Last Updated on March 15, 2026 by James Hartley
🇬🇧 MEMBER DEAL: ThriveOnz360 Growth members unlock an exclusive 1st Formations discount — SEIS-ready UK Ltd from £12.99 including Companies House fee, SEIS-ready Articles, and registered office address. Free to join.
1st Formations is the UK’s leading company formation agent, incorporating UK limited companies from £12.99 — cheaper than the £50 Companies House direct fee — with SEIS-ready Articles of Association, a central London registered office, and same-day processing included as standard. ThriveOnz360 rates 1st Formations 9.0/10 and recommends it as the default choice for UK startups, solo founders, non-UK residents, and any business that may raise SEIS angel investment. This review covers every package, every fee, what’s actually included, and who should (and shouldn’t) use 1st Formations in 2026.
🏆 THRIVEONZ360 REVIEW · 1st Formations UK 2026 · Score: 9.0/10
1st Formations Review UK 2026: Honest Assessment for UK Founders
1st Formations has incorporated over 1 million UK companies. It’s cheaper than filing directly with Companies House, faster, and comes with documents that actually protect your SEIS eligibility. But not every package is equal — and there are a few things the website doesn’t make easy to find. This review covers everything.
✅ Packages reviewed: all 4 core plans
✅ True cost breakdown (formation + ongoing)
✅ What “SEIS-ready Articles” actually means
✅ Registered office address: what’s included
✅ Same-day service: is it worth the premium?
✅ Non-UK residents: what changes
✅ 1st Formations vs Companies House direct
✅ 9 FAQs covering every edge case
⚡ VERDICT SUMMARY
9.0
ThriveOnz360 Score
From £12.99
Same-day service
1M+ companies formed
SEIS-ready Articles
★ ThriveOnz360 Recommended
📊 1st Formations: At a Glance
£12.99
Cheapest package — includes the £50 Companies House fee. Cheaper than filing direct at gov.uk.
1M+
UK companies incorporated via 1st Formations since 1994. One of the most established formation agents in the market.
3–6 hrs
Standard same-day processing time. Submit before 3pm on a working day to receive your Certificate of Incorporation the same afternoon.
~0%
Effective rejection rate. Companies House rejects ~8% of direct applications. 1st Formations pre-checks every submission before filing.
9.0/10
ThriveOnz360 score. The highest rating of any UK formation agent we’ve reviewed. Recommended for startups, SEIS fundraising, and non-UK residents.
⚡ Quick Actions
- 1st Formations — Incorporate from £12.99 (ThriveOnz360 Member Deal) →
- 1st Formations Solutions Page — Member Pricing & Full Deal Details →
- 1st Formations vs Rapid Formations 2026: Which Agent Wins? →
- How to Register a Company in the UK 2026: Complete 8-Step Guide →
- UK vs Singapore: Where to Incorporate Your Business 2026 →
- Join Free — Unlock 1st Formations Deal + UK Company Formation Toolkit →
What Is 1st Formations and Who Is It For?
1st Formations is a UK company formation agent that submits incorporation applications to Companies House on your behalf — faster, cheaper, and with better documents than the standard gov.uk route. Founded in 1994, the company has incorporated over one million UK limited companies and is widely regarded as the most cost-effective formation agent for startups and SMEs.
The core value proposition is simple: 1st Formations charges from £12.99 for a complete UK Ltd incorporation — that’s cheaper than the £50 fee you’d pay filing directly at Companies House, and the package includes Articles of Association, a Companies House-compliant registered office address, shareholder and director certificates, and same-day processing via their direct iXBRL software channel.
1st Formations is particularly well-suited to:
✅ Best fit for 1st Formations
- First-time founders incorporating a UK Ltd
- Startups planning to raise SEIS or EIS angel investment
- Non-UK residents wanting a UK limited company
- Sole directors and freelancers converting from sole trader
- Founders who want a professional central London registered office without committing to office space
- Businesses needing same-day incorporation
⚠️ Consider alternatives if you need…
- Bespoke Articles of Association for complex share structures (you’ll need a solicitor — £500–£3,000)
- An LLP or Community Interest Company (CIC) rather than a private limited company
- A full company secretarial service with ongoing compliance management included
- A registered office outside England & Wales (Scottish/NI jurisdiction has different options)
1st Formations Pricing: All Packages Compared (2026)
1st Formations offers four main formation packages for UK limited companies, plus a range of add-on services. Here is the complete 2026 breakdown of what’s included in each package and whether it’s worth the price difference.
| Package | Price | What’s Included | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Package ★ | £12.99 | Companies House fee included · Model Articles of Association · Electronic Certificate of Incorporation · Electronic share certificates · Digital document pack · Same-day processing (submit before 3pm) | Low-risk, no investment plans, straightforward setup |
| Privacy Package | £34.99 | Everything in Simple + Central London registered office address (1 year) · Director service address (1 year) · SAIL address (1 year) · Confirmation statement (year 1) included · Statutory mail forwarding | Anyone who doesn’t want their home address public on Companies House |
| Smart Package ★★ | £52.99 | Everything in Privacy + SEIS/EIS-optimised Articles of Association · Enhanced share structure options · Subscriber shares allocation · Priority processing · 4 free copies of all documents | Startups planning to raise SEIS/EIS investment — this is the right choice |
| Complete Package | £84.99 | Everything in Smart + VAT registration · PAYE registration · Corporation Tax registration · Business bank account referral · 2 years of confirmation statement filing · Bound statutory book | Founders who want everything set up in one go including HMRC registrations |
All prices include the £50 Companies House incorporation fee. Registered office address, director service address, and confirmation statement included in Privacy package and above are for year 1 only — renewal fees apply from year 2 (typically £39.99–£69.99/year depending on services selected).
💡 Which package should you choose?
For most founders: Privacy Package (£34.99) or Smart Package (£52.99). The Simple package is technically the cheapest but uses Model Articles which allow preference shares — if you ever raise SEIS investment, this creates a problem that costs £500–£3,000 to fix retrospectively. The Smart package’s SEIS-optimised Articles are worth the extra £18 for any startup. The Privacy package adds a registered London office which keeps your home address off the public Companies House register — worth having for almost everyone. The Complete package at £84.99 bundles in HMRC registrations (CT, VAT, PAYE) — useful but these can also be done free via HMRC Online if you’re comfortable doing it yourself.
What’s Actually Included: A Line-by-Line Breakdown
Articles of Association — The Most Important Decision
The Articles of Association are the constitutional document that governs your company. This is where 1st Formations creates the most value — and where the difference between their packages is most consequential.
Simple Package
Model Articles
Standard Companies House template. Allows preference shares by default. Risk for SEIS founders — if you later create preference shares, SEIS eligibility is gone.
Smart / Complete Package ★
SEIS/EIS-Optimised Articles
Drafted specifically for SEIS and EIS eligibility. Ordinary shares only. No preference provisions. Investor-ready from day one. Recommended for any startup that might raise angel investment.
Custom Articles (Not via 1st Formations)
Solicitor-Drafted
Custom drag-along/tag-along, multiple share classes, complex vesting. Required for Series A+. Cost: £500–£3,000. 1st Formations can’t provide this — you need a solicitor.
Registered Office Address — Central London
All packages from Privacy upwards include a central London registered office address — this is the address that appears publicly on the Companies House register. Using 1st Formations’ London address means your home address stays private and you get a professional central London business address on your Certificate of Incorporation from day one.
What’s included in the registered office service:
- Central London registered office address on Companies House register
- SAIL (Single Alternative Inspection Location) address — where your statutory registers are held
- Director service address (where Companies House correspondence is sent)
- Statutory mail forwarding — all official government mail forwarded to your personal address
- First year included in Privacy/Smart/Complete packages; renewal from £39.99/year
⚠️ Important: registered address vs mail forwarding
The registered office service forwards statutory mail (letters from Companies House and HMRC only). It does not forward general business mail or act as a virtual office for customer-facing correspondence. If you need full mail handling, you’ll need a separate virtual office service.
Confirmation Statement (Annual Return)
Every UK limited company must file a Confirmation Statement with Companies House annually (£34 filing fee). The Privacy package and above include year 1 filing as part of the package, plus guidance on how to file in subsequent years. The Complete package includes years 1 and 2. After that, 1st Formations offers an ongoing Confirmation Statement filing service from £34.99/year (which includes the £34 Companies House fee plus their service fee).
Certificate of Incorporation and Company Documents
All packages include a digital Certificate of Incorporation, electronic share certificates for all shareholders, and a statutory document pack. The Smart and Complete packages include 4 printed copies of all documents. The bound statutory book (a physical register of members, directors, and resolutions) is included in the Complete package only — it’s a nice-to-have but not legally required for most small companies.
How Fast Is 1st Formations? Processing Times Explained
3–6 hrs
Standard Same-Day
Submit before 3pm on a working day. Certificate arrives by email same afternoon.
1–2 hrs
Priority Service
Add-on available. Submit before 1pm for priority queue processing — typically under 2 hours.
8–10 days
If You File Direct
Companies House postal applications. Nobody should be doing this in 2026.
1st Formations submits via Companies House’s specialist iXBRL software channel — the same channel used by accountants and solicitors — rather than the public WebFiling portal used by individuals. This gives faster processing and near-zero rejection rates. If you submit before 3pm Monday–Friday, your company is almost always incorporated the same day.
ThriveOnz360 members: exclusive 1st Formations deal — SEIS-ready UK Ltd from £12.99
Includes CH fee, SEIS-optimised Articles, registered London office (year 1), same-day processing. Growth Plan is free — no credit card. Incorporate via 1st Formations →
1st Formations for Non-UK Residents
One of 1st Formations’ genuine strengths is its support for non-UK residents incorporating a UK limited company. There are no nationality or residency requirements to register a UK Ltd, and 1st Formations handles this routinely.
✅ What 1st Formations provides for non-residents
- UK registered office address (Companies House requires a UK address — provided in Privacy package+)
- Director service address — all official mail forwarded internationally
- Same-day UK Ltd incorporation from anywhere in the world
- Digital document delivery — no need to be physically present
- Support for directors of any nationality and country of residence
⚠️ What non-residents need to arrange separately
- Business bank account — traditional UK banks often require UK-based directors. Use Airwallex or Tide for easier onboarding
- Corporation Tax advice — CT residency depends on where the company is managed and controlled. Consult an accountant if you’re managing the company from outside the UK
- Director NI contributions — may not apply if you’re not UK-based
1st Formations Add-On Services
Beyond the core formation packages, 1st Formations offers a range of ongoing compliance services. These are optional but worth knowing about:
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registered office renewal | From £39.99/year | Renews the central London registered address, director service address, and SAIL address |
| Confirmation statement filing | From £34.99/year | Includes the £34 Companies House fee. They file on your behalf; takes 5–10 minutes of your input |
| VAT registration | £39.99 one-time | 1st Formations registers your company for VAT with HMRC on your behalf. Free to do yourself via HMRC Online |
| Corporation Tax registration | Included in Complete package or £29.99 standalone | Registers your company for CT with HMRC. Must be done within 3 months of trading |
| PAYE registration | £39.99 one-time | Registers you as an employer with HMRC. Required before you pay any salary (including your own as director) |
| Virtual office / mail handling | From £25/month | Full mail handling and forwarding, not just statutory mail. Separate service from registered office |
💡 Which add-ons are worth paying for?
Registered office renewal (£39.99/year): Worth it if you don’t want your home address on the register — once your address has appeared publicly it stays on historical records. Confirmation statement filing (£34.99/year): Marginal value — it only saves you 10 minutes and the underlying Companies House fee is £34 either way. HMRC registrations (CT, VAT, PAYE): Easy to DIY via HMRC Online — only pay 1st Formations if you’d otherwise forget or delay, since late CT registration triggers a £100 automatic fine.
1st Formations vs Companies House Direct: Full Comparison
| Factor | Companies House Direct | 1st Formations ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost | £50 (online) | From £12.99 (all-in) |
| Processing time | Next working day | 3–6 hrs (same day) |
| Articles of Association | Model Articles (generic) | SEIS-ready (Smart+) |
| Registered address | You provide your own | Central London — yr 1 included (Privacy+) |
| Error checking | None — ~8% rejection rate | Pre-submission check — near-zero rejection |
| HMRC registrations | Separate (DIY) | Included in Complete package |
| SEIS-readiness | Risk — requires careful manual setup | Optimised — Smart package onward |
| Non-UK residents | Technically possible — complex | Routinely supported — all docs digital |
ThriveOnz360 — Growth Plan (Free Forever)
Incorporate Your UK Ltd via 1st Formations — From £12.99
ThriveOnz360 Growth members unlock an exclusive 1st Formations discount. SEIS-ready Articles, central London registered office, same-day processing. Includes access to post-incorporation toolkit: Xero setup guide, business bank account comparison, 90-day compliance checklist, and 35+ verified SME tool deals. Free to join — no credit card.
Pros, Cons, and Honest Verdict
✅ What 1st Formations Does Well
- Cheapest all-in incorporation in the UK — from £12.99 including CH fee
- SEIS/EIS-optimised Articles on Smart/Complete packages — rare at this price point
- Central London registered office protects your home address from day one
- Same-day processing via iXBRL — typically 3–6 hours
- Near-zero rejection rate — pre-submission error checking on every application
- 1 million+ companies formed — deep expertise in UK formation law
- Non-UK residents supported as standard
- Clean, straightforward online process — takes 15–20 minutes to complete
- Good UK-based customer support team
❌ Where 1st Formations Falls Short
- HMRC registration add-ons are relatively expensive vs DIY (CT/VAT registration is free via HMRC Online)
- Registered office renewal pricing (£39.99+/year) is mid-market — some competitors are cheaper on renewal
- No bespoke or custom Articles — if you need solicitor-level structuring for Series A, you’ll need to go elsewhere
- Mail forwarding is statutory only — not a virtual office for all business mail
- No integrated accounting software — you’ll still need Xero or similar from day one
- Priority processing is an add-on rather than included as standard
ThriveOnz360 Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 10/10 | £12.99 all-in is genuinely the cheapest compliant UK formation available |
| Document quality | 9/10 | SEIS-ready Articles on Smart+ packages are a genuine differentiator |
| Processing speed | 9/10 | 3–6 hours same-day is among the fastest in the market |
| Ease of use | 9/10 | Clean online process, 15–20 minutes, digital document delivery |
| Ongoing services | 7/10 | Solid registered office and confirmation statement — HMRC add-ons are pricey vs DIY |
| Customer support | 9/10 | UK-based team, responsive, good Trustpilot reviews (4.9★ from 9,000+ reviews) |
| Overall | 9.0/10 | ★ ThriveOnz360 Recommended — default choice for UK founders in 2026 |
1st Formations + Growth Plan = the complete UK company setup stack
Form the company · Open Airwallex for banking · Set up Xero for accounting · Register for PAYE via Deel. Everything in the ThriveOnz360 post-incorporation toolkit. Free to join. Incorporate from £12.99 →
Frequently Asked Questions: 1st Formations UK 2026
Q: Is 1st Formations legitimate and trustworthy?
Yes. 1st Formations was founded in 1994 and has incorporated over 1 million UK companies. It holds a 4.9★ rating on Trustpilot from over 9,000 verified reviews and is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). It submits applications via the same iXBRL channel used by UK accountants and solicitors.
Q: What is the cheapest 1st Formations package and what does it include?
The Simple Package costs £12.99 and includes the £50 Companies House registration fee, Model Articles of Association, a digital Certificate of Incorporation, and electronic share certificates. It does not include a registered address, SEIS-ready Articles, or HMRC registrations. For anyone who might raise investment or wants their home address kept private, the Privacy (£34.99) or Smart (£52.99) packages are the better choice.
Q: Do I need the Smart Package for SEIS eligibility?
Yes — or something equivalent. SEIS eligibility requires ordinary shares only with no preference provisions. The Simple Package uses Model Articles, which allow preference shares by default and don’t specify ordinary shares only. The Smart Package (£52.99) includes Articles specifically drafted for SEIS and EIS compliance. Getting this wrong costs £500–£3,000 to fix retrospectively via a solicitor. If there’s any chance you’ll raise angel investment, choose Smart or above.
Q: How long does 1st Formations take to incorporate a UK company?
Standard processing is 3–6 hours for applications submitted before 3pm on a working day. A priority add-on reduces this to 1–2 hours. Applications submitted after 3pm or over a weekend are processed on the next working day. 1st Formations submits via the iXBRL channel — faster and more reliable than the public Companies House WebFiling portal.
Q: Can I use 1st Formations if I’m not based in the UK?
Yes. There are no nationality or residency requirements to register a UK limited company. 1st Formations routinely incorporates companies for non-UK resident directors and shareholders. The Privacy Package (£34.99) provides the required UK registered address. All documents are delivered digitally, so you don’t need to be physically present anywhere in the UK. For business banking, use Airwallex rather than a traditional bank — they’re more open to non-resident directors.
Q: Is the 1st Formations registered office address a real address?
Yes. 1st Formations’ registered office service provides a real central London street address that appears on the Companies House register. It is a legitimate UK business address recognised by Companies House and HMRC. The service forwards statutory mail (official government correspondence) to your personal address. It is not a virtual office for all business mail — if you need all business mail forwarded, you need their virtual office add-on (from £25/month).
Q: What happens after I incorporate — what are my next steps?
Once you receive your Certificate of Incorporation, you must: (1) register for Corporation Tax with HMRC within 3 months of starting to trade; (2) open a business bank account — your Ltd company is a separate legal entity and must not use personal accounts; (3) set up accounting software such as Xero; (4) set a calendar reminder for your annual Confirmation Statement. Full guide: How to Register a Company in the UK 2026 →
Q: How does 1st Formations compare to Rapid Formations and Companies Made Simple?
1st Formations leads on price (£12.99 all-in), processing speed (3–6 hours), and SEIS-ready Articles on mid-tier packages. Rapid Formations is comparable on speed and slightly lower on some package pricing but has fewer options for SEIS-specific structuring. Companies Made Simple is solid for basic incorporations but tends to be slightly more expensive at the mid-tier. For the full comparison: 1st Formations vs Rapid Formations 2026 →
Q: Is the ThriveOnz360 1st Formations member deal genuinely better than going direct?
Yes. ThriveOnz360 Growth members access an exclusive discount on 1st Formations packages through our affiliate partner link. The Growth Plan is free to join (no credit card), and the 1st Formations deal is one of 35+ verified partner deals available to members. You get the same 1st Formations product — same documents, same speed, same support — at a reduced price through our partnership. Access the deal here →
ThriveOnz360 Recommended ★
Incorporate Your UK Ltd via 1st Formations — From £12.99
ThriveOnz360 Growth members access: exclusive 1st Formations discount · SEIS-ready Articles (Smart package) · Central London registered office · Same-day processing · Post-incorporation toolkit: Airwallex business banking · Xero accounting · 90-day compliance checklist · 35+ verified SME tool deals. Free to join — no credit card.
Related Articles
Formation & Structure
After Incorporation
Disclosure: ThriveOnz360 is an affiliate partner of 1st Formations. If you incorporate via our link, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own and reflect independent research. Accuracy note: 1st Formations pricing is accurate as of March 2026 — verify current package prices at 1stformations.com before purchasing. Companies House fees (£50 online, £71 postal) are subject to change. Registered office renewal pricing and HMRC registration fees are approximate. This article does not constitute legal or financial advice — consult a qualified accountant or solicitor for advice specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.