Legalstart
Paris formalities platform for creating, changing and closing a French company, with accounting and a business account attached
Quick Overview
| Company | Yolaw SAS (Legalstart) |
|---|---|
| Category | Online Legal Services |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - France (EU) |
| Data Location | Personal data stored on cloud clusters located in EU member states; the site itself is hosted by Heroku Inc. |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Company formation (SASU, SAS, EURL, SARL, SCI, micro-enterprise), amendments, closure, association creation, trademark management, expert interview, accounting subscription, business account |
| Pricing | Formation from 0 euro plus legal fees; accounting from 49 euro excl. VAT per month; amendments from 149 euro excl. VAT; closure from 199 euro excl. VAT |
| Best For | Entrepreneurs registering a French company who want formalities and accounting from one provider |
| Replaces | LegalZoom (company formation) |
Detailed Review
Legalstart is the French counterpart to the formation side of LegalZoom. The French statutes, the registry file and the legal announcement are prepared for a SASU, SAS, EURL, SARL or SCI, and the home page promises a registry extract (Kbis) within 48 hours.
The site says it is not a law firm or an accounting firm and that users create their own legal acts from models. Review by in-house experts is part of the formation service, and a team of formalities specialists answers by phone and chat.
What the price list covers
The tariff page opens at 0 euro for a formation, to which statutory fees are added. Accounting starts at 49 euro excl. VAT per month, an amendment at 149 euro excl. VAT, a closure at 199 euro excl. VAT and an association at 49 euro excl. VAT.
Smaller services are priced individually: trademark management and the approval of annual accounts from 99 euro excl. VAT, and a 19 euro excl. VAT interview with an expert.
Formalities beyond the first registration
Changes after the launch are part of the offer: statute amendments, a registered-office transfer, a name or capital change. The same applies to winding up a business through striking off, dormancy or liquidation.
Accounting is delivered by LS Compta, which the site presents as its own expert-accounting firm, so the legal and bookkeeping records come from related providers.
Data handling
The legal notice states that personal data is stored on Amazon clusters located in member states of the European Union, while the web application runs on Heroku, a US-based host.
That split is stated plainly, which makes it easy to put in a processor register, but it does mean a US company sits in the technical chain.
Limitations to Consider
It serves French companies only, and the headline 0 euro excludes statutory fees. The site runs on Heroku Inc., a US company, though stored personal data sits in EU data centres. The paid tiers are what bring expert validation, so the cheapest route leaves more checking to you. Foreign founders without French paperwork are better served by Companies MadeSimple (UK) or firma.de (Germany).
Who Should Use Legalstart
Founders and freelancers registering a SASU, SAS, EURL or SARL in France who want one provider for formation, later amendments and bookkeeping.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Covers formation, amendment and closure
- Phone and chat access to formalities staff
- Accounting and business account in the same account
- Entry prices published for each service
- Stored personal data in EU data centres
Cons
- France only
- Headline price excludes statutory fees
- Web host is a US company
- Not a law firm, so no personalised legal advice
Alternatives to Legalstart
Other European online legal services worth comparing before you decide:
SeedLegals
United Kingdom · Startup contracts, cap table and funding rounds on one platform
firma.de
Germany · GmbH and UG formation with notary appointment arranged
Simply-Docs
United Kingdom · Annual subscription to editable UK business document packages
Captain Contrat
France · Paris legal formalities desk with jurists and accountants
See all European online legal services or compare them directly against LegalZoom (company formation) on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Its own footer states that it is neither a law firm nor an accounting firm and that users create legal acts themselves from models.
The legal notice says personal data sits in Amazon clusters located in EU member states, while the site is hosted by Heroku Inc.
Yolaw SAS, registered in Paris under RCS number 900 758 343.