Wyoming vs Delaware LLC: Which Is Right for You? (2026)

It's the first real decision every non-US founder faces: Wyoming or Delaware? Both let non-residents form an LLC remotely with no SSN. The right answer depends entirely on what you're building.

The Short Answer

Choose Wyoming if you're a freelancer, agency, ecommerce seller, creator, or bootstrapped SaaS founder. Choose Delaware if you intend to raise venture capital or convert to a C-Corp with US investors. For the large majority of non-US founders, Wyoming is the better fit.

Annual Cost

This is the clearest difference. Wyoming charges about $60/year to keep your LLC in good standing, with no state income tax and no franchise tax. Delaware charges a minimum $300 franchise tax every year — even with zero revenue — plus typically higher registered agent fees.

Privacy

Wyoming does not list member or manager names in the public record, giving you genuine privacy. Delaware also offers reasonable privacy at formation, but Wyoming is the stronger choice if anonymity matters to you.

Taxes

For a single-member LLC owned by a non-resident with no US-source income and no US presence, both states deliver the same federal pass-through treatment: no US entity-level income tax, and an annual informational filing (Form 5472 + Form 1120). The state difference is purely the annual fee — and Wyoming wins.

Investor Readiness

Delaware's corporate law is the global standard for venture investment. If you're raising a priced round, US VCs will expect a Delaware C-Corp. If that's your path, start in Delaware. If you're not raising — or not yet — Wyoming keeps your costs low and converting later is possible.

How to Decide

• Raising VC soon? Delaware (C-Corp).
• Freelancer / agency / creator / ecommerce / bootstrapped SaaS? Wyoming.
• Want lowest cost + privacy? Wyoming.

Still unsure? Start the formation wizard — it walks you through the choice based on your business, and you can change your mind before paying.