The 5 best company registration services in London for a quick 24-hour process
Starting a business in London sounds straightforward on paper. The reality? You’ll likely be drowning in Companies House forms, with the clock quickly ticking every day, reminding you of the sales you’re missing out on.
Competition is fierce, so speed matters more than anything. Turning to company registration services might be the smartest thing you can do to finally get operations running.
We found companies that ensure a 24-hour process for business registration in London. But beyond the speed, we also looked into accuracy, quality of service, and any add-ons that make scaling easy.
How much does it cost to register a company in London?
The cost to register a company in London usually starts at £50 for online registration (though there are many companies that charge far less for basic services). Packages can start for as low as £100.
1. Your Company Formations Ltd
Location: 128 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX
Contact: +44 20 7689 7888
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Your Company Formations Ltd stood out for its end-to-end company registration service. This includes registration, VAT registration, and banking introductions, among others.
Their reputation and credibility are solid. They’re backed by over 100 years of combined formation expertise and have processed over 1 million orders globally.
According to clients, the entire process was fast. Many clients reported same-day filings and seamless completion within a few hours.
We also liked that they have an online platform. It’s easy to navigate, with a guided step-by-step application for first-time founders.
The quality of work also earned our favour. We based this on client experiences, most of whom confirmed that they’re accurate with documentation and filing.
We also liked that they support both UK residents and international clients. They offer remote formation packages tailored for non-UK entrepreneurs.
That said, the mostly digital support may not suit everyone. There were also issues with a long identity verification process, which can delay the entire registration.
A rare level of service
“A big thank, to the Your Company Formations team for their excellent support. They are very friendly, responsive and always willing to help. You truly feel well guided throughout the process. A rare level of service quality and much appreciated!”
JOBA | Google Review
Patient and helpful
“Mike was such a great help to me when i had problem filling in the forms to complete my application on the companies house website. He was so patient with me and helped me step by step to complete the verification and application process. I recommend this company for their customer service. I hope all customer service advisor are like MIKE. Thank you so much Mike.”
Esther Okome | Google Review
2. 1st Formations
Location: 71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ
Contact: +44 20 3897 2233
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
1st Formations offer complete end-to-end company registration service. Their track record is impressive, having formed over 1,000,000 UK companies.
Based on the average turnaround, we can say that the formation process was consistently fast. In fact, many past clients reported same-day or 24-hour registration.
They’re also among the most competitive in terms of pricing. They have entry packages starting at £2.99 (plus Company House fee).
This is one of the most affordable rates among company registration companies in London.
Premium packages are available. We find this ideal for businesses with more complex needs.
For instance, they offer bundled packages for WC2-registered addresses, PAYE registration, and GDPR compliance tools. The cost is over £100, but we still see it as great value for money.
Like most services, their online platform was also easy to use for beginners, even without a solicitor or accountant.
On the other hand, their 24-hour customer service promise appears to be off. There were times when they were unresponsive or took a long time to respond.
Very helpful and friendly
“Excellent. Used this company to set up a company and as a service address. Reasonably priced. Good customer account login website. Very helpful and friendly call handlers that pick up the phone quickly and resolve all queries. Highly recommended.”
Jim S | Google Review
Impressive and professional
“Thank you very much Libby for your professionalism. I was impressed that you genuinely wanted to help me get verified, so that companies House could issue me with my personal code for my companies. you kept me calm, when i was getting a little stressed about the whole process.”
Rosemary Deans | Google Review
3. Quality Company Formations
Location: 71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ
Contact: +44 20 3908 0044
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Quality Company Formations earned our trust with their large-scale industry experience. They bring over 550 years of combined expertise and have formed over 350,000 UK companies.
Their speed of incorporation is a significant advantage. Most company formations are completed within 24 hours. Same-day processing is also available in urgent cases.
Pricing is highly competitive. Entry packages start at £1.99 plus Companies House fee. On top of that, their fully inclusive growth packages are priced far below many competitors.
This makes them among the most affordable business formation services in London.
Despite the low fees, the quality of service is high. They’re accurate with filings, as confirmed by clients who said the paperwork was handled correctly the first time.
Sadly, we heard a few complaints of overcharging. A few clients said there were surprising add-ons after the billing.
Communication, fortunately, is pretty flexible. They can be reached via phone, live chat, and email support.
Patient, responsive, and truly cared
“Couldn’t ask for better support! Marianne, Zoe, & Averil were patient, responsive, and truly cared about my needs. Their guidance made all the difference. Highly recommend!”
Camille Y | Google Review
Worth every penny
“The people at Quality Company Formations are excellent and the service is great, so I thought I’d write a review. I use the fully inclusive and full company secretary services for about £430 per year and it’s worth every penny. They keep me informed, file the right paperwork on time, provide a registered address and forward my snail mail. I highly recommend them if you want to get on with running your business and not endlessly filing paperwork.”
John Clelland | Google Review
4. 121 Company Formation
Location: 3rd Floor, 207 Regent St., London W1B 3HH
Contact: +44 20 389 32121
Opening Hours: Open 24 Hours
As of this writing, 121 Company Formation has completed over 50,000 UK company formations. While not as extensive as other agencies, the quality of service is just as impressive.
Turnaround times average within 24 hours. This is fast, and clients often praise them for the accuracy and care in filings and documentation.
Pricing is transparent and structured into clear tiers starting at £55.95. We like this option as it allows startups to scale from basic formation to full accounting coverage.
Clients are most familiar with their Diamond package. This one bundles corporation tax filing, annual accounts, and optional quarterly VAT returns.
We also liked that their business address service provides a prestigious Regent Street, Central London registered office.
This is a plus for founders who want to maintain privacy while maintaining a credible image.
However, there are instances when online business registration in London may encounter glitches. This is quite rare, though.
Clear, practical advice
“121 are professional, reliable, and always responsive. They make complex accounting matters simple and provide clear, practical advice. Highly recommended!”
Carlos Borreguero | Google Review
Brilliant service
“Brilliant service. Everything taken care of to get the company sorted but even better is that every time there is a need to change the shareholding or other details, it is acted on promptly and efficiently. Could not recommended enough.”
Cyber Digital | Google Review
5. Rapid Formations
Location: 71-75 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JQ
Contact: +44 20 7871 9990
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Rapid Formations has extensive experience. They’ve been in the business for over 10 years and has formed over 750,000 UK companies.
For company incorporation in London, they offer many key services. We liked their all-inclusive packages that include VAT and PAYE registration.
Clients can also find company secretary services and London business addresses here.
Another thing that stood out to us is their specialised packages for overseas clients. This includes business bank account referrals and worldwide document delivery.
The overall quality of the process is also solid. The company uses a 4-step online system to make registration fast and easy.
Rapid Formations reviews company submissions before sending them to Companies House. This reduces the risk of application rejection and potential delays.
Pricing is also clear and competitive in London.
The downside is that the 24-hour process isn’t always guaranteed. Delays may be possible due to unique circumstances beyond their control.
Outstanding support
“I had an excellent experience from start to finish. Averil was incredibly professional, friendly, and went above and beyond to make sure everything was handled smoothly. She was quick to respond to my questions and kept me informed at every stage. Thanks to her outstanding support, the whole process was stress-free. I would highly recommend this company — and especially Averil — to anyone looking for reliable, top-quality service.”
Wael Anizi | Google Review
Made everything straightforward
“This activity was straight forward and took much of the complexity out of task. There are many little additional tasks that are helped to be done with minimum difficulty, e.g. setting up a bank account or referencing to the inland revenue and a bank account. It costs a bit more but well worth it.”
Keith Presence | Google Review