according to its terms. It should not automatically be interpreted as physical workspace available to the company’s staff.
Can Overseas Residents Register a UK Company?
Non-resident founders can establish UK limited companies, subject to the normal company requirements and any provider-specific eligibility or due-diligence conditions. Services such as 1Office, Osome and specialist formation agents publish packages aimed at overseas founders.
Should I Choose the Cheapest Company Formation Service?
Start by calculating the final incorporation amount, then compare any address, administration or continuing services you genuinely require. Headline formation price alone does not show the complete cost.