Comparison
Stripe Atlas vs Clerky.
Both form the venture-standard Delaware C-Corp; they differ in packaging and in what comes after. Stripe Atlas is one $500 purchase — formation, EIN, founder stock, 83(b), a year of registered agent, and the Stripe ecosystem. Clerky unbundles — ~$427 to incorporate, ~$299 for post-incorporation setup, ~$819 lifetime — and wins on attorney-drafted paperwork that startup lawyers treat as the standard.
Side by side
| Stripe Atlas | Clerky | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Web portal — one guided flow, everything in a single purchase | Web portal — guided forms, unbundled products, lawyer-friendly |
| Entity types | Delaware C-Corp or LLC | Delaware C-Corp only (its specialty) |
| Pricing (as published, mid-2026) | $500 one-time, all-in | ~$427 formation + ~$299 post-incorporation setup, or ~$819 lifetime package |
| Registered agent | First year included; ~$100/yr after | ~$125/yr |
| EIN | Included (automatic SS-4 filing) | Included |
| Founder stock + 83(b) | Prefilled stock purchase agreements; 83(b) generator with filing letter | Restricted stock purchase agreements, notices of issuance, prefilled 83(b) with instructions (post-incorporation setup) |
| Documents | Standard templates prefilled for e-signature (charter, bylaws, IP assignment, consents) | Attorney-drafted standard documents widely treated as the canonical set by startup lawyers |
| Post-formation | Dashboard, $2,500 Stripe credits, large partner-perks marketplace, bank account help | The deepest paperwork library in the space: SAFEs, option grants, hiring documents, amendments |
| Best for | First-time founders who want one purchase and the Stripe ecosystem | Venture-track teams whose lawyers will live in the documents |
Details reflect publicly listed information as of mid-2026 and change often — verify current pricing and inclusions at stripe.com/atlas and clerky.com.
Where Stripe Atlas is stronger
Simplicity and ecosystem. One purchase covers the whole venture-standard setup — Delaware filing with the conventional 10M-share structure, automatic EIN application, prefilled founder stock agreements, an 83(b) generator, a year of registered agent, and help opening a US bank account. On top sit $2,500 in Stripe credits and a large partner-perks marketplace. Atlas also forms LLCs, which Clerky doesn't, and its alumni base is enormous — the path is extremely well trodden.
Where Clerky is stronger
The paperwork, and everything after formation. Clerky's documents are attorney-drafted and widely treated by startup lawyers as the canonical set, which matters most in lawyer-led processes. Its post-formation library — SAFEs, option grants, hiring documents, amendments — is the deepest in the space, and the lifetime package makes that library a one-time purchase. The unbundled pricing also means you only buy what you need: formation alone runs ~$427 if you have another plan for the rest.
The verdict
If you're a first-time founder without counsel, want one purchase, and expect to run payments on Stripe anyway, pick Stripe Atlas. If your lawyer is involved — or you know you'll be issuing SAFEs, options, and hiring paperwork and want it all in one meticulous system — pick Clerky. Neither choice is a mistake: both produce the same Delaware C-Corp with documents investors accept, at totals within about $300 of each other. The real decision is what you want around the formation: Atlas sells an ecosystem, Clerky sells a paperwork library.
Broader field? See how to choose an incorporation service, the Stripe Atlas alternatives roundup, and the Delaware C-Corp guide.
A third path: agent-first
Full disclosure: Corply is this site's own product, so we won't pretend to be neutral about it. Both Atlas and Clerky assume you'll drive a web portal. Corply assumes you'd rather your agent drove: the whole formation runs from Claude Code — the agent asks the application questions, generates the same venture document set, collects each cofounder's binding e-signature from their own machines under an ESIGN/UETA audit trail, and a human reviews every submission before it goes to Delaware. Flat fee, no hourly billing (see corply.dev). It only makes sense for terminal-native founders — the head-to-heads with each incumbent are at Corply vs Stripe Atlas and Corply vs Clerky, with everything else in the comparisons index.
Do it from Claude Code
Corply runs the whole flow — application, documents, cofounder e-signature, and a human-reviewed Delaware filing — from one command.
then run /incorporate
FAQ
- Is Stripe Atlas or Clerky better for a first-time founder?
- For most first-time founders without a lawyer yet, Stripe Atlas is the simpler pick: one $500 purchase covers formation, EIN, founder stock, the 83(b), a year of registered agent, and bank account help. Clerky rewards founders who know they'll use its post-formation paperwork library or who already have counsel involved.
- Is Stripe Atlas or Clerky cheaper?
- They land close. Atlas is $500 all-in; Clerky's formation plus post-incorporation setup totals roughly $726, or ~$819 for the lifetime package that unlocks its standard post-formation documents (all as published, mid-2026 — verify at stripe.com/atlas and clerky.com). If you'd later pay for SAFEs and hiring paperwork anyway, Clerky's lifetime package can be the better long-run buy.
- Do startup lawyers prefer Clerky?
- Clerky has a strong reputation with startup counsel — its documents are attorney-drafted and its post-formation paperwork is widely used in lawyer-led processes. That said, Stripe Atlas's document set is standard and well accepted too; no serious investor or lawyer will balk at an Atlas-formed company.
- Can either form an LLC?
- Stripe Atlas forms Delaware LLCs as well as C-Corps. Clerky is a Delaware C-Corp specialist and does not form LLCs. If you're unsure which entity you need, settle that first — see our guide to the Delaware C-Corp.
- What is Corply and how is it different from both?
- Corply is this site's own product, so read this answer accordingly: it forms the same venture-ready Delaware C-Corp, but from Claude Code — the agent runs the application, generates the documents, collects each cofounder's binding e-signature under an ESIGN/UETA audit trail, and a human reviews every Delaware submission. It's for terminal-native founders; if you want a web portal, Atlas and Clerky are the proven choices.
This page is general education, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Corply is operated by 0Lumen Labs Corp., is not a law firm, and routes questions that need individualized judgment to licensed professionals. Rules and fees change — verify current requirements with the State of Delaware, the IRS, or your counsel.