BIG AMBITIONS. SMARTER BEGINNINGS.

UK Company Formation.
Your ambition. Better offers.

Turn your idea into a limited company. Compare standout UK formation offers, spend less getting started, and put more into what comes next.

Find your formation offer Explore Tide’s £200 reward

Companies House registration Clear pricing No comparison fee

Six formation providers.
One smarter starting point.

THE STARTING LINE-UP

Big ideas. Better formation offers.

Six ways to get started. Choose the one that fits your business.

Provider-specific review dates below

OUR FEATURED OFFERAD · PARTNER OFFER

NEW200

Company + business account

£14.99

One-off · Companies House fee included

Tide also lists a £1 registration option with different inclusions. Compare the package scope and current eligibility before applying.

Plus up to £200 reward

£75 for qualifying card spend + £125 for qualifying savings. New customers only. T&Cs apply.

UK limited company registration
Business account with no monthly fee
Digital company documents
Check shareholder eligibility before applying
Free PAYE registration

Offer source checked 16 October 2026 · Provider source

Your referral code NEW200

Get the Tide offer Read our detailed Tide review

Reward eligibility & full details

Formation with smart business admin

£19

From · £19 + VAT (£22.80) · account required

A simple start for your limited company, with a business account and UK-based support.

UK limited company registration
Starter account with no monthly fee
Identity verification included
24/7 UK-based human support
Open ANNA account within 10 days or £100 fee applies

Offer source checked 13 October 2026 · Provider source

Explore ANNA Money Read our detailed ANNA Money review

View current package on the provider’s website

All Inclusive with Accounting

£39.99

Excl. VAT · accounting subscription required

Discounted formation with accounting. UK residents only; subject to approval.

UK limited company registration
£100 Companies House fee paid by provider
Identity verification and personal code
Address services and Xero included
First accounting month free
Then 11 payments of £49 + VAT/month
Rolling monthly thereafter; UK residents only

Offer source checked 13 October 2026 · Provider source

Explore 1st Formations Read our detailed 1st Formations review

View current package on the provider’s website

Digital limited company package

£4.99

+ VAT · plus £100 Companies House fee (about £106 total)

Low package fee with phone and WhatsApp support. The £100 government fee is added at checkout.

UK limited company incorporation
Digital company documents
Free online company manager and .co.uk domain
Home address is public unless you add privacy
Plus package with 3 London addresses: £39 + VAT
Same-day service: £79 + VAT if submitted before 12pm

Offer source checked 13 October 2026 · Provider source

Explore Mint Formations Read our detailed Mint Formations review

View current package on the provider’s website

Basic limited company package

£2.99

Plus £100 Companies House fee (£102.99 total)

Very low package fee with free ID verification as an authorised agent. The £100 government fee is extra.

Limited company formation with ID verification and personal code
Full set of digital company documents
First confirmation statement filed
Home address is public unless you add privacy
Privacy package: £14.99 · All Inclusive: £39.99 (plus £100 fee)
Same-day service: £79.99 if submitted before 12pm

Offer source checked 13 October 2026 · Provider source

Explore Rapid Formations Read our detailed Rapid Formations review

View current package on the provider’s website

Digital limited company package

£2.48

+ £100 Companies House fee + VAT on package (about £102.98)

Lowest package fee in our list, ID verification included, plus up to £155 partner cashback. The £100 government fee is extra.

Limited company formation, ready to trade
ID verification for up to four officers included
Digital company documents and online company manager
Home address is public unless you add privacy
Privacy package with London addresses: £17.48 (plus £100 fee)
Up to £155 cashback via partner offers · terms apply

Offer source checked 13 October 2026 · Provider source

Explore Your Company Formations Read our detailed Your Company Formations review

View current package on the provider’s website

Tide is a paid partner placement. We may earn commission, which influences ordering. No extra fee from us. How we’re funded
Account transactions, optional services and renewals may cost extra. Always check provider terms and final checkout pricing. Companies House fee schedule.

BEYOND INCORPORATION

A clearer plan for company life.

Understand the trade-offs before you register. Stay on top of your obligations afterwards.

INTERACTIVE TOOL

Tax & filing calendar ↗

Plan accounts, confirmation statements, Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE. Tick off tasks and export reminders.

STEP BY STEP

Formation checklist ↗

Walk through every stage — name, addresses, people, identity, budget — before choosing a provider.

DETAILED RESEARCH

Look beyond the deal ↗

Read our provider-by-provider assessments, with costs, suitability, limitations and the evidence behind them.

FREE TOOLS · NO SIGN-UP

Work out the real cost before you choose.

Six quick tools built from the same checked offer data. Nothing you enter is stored.

Cost calculatorTrue first-year cost, fees and VAT included.Head to headTide vs ANNA, Rapid vs YCF and more.Provider quizFour questions, an instant shortlist.Tax calculatorsCorporation Tax and salary vs dividends.Name checkTest a name against the rules.Glossary60 company terms explained.

FROM IDEA TO INCORPORATED

Your business.
Three simple steps.

Read the formation guide

Find your fit

Compare the upfront cost, account features and extras that matter to you.

Make it official

Apply on your provider’s secure website and complete identity checks.

Start your next chapter

Receive your incorporation documents and get ready to do business.

THE DETAILS, WITHOUT THE DETOURS

Compare at a glance.

The essentials side by side. No hunting through the small print.

UK company formation provider comparison
What you get
Formation price	£14.99	From £19	£39.99	£4.99	£2.99	£2.48
Companies House registration	Included	Included	Fee paid by provider	£100 fee added at checkout	£100 fee added at checkout	£100 fee added at checkout
Business account	Included · £0 monthly plan	Included · £0 Starter plan	Optional bank referral	Optional bank referral	Optional bank referral	Optional bank referral
Welcome reward through us	Up to £200 · conditions apply	No referral reward advertised	No referral reward advertised	No referral reward advertised	No referral reward advertised	Up to £155 partner cashback · conditions apply
Digital formation documents	Included	Check selected package	Included	Included (digital)	Included (digital)	Included (digital)
Ideal starting point	Formation + banking together	Banking + optional admin	Formation + accounting subscription	Low-cost DIY-style formation	Cheapest package fee, extras optional	Lowest package fee, free bank choice
Offer details	View Tide	View ANNA Money	View 1st Formations	View Mint Formations	View Rapid Formations	View Your Company Formations

These are selected entry packages, not every provider’s cheapest subscription offer. Reward conditions and ongoing costs are separate from formation fees.

WHY MANY FOUNDERS USE AN AGENT

You can file it yourself.
An agent handles what surrounds the filing.

Companies House is the registrar. Whichever route you choose, your company is created on the same public register with the same legal standing. A formation agent submits that application for you and wraps services around it — a guided form, an address you can publish, identity checks by an authorised provider, organised records and reminders afterwards. The only question worth asking is whether those extras save you money or time this year.

Compare both routes properly Work through the checklist

What an agent never changes

The same register, the same legal status. An agent-formed company is not a stronger type of limited company.
The same director duties. Help with filings never transfers responsibility for the company’s records and deadlines.
The same HMRC obligations. Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE each have their own triggers and dates.

Headline prices and offer conditions

TideFeatured£14.99One-off · Companies House fee included
ANNA Money£19From · £19 + VAT (£22.80) · account required
1st Formations£39.99Excl. VAT · accounting subscription required
Mint Formations£4.99+ VAT · plus £100 Companies House fee (about £106 total)
Rapid Formations£2.99Plus £100 Companies House fee (£102.99 total)
Your Company Formations£2.48+ £100 Companies House fee + VAT on package (about £102.98)

Fewer avoidable mistakes

Applications get rejected for things that were knowable in advance: a name already taken, wording that needs consent, an address that fails the rules, or incomplete officer and share details. A guided application asks those questions in order and flags the common ones before you submit.

Ask what the provider corrects or refunds if the registrar rejects the application.

Usually registered within a day

GOV.UK states an online application is normally registered within 24 hours for £100. A postal application costs £124 and takes 8 to 10 days, and same-day software filing costs £156. An agent’s turnaround promise sits on top of the registrar’s processing — it does not skip it.

Treat “1 hour” or “24 hours” as a service promise, and read what it excludes.

Keep your home off the record

Your registered office is published on the public register. GOV.UK’s own advice is that if you would rather an address was not public — your home, for instance — you should not use it, and you may appoint an agent who supplies an address to use instead.

Confirm the address is in the right jurisdiction, whether mail is included, and the renewal price.

Identity checks by someone authorised

Since 18 November 2025 directors and people with significant control must verify their identity, and a company cannot file its confirmation statement until every director has. An agent registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider can verify you from approved documents.

Ask whether verification is included in the package price and which roles it covers.

A cheaper start — because it is subsidised

The statutory fee is £100, so a £14.99 or £19 + VAT formation exists because a bank wants your custom. ANNA, for example, says its £100 filing-fee subsidy depends on opening an account within 10 days. The condition is part of the price, not a footnote to it.

Decide whether you would have opened that account anyway before counting the saving.

Records that arrive in order

Incorporation produces a certificate of incorporation confirming the company legally exists, with its number and date of formation, alongside the memorandum, articles and share details. Packages sometimes add printed certificates or first registers, though digital copies usually satisfy banks and accountants.

Check whether you receive share certificates and a register, or only the filing receipt.

Extras you can switch on later

Mail handling, a director’s service address, bookkeeping, payroll and secretarial support are commercial services rather than parts of incorporation. A private company does not normally need a secretary, so each extra should be judged on its own deliverables and recurring cost.

Ask who performs each task, which period is covered, and whether statutory fees are included.

Someone watching the calendar

A confirmation statement costs £50 online and is due every 12 months, while accounts and Corporation Tax carry their own dates. Reminders are genuinely useful, but responsibility never transfers: directors remain on the hook for every filing.

Ask for evidence that a filing was submitted — a reminder email is not proof.

Agent or direct: a like-for-like look

Scroll the table sideways to see the agent column

Registering directly with Companies House compared with using a formation agent
The question	Registering direct with Companies House	Using a formation agent
What you pay now	£100 online, £124 by post, or £156 for same-day software filing	Often below £100 where a bank subsidises the fee — usually with an account or subscription condition
Decisions you still make	Name, jurisdiction, addresses, officers, shares, articles and activity codes	The same decisions, usually with prompts and checks along the way
Address on the public register	An address you are entitled to use — often your home or workspace	A supplied address is frequently part of the package
Identity verification	You verify yourself using the Companies House service	An Authorised Corporate Service Provider can verify you, usually for a fee
After incorporation	Nothing included — you own every deadline yourself	Optional subscriptions for filings, mail handling, accounts and reminders
Fits best when	The company is straightforward and you want to choose banking independently	It is your first company, or you want an address and admin handled for you

BEING STRAIGHT ABOUT IT

When going direct is the better buy

A package only pays if you use what is in it. In these situations the plain government route is usually the sensible place to start:

You already work with an accountant who can verify identities and file on your behalf — a second intermediary then adds little.
You are happy for an address to appear publicly, and your banking choice is not tied to a subsidised formation price.
Unusual ownership, negotiated founder governance or a non-standard company type needs the legal and tax structure settled first; the cheapest standard flow may not support it at all.

Government fees and rules quoted above were checked against GOV.UK on 13 October 2026: Register your company with Companies House Company address rules and keeping your address private Companies House fees Verifying your identity for Companies House . Provider prices and reward conditions are listed separately on each offer page and can change.

Ad · Partner offer

Tide company formation.
Up to £200 cashback.

Form your limited company with Tide for £14.99, with the Companies House fee included and a business account on a £0 monthly plan. Use NEW200 for two conditional welcome rewards.

Tide referral codeNEW200

Get the Tide cashback offer Tide company formation & terms

Tide referral code NEW200: how to qualify

£75

For qualifying card spend

Spend £100 on your Tide card within 30 days, meeting Tide’s qualifying transaction rules.

£125

For qualifying savings

Deposit at least £5,000 into a Tide Instant Saver within 7 days of opening it and keep it there for one month.

Eligible new customers only. Opening an account alone does not earn £200; each reward requires its own conditions. Account approval, exclusions and Tide’s live terms apply. Banking transactions and optional services may cost extra. We may earn commission from qualifying referrals.

GOOD QUESTIONS. STRAIGHT ANSWERS.

Before you make
your next move.

Company registration, costs and cashback. Here’s what’s worth knowing before you start.

Official Companies House guidance

What is company formation?

Company formation is the process of registering a new company with Companies House. Once incorporated, a limited company is a separate legal entity from its owners. You receive a certificate of incorporation with your company number and registration date.

How much does it cost to register a company in the UK?

Direct online incorporation with Companies House costs £100. Providers may subsidise that fee: Tide advertises £14.99 with a business account, ANNA advertises registration from £19 + VAT (£22.80) with an account-opening condition, and 1st Formations advertises All Inclusive with Accounting at £39.99 excluding VAT, conditional on an accounting subscription: one month free, then 11 payments of £49 + VAT per month, rolling monthly thereafter. The offer is for UK residents and subject to approval; its standalone Digital package remains £102.99 excluding VAT. Mint Formations, Rapid Formations and Your Company Formations advertise low package fees (£4.99 + VAT, £2.99 and £2.48 + VAT respectively) with the £100 Companies House fee added on top. Optional services and account transactions may cost extra. Provider-specific offer-source check dates are shown beside each offer; confirm current terms and checkout pricing.

How does the Tide NEW200 offer work?

Use our Tide company formation link and check that NEW200 is attached before submitting your application. Eligible new customers can receive £75 after spending £100 on their Tide card within 30 days. A further £125 is conditional on depositing at least £5,000 into a Tide Instant Saver within 7 days of opening it and keeping the funds there for one month. The reward is up to £200, not guaranteed on sign-up. Tide’s current eligibility rules and terms apply.

How long does it take to form a limited company?

Straightforward online applications are often processed within one working day. Companies House checks, identity verification, weekends and bank holidays can increase the time. No provider can guarantee approval or an exact completion time for every application.

What do I need to register a limited company?

You will generally need an available company name, an appropriate UK registered office address, director and shareholder details, details of people with significant control, a statement of capital and a SIC code describing your business. Directors must complete Companies House identity verification and provide their personal codes where required.

Do I have to open a business account?

Tide and ANNA’s advertised formation routes are bundled with a business account. 1st Formations offers banking choice, but our selected £39.99 offer requires an accounting subscription; its non-accounting formation packages are separate alternatives. A limited company’s money must be kept separate from your personal finances. Check the account’s transaction fees and suitability, not just the sign-up reward.

Why is Tide your featured offer?

We feature Tide because of its £14.99 formation price, bundled business account and conditional NEW200 reward. This is also a commercial placement: Tide pays us a referral commission, and commission influences our prominence and ordering. We do not compare the whole market, and the featured offer is not necessarily the best option for every business.

THE KNOWLEDGE BEHIND YOUR NEXT MOVE

Start informed. Stay one step ahead.

Choosing a structure, registering your company, managing tax and keeping up with filings. Get clear answers before you commit. Start with our company formation guide or learn how to set up a new limited company.

All guides