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10 Best Company Formation Agents to Consider in 2025

5 May, 2025 · 11 min read

Discover the best company formation agents in the UK to help you register your business quickly, stay compliant, and streamline your finances.

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Taking the leap to start your own business is exciting, but let’s face it, the paperwork and legal hurdles of company formation can be a real buzzkill. 

Whether you're a UK resident looking to launch a startup or an international entrepreneur seeking to establish a presence in the UK, choosing the right company formation agent can make all the difference. 

With dozens of providers, the challenge isn’t forming a company – it’s knowing who to trust.

We’ve made a list of the best UK company formation agents to help you get your business off the ground.

Let’s dive in!

10 best company formation agents you should know about

Here’s a breakdown of our top picks.

1. ANNA Money

ANNA Money is a UK-based fintech offering:

  • Company formation services
  • An all-in-one business account to simplify financial admin through invoicing, expenses, bookkeeping and taxes.

In addition, ANNA can help with flexible credit options when your business needs funds, only paying interest on the amount you borrow.

Key features:

1. Register a company

The suite of services enables you to register a Limited Company for free and open a business account with ANNA at the same time. 

Registration takes only three simple steps.

You can also conveniently pick a company name via our Company name availability checker.

What additional services do we offer?

Virtual office address — Use the Prime London address for all mail, including official government correspondence.

Same-day company registration — ANNA will register your limited company with the Companies House and open your business account by the end of the day if you submit your application by 3 pm.

VAT Registration — ANNA takes care of the paperwork and submits the HMRC application on your behalf.

Confirmation statement filing service — Helps you file your company’s confirmation statement (annual return) with Companies House, to make sure it’s 100% accurate and completed before the deadline.

PAYE registration — Handles PAYE registration with HMRC on your behalf and helps you obtain the necessary documents to do salaries.

Director management service — Enables you to add or remove company directors, ensuring you meet all legal requirements, and update Companies House records.

Register an ecommerce business — You can open a free business account that integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, eBay, and Amazon.

As soon as Companies House has approved your company application, you’ll automatically get an ANNA business account, complete with invoicing, receipt-scanning and bookkeeping tools.

2. ANNA +Taxes

The wide range of features enables you to cover all your taxes: Payroll, VAT filing, and Corporation Taxes.

It also includes all the necessary documentation to register a new business and a confirmation statement.

Here’s what awaits you:

✨Smart receipt scanner — Automatically matches a photo of your receipt to a transaction in your business account and categorises it for more straightforward tax calculations.

✨ Pots service — Every time your business receives a payment, a portion of the money is automatically set aside to cover upcoming tax payments.

✨ Know Your Corporate Tax — Helps you register your company for Corporation Tax, calculate how much you owe, and make sure you meet the deadlines

✨ Payment acceptance — You’ll get a professional invoice generator to create and send invoices tailored to your business, as well as a unique payment link so clients can pay you online, using QR codes.

Pricing

ANNA Money offers flexible pricing, tailored to your needs. Prices for company registration start at £19.

2. Armadilo

Armadillo serves both UK and international clients with business formation and regulatory services.

It covers all types of UK companies, including Public Limited Companies (PLC), companies limited by guarantee, flat management, and right-to-manage companies.

Key features:

e-Incorp service — An online portal that allows clients to search, set up, and manage their UK company portfolios digitally. It caters to both private clients and professionals managing multiple entities.

Compliance tools — Provides KYC (Know Your Customer), AML (Anti-Money Laundering), due diligence, and enhanced due diligence (EDD) services. 

Accounting and auditing services — Include statutory accounts, management accounts, bookkeeping, audits, tax, VAT registration, and returns.

✨ Enhanced due diligence —Offers detailed background checks and includes hedge fund support and verification, financing transactions, company and property searching, etc.

International registry — Enables you to receive documents and compliance data via email, FTP server, or direct system integration, with translation services also available.

Pricing

Armadillo doesn’t include the pricing detail, but the price depends on your company type and the scope of services you want.

3. 001 Formation Agent Ltd

001 Formation Agent Ltd is a Companies House-authorised provider offering UK company formation and post-incorporation services.

It also offers accounting, tax, and payroll integration as add-ons.

Key features:

Registered office address service — Allows you to buy a registered office address and have all your statutory correspondence that comes in sent to that address. You can opt for Central London for £89.99 per year or South London for £69.99 per year.

Quick incorporation — Allows 24-hour incorporation under normal Companies House workloads, with same-day processing as a premium option.

PAYE services — Registering your business for the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) scheme, the system by which employees’ income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions are calculated and deducted from their salaries. and

Payroll services — Provide ongoing management of all your employees’ payroll, including producing employee payslips showing their take-home pay, income tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions, etc.

VAT registration service — The agency manages the entire process on your behalf, including sending all the required documentation. You typically get your VAT registration number in less than 4 weeks.

Pricing

Pricing depends on the company type and services you use. 001 Formation Agent offers multiple packages, starting from £55.95.

4. Paramount Company Formations

Paramount Company Formations offers UK company registration services with a focus on VAT integration and business banking support.

Key features:

Company formation & registered address service — Enables you to use Paramount’s London address as your official address. It includes hard-copy documentation, such as all government registration documents, Certificate of Incorporation, etc.

Registered address plus scanning service — In addition to the registered company address service, this package includes opening and scanning official mail from the government and other official bodies to ensure quicker receipt of important information.

VAT registration — Helps you register for VAT, including all the necessary documentation and guidance.

Off the Shelf Companies sale — Offers pre-registered, ready-to-use businesses, fully compliant with legal and financial requirements to start business immediately.

Business bank account service — The company provides a free Barclays account for 12 months with all formation packages.

Pricing

Paramount Company Formation’s pricing depends on the type of company and the services provided. The all-in-one Formations Package costs £129.99 +VAT.

5. CompaniesMadeSimple

CompaniesMadeSimple is a company formation agent accredited by Companies House and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).  

It helps set up a company for both UK and non-UK residents.

Key features:

Digital-first functionality — Uses Companies House’s electronic filing system for immediate processing and provides an online dashboard to access required digital documents and authentication codes post-formation.

Registered office address service — Provides your company with a registered company address in Central London with all official government mail scanned and emailed to you.

International package — Enables company formation for non-residents and includes maintenance services, international mail forwarding, and a London address to use as your company’s registered office. You can also open a Wise Business multi-currency account.

Pricing

CompaniesMadeSimple’s pricing depends on the company type and services. It starts at £54.99+ VAT.

6. Rapid Formations

Rapid Formations is a Companies House-approved company formation agent, specialising in incorporations for domestic and international clients.

Key features:

Registered office address service — Provides you with a Covent Garden, London WC2 address and all official government mail scanned and emailed to you.

Free domain name — Enables you to claim a free .co.uk or .com domain name.

Confirmation statement service — Submits your filing within 3 working days of purchase. First, you’ll need to fill in the application form and an online questionnaire. 

VAT registration — The agency prepares and sends your VAT registration application to HMRC, and you’ll receive the VAT number within 5-7 business days.

Non-residency services — Provides everything necessary to form a UK limited company, plus a London Registered Office Address for 12 months, a Wise UK business account referral, and tracked delivery of your company documents.

Pricing

Pricing depends on the service type, but the All Inclusive Package costs £49.99 + £50 Companies House Fee.

7. Mint Formations

Mint Formations specialises in digital-first company formations. It serves both domestic and international clients with tailored incorporation packages.

Key features:

Company formation packages — Provides all documents in digital format to register your company, including a free .co.uk domain name for a 12-month period.

Free business bank account — When you buy a package, you can open a free business bank account by choosing from 6 options, including ANNA Money.

Address services Provide different address types: Registered Office, Director’s Service, London Virtual Office, and Non-UK Resident Business address.

VAT registration service — Available only in Premium and All-Inclusive packages, this service handles the paperwork, forms, and the entire VAT registration process on your behalf.

Non-UK resident formation — Provides 2 packages that include a London Registered Office, a London Business Address, and a free.co.uk domain name, etc.

Pricing

Mint Formations offers various packages depending on your company type and the services you need. 

For limited companies, there are 5 packages, with the Digital one starting at £4.99 plus a £50 Companies House fee. 

However, this package doesn’t include registered office services, VAT registration, PAYE services, etc.

8. Quality Company Formations (QCF)

QCF is a company formation agent that caters to a wide range of companies, including LTD, PLC, LLP, RTM, charitable companies, and others.

It also enables non-UK residents to register UK companies, including a prestigious Central London address and digital mail forwarding.

Key features:

Company formation service —  Provides a full set of digital company documents

delivered by email, a Confirmation Statement, and an online portal to manage your company, free. co.uk domain name for 1 year, business telephone number for 3 months.

Registered office address service — You can purchase the address in Covent Garden, London, for any existing company incorporated in England and Wales. The service also includes daily scanning and emailing your official government mail to you.

Service address services — Enable you to create a company officer's official address for receiving government mail. The company officer can be a director, company secretary or a shareholder who is also a person with significant control (PSC).

VAT registration service — Includes preparation and submission of your UK VAT registration application to HMRC, and sending you confirmation of your VAT Registration Number by email.

Non-residents package — Provides everything you need to set up and run your UK limited company, including a registered office address with same-day digital mail service and business address service. It also includes WorldFirst banking services to manage international payments.

Pricing 

Pricing depends on your company type and includes various packages. For limited companies, prices start at £51.99.

9. Tide

Tide is a FinTech offering integrated company registration and business banking services.

The company is a Companies House authorised UK formation agent and FSCS-protected.

Key features:

Company registration service — Enables you to set up a limited company and receive your certificate of incorporation within one business day.

Company name check functionality — Enables you to test up to 8 names at once and get them checked against Companies House guidelines.

Virtual office address services — Includes a London registered office address, correspondence address for director, same day mail scanning & email forwarding, limited company formation, and Tide business bank account.

Tide payroll — Enables you to automate payroll and tax calculations, share payslips digitally, and automate pension contributions.

Tide accounting — Connects to your Tide business bank account, allowing you to submit tax-free returns, automate bookkeeping, and get financial reports.

Pricing 

Pricing depends on the services and add-ons you opt for. Tide members pay £14.99 for company registration. Otherwise, it's £50.

10. 1st Formations

1st Formations offers various company formation packages and add-on services for multiple company types, including non-residents. 

The company is praised for its great customer service and fast processing times.

Key features:

Company formation services — Includes various packages that provide the necessary documentation and guidelines to set up a company. However, VAT and PAYE registration, as well as a GDPR compliance package, are only part of the All-inclusive package.

Reserve a company name service — Allows you to register a company name for future use or protect the name you are currently trading under as a sole trader or partnership. The service will also maintain your company's statutory filing obligations and provide address services for one year.

Non-residents package — Enables you to set up a UK limited company with a WorldFirst UK business banking referral, 3 Covent Garden address services and others.

eSeller Package — Helps you set up an eCommerce or dropshipping company with a WorldFirst multi-currency bank account referral. It also includes a free 3-day Shopify trial, plus 3 months for £1 per month.

Online company manager — Lets you monitor the progress of your company formation application. It also enables you to inform Companies House about most changes to your company, such as its name, registered office address, and so on.

Pricing 

1st Formations offers different packages depending on the company type and services. For limited companies, prices start at £52.99.

Which company formation agent is the right choice for you?

Each of our top picks is here for a reason. They all provide robust features to help you set up a company in the UK.

Deciding factors, as for any tool, will depend on the services and features you need and your budget.

If you are a single shareholder, Tide makes most sense. CompaniesMadeSimple and 1st Formations are good if you’re looking for quick company formation. You get the gist.

However, ANNA Money provides an all-in-one solution that covers every step of your set-up process, from picking a name to post-incorporation, including banking capabilities. 

Why opt for ANNA?

ANNA provides an all-encompassing solution to quickly and hassle-free register your company in the UK.

With our solution, you can:

🔥 Register your company in 5 minutes, and receive your certificate of incorporation within hours.

🔥 Open a business account at the same time and get a debit Mastercard, instant payment links, expense cards for employees, and support for both local and international payments.

🔥 Cover all the essential taxes you may need.

And the list goes on.

ANNA sorts everything for you: 

  • Registering your company, 
  • Getting your certificate, plus 
  • All the day-to-day stuff like bookkeeping, invoicing, and taxes, so you can just get on with running your business.

Sign up with ANNA today and get started knowing you’ve ticked all HMRC’s boxes.

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