Head-to-Head

Harbor Compliance

Multi-State Compliance & Entity Management Platform

VS

Van Buren Financial

Delaware Registered Agent & Full-Service Financial Solutions

Side-by-side comparison. Data as of 2026-02-16.

Founded
Harbor Compliance: 2012
Van Buren Financial: 2008
Rating
7.9/10
7.7/10
First Year Cost
~$99 + state fees (RA-focused; higher for full compliance)
~$99 + state fees + RA bundle
Formation Speed
1-5 business days standard
1-5 business days standard
RA Annual
$99 first year; $149 renewal (multi-year discounts)
$129/year (call for DE quote; bundled discounts)

Company Background

Harbor Compliance

HQ: Lancaster, Pennsylvania (812 N Prince St)

Ownership: Private (founder-led; Mike Montali CEO)

Employees: 51-200

Formations: 40,000+ clients served (focus on compliance, not pure formation)

Key Milestones

  • Founded 2012 by regulatory specialists & tech experts
  • Hit Inc. 5000 for 7th year in 2025
  • Acquired Labyrinth Inc. (added nonprofits)
  • Launched Compliance Core™ algorithm
  • Grew to 40k+ clients across 50 states

Van Buren Financial

HQ: Wilmington, Delaware (615 West 18th Street)

Ownership: Private (founder-led: James Van Eperen, CEO)

Employees: 11-50

Formations: Not publicly disclosed (focus on RA clients; hundreds served)

Key Milestones

  • Founded 2008 in Wilmington, DE
  • Grew as full-service CPA/financial firm
  • Expanded registered agent services (10+ years)
  • Integrated tax/accounting with RA for DE entities
  • Became go-to for DE LLCs needing financial tie-in

Core Services

Harbor Compliance Services

Formation types:

  • LLC
  • Corporation (C-Corp, S-Corp)
  • Nonprofit
  • Foreign Qualification (all states)
  • Change of Registered Agent
  • Conversions & Mergers

Differentiators:

  • Compliance Core™ scans 22,000+ requirements
  • Air-Tight Onboarding™ (90% issue resolution)
  • SaaS + managed hybrid for enterprises
  • Direct SOS database feeds for real-time status
  • Unlimited users & collaboration tools

Van Buren Financial Services

Formation types:

  • LLC
  • Corporation (C-Corp, S-Corp)
  • Foreign Qualification (Delaware focus)
  • Change of Registered Agent

Differentiators:

  • Delaware specialist with in-house CPAs
  • Financial services bundled with RA (taxes, payroll, accounting)
  • Local Wilmington office (staffed business hours)
  • One-stop for DE entity + financial needs
  • Personalized for small business owners

Both offer nationwide RA coverage. Compare differentiators above to see where each shines.

Pricing & Value

Category Harbor Compliance Van Buren Financial Winner
First Year Total ~$99 + state fees (RA-focused; higher for full compliance) ~$99 + state fees + RA bundle Tie
RA Annual Fee $99 first year; $149 renewal (multi-year discounts) $129/year (call for DE quote; bundled discounts)
Value Score 7.9/10 7.9/10 Tie

Speed & Performance

Harbor Compliance

Avg formation: 1-5 business days standard

Expedited: Same-day document delivery (included)

Van Buren Financial

Avg formation: 1-5 business days standard

Expedited: Available (varies)

Pros & Cons

Harbor Compliance — Pros

  • 22k+ regulatory scans
  • SaaS + managed hybrid
  • All 50 states RA
  • Entity management suite
  • Proven for enterprises

Harbor Compliance — Cons

  • ✗ Premium pricing
  • ✗ Mixed Trustpilot (3.5)
  • ✗ Billing complaints
  • ✗ Steep for startups
  • ✗ Basic formation vs. specialists

Van Buren Financial — Pros

  • Delaware specialist
  • RA + accounting bundle
  • Local Wilmington office
  • Financial planning tie-in
  • Personalized service

Van Buren Financial — Cons

  • ✗ DE-focused (limited nationwide)
  • ✗ Low review volume
  • ✗ Call-to-quote pricing
  • ✗ Smaller scale
  • ✗ Basic tech

The Verdict

Choose Harbor Compliance if: The powerhouse for complex, multi-state compliance—ideal for growing businesses needing software + service. Skip if you're a solo founder on a budget.


Choose Van Buren Financial if: The perfect DE partner for businesses wanting RA + full financial/accounting support in one local firm. Ideal if you're forming in Delaware and need tax expertise built-in.

Higher rating: Harbor Compliance (7.9/10)