Free tool · for anyone choosing a business structure
LLC vs S-Corp Comparison Scorer
This free scorer weights five criteria and rates two business structures 1 to 5 to show the best-fit entity — LLC vs S-Corp, or any two you name. Weight the criteria that most often matter — tax treatment, liability protection, setup cost, ongoing admin, and ownership flexibility — by how much they matter to you, and it returns one weighted score per structure so the best overall fit rises to the top. It's a neutral tool, not the sales funnel much of the 'free' advice online turns out to be. Use it right here in your browser, or download the starter scorecard to keep.
Score two structures
Set how much each criterion matters (its weight), then rate each structure 1–5. Each score is your ratings averaged by weight, out of 5 — the higher one is the better overall fit.
| Criterion | Weightof 100 | LLC | S-Corp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax TreatmentExpected income, self-employment, and payroll tax | |||
| Liability ProtectionHow well it shields your personal assets | |||
| Setup Cost & EffortFilings, fees, and paperwork to stand it up | |||
| Ongoing Admin & ComplianceRecurring filings, payroll, and bookkeeping | |||
| Ownership & FundraisingAdding owners, investors, or issuing stock |
Weights total: 100 — balanced.
These are example ratings — change the weights and 1–5 scores to fit your own situation. A weighted score is a tool for thinking, not legal or tax advice; confirm your choice with a CPA or attorney.
Take it with you — free, no signup
Direct download. No email, no account — just the files.
What it does
- Weights five core criteria by how much each matters to YOU, then scores two structures across all of them at once.
- Returns one weighted score per structure on a clean 1–5 scale, so the best overall fit comes out on top.
- Comes pre-loaded with an illustrative LLC-vs-S-Corp example, so you can see the method working before you tune it.
- Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere, and nothing is saved.
Own it, don't rent it
Deciding between all four structures?
This free scorer weighs two structures across five criteria. The full Business-Entity Decision Helper compares all four structures — sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, and C-Corporation — across eight criteria you choose, adds a Tax & Cost Estimator that estimates the self-employment-tax difference of an S-Corp election at your profit level (which can be a saving or a cost), ranks them, and names the best-fit-vs-lowest-cost gap in dollars — a 7-tab workbook you keep (Excel, Google Sheets, or LibreOffice) plus three guides.
A one-time purchase you keep and revisit as the business grows — the structured workbook between a blank spreadsheet and a formation service's funnel.
A decision aid, not legal, tax, or financial advice, and it creates no professional relationship. The structures are described in general terms and the ratings are illustrative; rules and tax treatment vary by state. Confirm your choice with a CPA or attorney. Free to use; please don't resell or redistribute.