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Legalstart logo - Alternatives in 2026
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The best alternatives to Legalstart in 2026

Looking for an alternative to Legalstart to set up or manage your business in France? Legalstart is the leader of online legal services in France (formation from €0 + legal fees, 900,000+ entrepreneurs), but it is mostly guided DIY: whether you want a dedicated lawyer, built-in accounting or a micro-entreprise specialist, other solutions may fit better. Here are 5 alternatives we recommend to freelancers registered in France.

Our selection

LegalPlaceCreation from €0 excl. VAT (legal fees extra), accounting from €39 excl. VAT/month, French offer

Create and manage your company in France with peace of mind

Direct competitor of Legalstart: formation from €0 + legal fees, with accounting and registered address built into a single app.

Read our review of LegalPlace
  • Company and micro-entreprise creation delegated to a formalities specialist
  • Accounting, registered address and business account on the same platform
  • Published entry prices per service
LegalPlace logo
15% off
Try LegalPlace
SwapnFormation €0, accounting from €29 excl. VAT/month (French offer)

Full-service company formation and business management for independent entrepreneurs

Combines free formation and an online expert-comptable from €29/month: interesting if you want to go from formation straight to delegated accounting.

Read our review of Swapn
  • Company formation billed at €0 (excluding legal fees), with a dedicated advisor
  • Firm registered with the Ordre des experts-comptables (the French chartered accountants' body): annual accounts (bilan) and tax return included
  • Articles of association within 24 hours and Kbis (the French company registration extract) in 10 days on average for a single-owner company (according to Swapn)
Swapn logo
Free call
Try Swapn
Portail Auto-EntrepreneurFrom €59 (one-off, French offer)

Guided support to set up your auto-entrepreneur status

Specialist in setting up and managing a micro-entreprise if that is exactly your status.

  • Full support to set up your auto-entreprise (the simplified self-employed status in France)
  • Simpler administrative formalities
  • Guides and learning resources
Portail Auto-Entrepreneur logo
17% off
Try Portail Auto-Entrepreneur

Why look for an alternative to Legalstart?

  • It is self-service legal work: Legalstart guides you through templates. If you want real support from a lawyer, Captain Contrat puts lawyers at your disposal.
  • The "€0" excludes legal fees: compare all-inclusive packages. LegalPlace and Contract Factory play in the same field, sometimes cheaper depending on the structure.
  • Accounting subscriptions are optional add-ons: for accounting, a specialist like Indy or an online expert-comptable (chartered accountant) like Swapn is often more competitive than Legalstart's add-on.
  • Only setting up a micro-entreprise? Portail Auto-Entrepreneur specialises in that exact status.

To set up fast and manage your formalities in one place, Legalstart remains a reference, but for human support or stronger built-in accounting, these alternatives deserve a quote.

Pricing at a glance

ToolPriceIdeal for
Legalstart logoLegalstartref.Formation from €0 excl. VAT (Starter) + legal fees, Standard €99, Premium €199 (French offer)juridique, creation entreprise
LegalPlace logoLegalPlaceCreation from €0 excl. VAT (legal fees extra), accounting from €39 excl. VAT/month, French offercomptabilite, juridique
Swapn logoSwapnFormation €0, accounting from €29 excl. VAT/month (French offer)administratif, comptabilite
Portail Auto-Entrepreneur logoPortail Auto-EntrepreneurFrom €59 (one-off, French offer)administratif, creation entreprise

Indicative prices taken from the tool pages, to be checked on the official websites.

Our review of Legalstart
Why we recommend it (and its limits)
Compare two tools
Side-by-side analysis

Frequently asked questions about Legalstart

Formation is officially free on the INPI guichet unique (France's one-stop registration portal): you only pay the legal fees. Platforms like Legalstart, LegalPlace or Captain Contrat charge for support and speed; LegalPlace and Captain Contrat also advertise formation "from €0 + fees".

LegalPlace, Captain Contrat and Contract Factory are all French legaltechs; Swapn and Portail Auto-Entrepreneur complete the picture on accounting and micro-entreprise.

Both offer formation from €0 + fees and management services. Legalstart has the biggest volume and a wide range; LegalPlace pushes the integration of formation + accounting + registered address in a single app. Compare all-inclusive packages for your exact structure.

Your statuts (articles of association) and documents belong to you: retrieve them, then entrust your next formalities (amendments, accounting, legal) to another provider. Many go from Legalstart for the formation to Indy or Dougs for day-to-day accounting, for instance.