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Matter vs Firstbase
Matter is an API-first entity-as-a-service platform covering the full lifecycle. Firstbase is a formation product oriented toward international founders. Side-by-side feature comparison.
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Firstbase forms US Delaware C-Corps and LLCs for international founders and bundles a US bank account (via Mercury or a partner), a tax-filing add-on, and registered-agent service. The product runs as a guided web flow; programmatic access is limited.
Matter is API-first and lifecycle-complete: formation, EIN, founder stock, 83(b), cap-table, governance, annual filings, BOI, foreign qualification, M&A, dissolution. Matter does not open the bank account — partner choices (Mercury, Brex) sit alongside the formation API.
Feature matrix
| Capability | Matter | Firstbase |
|---|---|---|
| Public REST API | ✓ | Partial |
| MCP server (agent-native) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Delaware C-Corp formation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wyoming LLC formation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Non-US founder support | ✓ | ✓ |
| EIN application (incl. ITIN flow) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Registered agent (50 states) | ✓ (included) | ✓ |
| Bundled US bank account | ✗ | ✓ (partner) |
| Founder restricted stock + 83(b) | ✓ | Add-on |
| Cap-table maintenance | ✓ | ✗ |
| SAFE / convertible-note issuance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Priced-round close | ✓ | ✗ |
| Annual report + franchise tax | ✓ | ✓ (add-on) |
| FinCEN BOI initial + updates | ✓ | Add-on |
| Foreign qualification | ✓ | ✗ |
| M&A corporate-transaction workflow | ✓ | ✗ |
| Programmatic dissolution | ✓ | ✓ (paid) |
| Tax-return preparation | Partner | ✓ (add-on) |
| Cryptographic Incorporator Receipt | ✓ | ✗ |
When to pick Matter
- You need an API for the full entity lifecycle, not just formation.
- You are operating multiple entities (a venture studio, an embedded fintech, an AI-agent platform).
- You need cap-table, governance, and equity-issuance APIs alongside formation.
When to pick Firstbase
- A non-US founder wants a single bundled experience that includes the US bank account in addition to the entity.
- You want tax-return preparation packaged with the formation product.
- You do not need an API and prefer an end-to-end web flow with manual customer support.
FAQ
Related
- How to start a company — the canonical answer page.
- cookbook/form-a-company — runnable formation recipe.
- cookbook/file-foreign-qualification — operating across multiple states.