❦ OPINION · No. 002 · Legal & incorporation
Stripe Atlas vs Clerky
Side by side: strengths, tradeoffs, features, pricing, and who each one fits. Same rubric, no editor's thumb on the scale, no winner declared — you decide.
Stripe Atlas
Incorporate a Delaware C-corp in a week. Bank account + EIN included.
Clerky
Founder-friendly legal docs for incorporation, fundraising, and hiring.
❦ How each one performs
Founder fit by dimension
| Dimension | Stripe Atlas | Clerky |
|---|---|---|
| Setup speed | 9.5 Incorporation in ~1 week, bank account in ~9 days. | 8.0 Incorporation in 1–2 weeks (slower than Atlas). |
| Ease of use | 9.4 Guided wizard, no legalese required. | 7.5 UI is utilitarian; legal terminology is unavoidable. |
| Pricing transparency | 9.0 Single $500 fee; ongoing franchise tax is explained upfront. | 9.0 Clear annual fee, no surprise upsells. |
| Integrations | 8.0 Built-in Mercury app, Stripe Tax, Stripe Payments. | 7.0 DocuSign baked in; cap-table tools (Carta) link out. |
| Solo-founder fit | 9.5 Built for this exact use case. | 8.5 Annual plan justifies itself after 2–3 docs/year. |
❦ Feature matrix
Features
| Feature | Stripe Atlas | Clerky |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware C-corp | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Delaware LLC | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Other state entities | — No | ● Yes |
| EIN application | ● Yes | Annual tier |
| Bank account (Mercury) | ● Yes | — No |
| Stripe Tax (1 year) | ● Yes | — No |
| Equity issuance docs | ● Yes | — No |
| 83(b) election | ● Yes | ● Yes |
| Registered agent (1 yr) | ● Yes | — No |
| Annual franchise tax | Not included (~$450/yr) | — No |
| Founder agreements | ● Yes | — No |
| Ongoing legal docs | — No | — No |
| SAFE note templates | — No | ● Yes |
| Priced round docs | — No | ● Yes |
| Board consents | — No | ● Yes |
| Stock issuance | — No | ● Yes |
| DocuSign integration | — No | ● Yes |
| Bank account | — No | — No |
| Cap-table management | — No | no (links to Carta) |
❦ Every tier, side by side
Pricing
Stripe Atlas
| Atlas | $500 one-time | Everything except annual franchise tax (~$450/yr) |
Clerky
| Incorporation | $199 one-time | C-corp with standard equity setup |
| Annual Plan | $400/yr | Unlimited docs after incorporation |
| Premium | $1,500/yr | Lawyer-reviewed templates, priority support |
❦ What each one is genuinely good at, and what to know going in
Strengths and tradeoffs
Stripe Atlas
Strengths
- ●Complete incorporation package — entity, EIN, bank account, tax filings
- ●Generates lawyer-grade equity and IP assignment docs
- ●Mercury integration eliminates the worst part (US bank as a non-resident)
- ●Includes 1 year of Stripe Tax, which alone is worth ~$200
Tradeoffs
- ●Annual franchise tax (~$450) is not part of the $500 fee — surprises first-timers
- ●Limited to Delaware C-corp and US LLC — no other jurisdictions
- ●Customer support is async-only (email and chat, no phone)
Clerky
Strengths
- ●Template library matches what YC and most VCs expect
- ●Annual plan unlocks unlimited docs — pays off after ~3 documents
- ●SAFE round paperwork is genuinely one-click after first round
- ●All docs are DocuSign-ready, no paper signatures
Tradeoffs
- ●Slower incorporation than Stripe Atlas (1–2 weeks vs ~7 days)
- ●No bank account integration — you handle that separately
- ●Older UI; some users find the navigation dated
❦ Who each one is built for
Fit by founder type
| Founder type | Stripe Atlas | Clerky |
|---|---|---|
| Solo Founder | Strong fit The reason this product exists. Done in a week, $500. | Strong fit Annual plan ($400) covers everything pre-Series A. |
| Small Team | Workable Works fine; ongoing legal needs require Clerky or a lawyer. | Strong fit Where Clerky earns its keep — multiple funding rounds. |
| Agency | Not the right fit One-time incorporation product, not for ongoing legal. | Not the right fit Built for startups, not for agency client legal work. |
❦ Quick reference
Key facts
Stripe Atlas
- 2016
- Stripe
- 75,000+ companies
- Founders from 145+ countries
- ~7 days
Clerky
- 2011
- San Francisco, CA
- 25,000+ startups
- 200+ legal templates
- Built-in
❦ When to pick each
Two right answers, two different situations.
Pick Stripe Atlas when
The reason this product exists. Done in a week, $500.
Pick Clerky when
Annual plan ($400) covers everything pre-Series A.