Stripe Atlas Review (2024): Everything You Need to Know

In today’s Stripe Atlas review, we’re examining an interesting service offered by one of the most popular payment processing and business technology companies in the world.

Stripe Atlas, by Stripe, is essentially an all-in-one digital platform designed to help businesses form a company.

Stripe Atlas might be a little more expensive, and slightly more restrictive than some of the other business formation solutions on the market today, but it’s pros definitely outweigh its cons.

So, is Stripe Atlas a worthwhile solution for would-be business leaders?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Stripe Atlas Pros and Cons

Overall, Stripe Atlas is a relatively straightforward service, with a lot of benefits to offer business leaders. If you want to form a legal entity for your company in a great US state, without going through the time-consuming and expensive process alone, Stripe Atlas might be ideal for you.

However, like any service, there are pros and cons you’ll need to consider. Here are some of the biggest benefits and disadvantages we discovered while testing Stripe Atlas:

What is Stripe Atlas?

Stripe Atlas is a service offered by the Stripe fintech company, used by thousands of founders from more than 140 countries worldwide.

The solution combines access to Stripe’s state-of-the-art financial tools for commerce, with flexible APIs, marketing tools, and valuable legal resources.

Essentially, Stripe Atlas allows any internet-based business to launch and incorporate a company online, in the state of Delaware.

The process is extremely straightforward, as Stripe handles everything from creating legal documents, to filing for paperwork and applying for tax ID numbers on your behalf.

Once you have your company, you’ll be able to use your Stripe ecosystem to issue stock to founders, manage online transactions, and get step-by-step support.

The service is available for a one-time payment, with an extra fee for a yearly service where Stripe will also help you to run your business and manage complexities.

What’s Included in the Service?

Stripe Atlas is, first and foremost, an “incorporation as a service” solution, which allows you to immediately and easily form a company in Delaware – one of the best beneficial states for corporation.

Once you purchase the package for a one-off fee of $500, you’ll gain access not just to the formation tools you need, but also:

• Legal templates: Stripe Atlas offers access to a variety of free, annotated legal templates you can customize to address any post-formation needs you might have.
• Bookkeeping tools: Stripe’s solution comes with bookkeeping and accounting features to help you monitor your financial growth and stay compliant with tax laws.
• Payment processing tools: As mentioned above, Stripe Atlas includes access to the Stripe platform for payment processing, so you can accept payments in a variety of currencies, from customers all around the globe.
• Tax filing support: Stripe Atlas works with tax advisors to help clients file corporate income taxes and manage other legal requirements. Although there may be additional fees to pay for accessing yearly support.
• Fee support: Your purchase covers all Delaware state filing fees for your new business, as well as the first year of registered agent fees.
• Online dashboard: You’ll have access to an online dashboard where you can manage and track all of your legal documents and paperwork.
• Share management tools: The built-in tools on Stripe Atlas allow you to set up your company’s initial ownership structure, and generate stock issuance forms with standard terms and conditions.

Plus, depending on where you’re located and your business structure, you’ll be able to access exclusive discounts and rewards, such as Amazon Web Services credits, and discounts on legal and accounting services from Stripe partners.

Stripe Atlas Ease of Use

The main reason to use a solution like Stripe Atlas, rather than handling incorporation yourself, is that it should help you to save some time and money on bringing your business to life.

The platform is user-friendly, highly intuitive, and convenient. With the system, most companies will be able to manage the essentials of setting up their business in 10 minutes or less.

All you need to do is submit some basic information, sign your company formation documents, and Stripe will handle the rest.

The service provider handles all of the tough stuff for you, from filing paperwork to getting your tax number ready. Plus, accessing Stripe Atlas gives you the ability to leverage a variety of other simple features.

You’ll get a Stripe account included in the purchase, which means you’ll be able to start immediately accepting payments from customers in over 100 countries. Plus, there are templates and tools for post-formation legal requirements, and issuing stock to founders.

Stripe Atlas Pricing: The Costs

As mentioned above, Stripe Atlas charges two different fees depending on the level of support you need. The first “setup fee” you’ll pay is $500, and this includes everything you need to form a company with Stripe Atlas. The set-up fee covers:

• Formation of your company in Delaware
• Standard Delaware state filing fees
• Signed documents for IP protection and company bylaws
• Tools for issuing stock to founders
• Your first year of registered agent fees
• Tax ID (EIN) filing
• Stripe Atlas community membership
• Templates for post-formation legal documents

After the setup fee, you’ll need to pay $100 per year to access Stripe’s help running your business in the years to come. The $100 fee gives you access to a Delaware registered agent, who will handle the legal structure and management of your company going forward.

On top of this, there are additional fees to consider for extra services. For instance, if you want help with corporate tax preparation and tax filing, fees for each service start at $250 and $225 per year respectively.

Customer Support

One of the most important things you’ll need to consider when deciding whether Stripe Atlas is right for you, is the level of customer support you’ll have access to.

Stripe Atlas used to give you instant access to the Atlas Community.

Fortunately, Stripe ensures you never have to go it alone when building your business. Stripe has a fantastic customer support team which you can contact 24/7 through the “Contact” button on your dashboard or directly via email at [email protected].

The last time we tried to access the Stripe Atlas community, the page was closed.

If you have questions, the quickest way to get a response is to simply email the company directly.

It’s worth noting you’ll also be able to access extra support and guidance if you choose to take advantage of the other services Stripe offers, such as tax preparation services.

Stripe Atlas Review: Final Verdict

With support from Stripe, one of the world’s leading payment processing companies, you know you’re going to get a safe, and reliable service every step of the way. Plus, with Stripe Atlas, you’ll have access to a range of discounts and offers from Stripe’s fantastic collection of partners.

What’s more, because you gain access to a range of tools that can help you long-term, like the Stripe Atlas Community and Stripe’s payment processing tools, so you’ll be able to grow steadily over time.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to take your business to the next level, purchasing the Stripe Atlas service might be the ideal solution for you.