Clerky Pricing (2026): $427 or $819, What Each Covers, and What Changes Now Clerky Is Joining Stripe
Clerky incorporates a Delaware C corporation for $427 on its Pay Per Use option, or $819 for a Company Lifetime Package that also covers its standard fundraising, hiring, commercial and maintenance documents for the life of the company. Both include the state filing fees and the first year of registered agent service; after that, CSC bills you directly (Clerky's own example uses $125 a year). Clerky fits a founder who wants venture-standard paperwork for SAFEs, option grants and hires without a law firm's hourly rate. It does not form LLCs. On August 26, 2026 Clerky announced it has agreed to join Stripe; its prices have not changed.
Clerky price list
| Plan | Price (monthly / billed yearly) | For / limits |
|---|---|---|
| Pay Per Use (incorporation) | $427 one-time | Delaware C corporation only (incl. PBCs); Comparison chart: includes $203 Delaware expedited filing fees and $125 first-year Delaware registered agent fee |
| Company Lifetime Package | $819 one-time | Formation plus unlimited standard Fundraising, Hiring, Commercial and Maintenance products for the life of the company; Excludes add-ons and third-party fees for foreign qualification and Maintenance products (charter amendments) |
| Add-on: Post-Incorporation Setup | $299 | |
| Add-on: Stock Plan Adoption | $199 | |
| Add-on: Foreign Qualification (CA, NY) | $125 + third-party fees; partner discounts from $160 for other states | |
| Add-on: SAFE | $9 per use | |
| Add-on: Convertible note | $19 per use | |
| Add-on: Fundraising subscription | $99 for 6 months, unlimited issuances | |
| Add-on: Stock option or restricted stock issuance | $29 per use | |
| Add-on: Employee or consultant hire | $19 per use | |
| Add-on: Advisor agreement | $9 per use | |
| Add-on: Hiring subscription | Small $19/month (up to 12 hires/yr), Medium $99/month (up to 100), Large contact us | |
| Add-on: Board consent (add/remove directors or officers) | $9 | |
| Add-on: Managed 83(b) Election add-on | Price not published on pricing page | Evidence storage renews at $0.50/month after year one (help.clerky.com/article/2934). |
| Add-on: Registered agent after year one | Billed directly by CSC; Clerky's cost example uses $125/year | help.clerky.com/article/2790 and /2824 |
Prices verified on clerky.com/pricing on October 12, 2026.
Every figure above is unchanged in every archived snapshot of Clerky's pricing page from February 2024 to October 2026. Both options are one-time payments, not subscriptions, except the optional fundraising ($99 for six months) and hiring ($19 or $99 a month) subscriptions.
Clerky joining Stripe: what it means today
Clerky's announcement, dated August 26, 2026, says Clerky "has agreed to join Stripe" with "the same team and the same focus". Terms were not disclosed and we found no Stripe newsroom post. Nothing published so far changes Clerky's prices, products or the CSC registered agent arrangement, and neither company has said whether Clerky and Stripe Atlas will merge. For a founder choosing now, Clerky and Atlas are separate products with separate prices under one future owner; our Clerky vs Stripe Atlas page compares them.
When the $819 Lifetime Package pays off
Pay Per Use looks cheaper, but add post-incorporation setup ($299) and stock plan adoption ($199), which a company that grants options needs, and the start is $925 before any documents. Add a pre-seed year of four SAFEs, three option grants and two hires and Pay Per Use reaches $1,086 in year 1, against $819 for Lifetime. Each later year adds the per-document fees again.
| Option | Year 1 | Year 2+ at pre-seed | Year 2+ at seed | Year 2+ at Series A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clerky Lifetime | $819 | $575 | $1,375 | $5,775 |
| Clerky Pay Per Use | $1,086 | $736 | $1,836 | $7,177 |
| Stripe Atlas (no hiring documents) | $500 | $550 | $1,350 | $5,750 |
| of which Delaware franchise tax | $0 | $400 | $1,200 | $5,600 |
Our model: pre-seed 4 SAFEs, 3 option grants, 2 hires a year; seed 10 grants, 9 hires; Series A 30 grants, 28 hires; 10M/12M/20M authorized shares at $0.00001 par, 8M/10M/15M issued, gross assets $150K/$2M/$10M, franchise tax by the Assumed Par Value Capital method plus the $50 report; registered agent $125 (Clerky) or $100 (Atlas) after year 1.
Lifetime wins as soon as you hire. By Series A, the per-document fees on Pay Per Use cost $1,402 a year more than Lifetime.
The $203 line on Clerky's chart predates Delaware's new fees
Clerky's comparison chart says the incorporation includes "$203 Delaware expedited filing fees". That line has not changed since at least February 2024, while Delaware's fee schedule revised August 1, 2026 raised the minimum incorporation fee to $109 (from the $89 most pages still quote) and set 24-hour expedite at $50. Clerky's price to you is still $427 or $819, so this changes nothing you pay; it only means the breakdown on the chart predates the new schedule. Separately, Clerky's help says Delaware franchise tax is "typically around $400" and that a default notice can run "upwards of $80,000", which is the trap below.
The franchise tax notice, and what Clerky does not do
Clerky sends annual report and franchise tax reminders; it does not pay the tax. Delaware's notice uses the Authorized Shares method: a company with 10 million authorized shares, 9 million issued and $500,000 in gross assets sees $85,165. Filed under the Assumed Par Value Capital method, the same company owes $400 plus the $50 report fee (Delaware). Check yours with our Delaware franchise tax calculator before March 1.
Other costs to expect
- 83(b) elections. Clerky prepares the election; filing it within 30 days of the stock issue is on you unless you buy the Managed 83(b) add-on, whose price is not on the pricing page. The IRS has accepted online filing since July 2025, according to the law firms Mintz, Morrison Foerster and WilmerHale, but WilmerHale notes the form takes only two decimals per share, which does not fit a $0.00001 price; the IRS form still says to mail it.
- Founders outside the US. Clerky applies for the EIN in-house by fax; its help center warns this "usually takes much longer", a month or more, and that Delaware companies cannot apply by phone. Its partner banks open accounts without an EIN.
- Other states. Foreign qualification in California or New York is $125 plus state fees.
- 409A and cap table are separate purchases: see 409A valuation services and cap table software.
Not hands-on tested yet: we have not run a live account on Clerky. Prices and terms come from Clerky's published pricing page and help docs, read on October 12, 2026.
Alternatives at a glance
- Stripe Atlas: $500 once, then $100 a year; C corporations and LLCs; no hiring documents. See Stripe Atlas pricing.
- Firstbase: Start on offer at $99 (list $399) plus a required $299-a-year registered agent, so $398 in year 1 (Firstbase pricing).
- doola: $297 a year plus state fees, aimed mainly at LLCs and non-US founders; the fee recurs annually (doola pricing).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Pay Per Use and the Company Lifetime Package?
Pay Per Use is $427 for the incorporation, with every later document charged separately ($9 per SAFE, $29 per option grant, $19 per hire). Lifetime is $819 and covers the standard documents for the life of the company, excluding add-ons and third-party fees.
Does Clerky include a registered agent?
For the first year. After that CSC invoices you directly; Clerky's cost example uses $125 a year.
Does Clerky have a free plan?
No. Both options are paid one-time fees.
Is Clerky still independent after the Stripe deal?
Clerky says it has agreed to join Stripe and keeps the same team and focus. Prices and products are unchanged as of October 12, 2026.
Is Clerky good for international founders?
It accepts them and files the EIN by fax, which Clerky says can take a month or more.
Related: SAFE vs convertible note, the SaaS fundraising guide, and our cap table calculator.