Sleek vs 1st Formations: UK Company Formation Compared in 2026

Who is Sleek?

Sleek is a modern accounting and business compliance provider, founded by entrepreneurs in 2017. Built around a tech-first approach and shaped by what fellow business owners actually need, Sleek’s goal is to cut through admin and free founders to focus on growth.

Sleek delivers a digital-first setup with smart technology at the centre of company administration. Every accountant a client works with is part of Sleek’s in-house UK team. That means no outsourcing, no disconnect, and one trusted partner for the long term.

Core services include:

• Company incorporation and corporate secretarial
• Full accounting and bookkeeping
• Payroll and compliance management
• Tax filing, planning, and ongoing advice
• SEIS/EIS, R&D tax credits, and crypto accounting

Sleek is also a Xero Platinum Champion partner with certified staff across Xero Advisor and Xero Payroll. New clients get SleekBooks, our own bookkeeping software, with Xero available as an add-on at £375 a year.

By pairing intelligent tooling with in-house expertise, Sleek streamlines the routine while staying personal. Sleek is a certified B Corporation, has supported over 450,000 businesses worldwide, and currently serves more than 15,000 active customers.

Who is 1st Formations?

1st Formations is a specialist UK company formation agent, established in 2014 and headquartered in Covent Garden, London. Part of the BSQ Group, the company has formed over 1 million UK companies and holds a Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5 from more than 22,000 reviews, making it the highest-rated company formation agent in the UK.

1st Formations is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), an official designation granted by Companies House to formation agents meeting strict anti-money laundering and identity verification standards. This means ID verification is handled as part of every formation, in line with the requirements introduced under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.

Services include:

• Limited company formation across seven packages (Digital, Privacy, All Inclusive, All Inclusive with Accounting, Non-Residents, LLP, Limited by Guarantee)
• Accounting plans through sister company BSQ Accounting, from £49 + VAT a month
• Registered office, director service address, and London business address services
• Hassle-Free Compliance Service covering Confirmation Statement filing and statutory registers
• VAT and PAYE registration
• Issue and transfer of shares, dormant company filings, company name changes
• Address services renewable annually as standalone products
• Banking referrals via Wise, Revolut Business, Payoneer and WorldFirst

1st Formations sells accounting through BSQ Accounting, a sister company in the BSQ Group. Plans start at £49 + VAT a month for year-end accounts and Corporation Tax, with VAT returns, payroll and Self Assessment for one director from £89 + VAT a month, and a dedicated accountant on the £129 + VAT Scale plan.

The service is only available to UK residents and only to companies formed through 1st Formations, so existing companies and overseas founders still need a separate accountant.

For founders who want a single, low-cost formation product with strong compliance support and a separate accounting relationship to follow, 1st Formations is one of the strongest options on the UK market.

Sleek vs 1st Formations: Formation packages compared

Both providers offer multiple tiers, but the structure is different.

1st Formations offers seven formation packages at fixed one-off fees, from a bare-bones registration through to a non-resident setup and a package bundled with accounting.

Sleek offers three formation packages that scale from basic registration into bundled ongoing accounting and admin.

1st Formations packages

1st Formations quotes each package as a one-off price that includes the £100 Companies House fee, with 20% VAT charged on the agent portion only.

The main packages for UK residents and non-residents are:

• Digital Package at £102.99 (~£103.59 all-in). Covers digital formation only, with electronic copies of the Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, and share certificates.
• Privacy Package at £117.99 (~£121.59 all-in). Adds a registered office and director service address at the Covent Garden headquarters, protecting home addresses from the public register. If keeping your home address off the public register is the main concern, our guide to the company registered office address explains what’s published and what isn’t.
• All Inclusive Package at £139.99 (~£147.99 all-in). Adds the London business address, VAT registration, PAYE registration, GDPR compliance pack, and the Hassle-Free Compliance Service for the first year.
• All Inclusive with Accounting Package at £39.99 + VAT, with 1st Formations covering the £100 Companies House fee. Includes 12 months of address services, the compliance service and the first month of accounting, then continues as a monthly accounting subscription from £49 + VAT.
• Non-Residents Package at £99.99 + VAT (~£219.99 all-in). Designed for overseas founders, includes all three address services, Full Company Secretary Service for the first year, and a business banking referral via Wise, Revolut Business or Payoneer.

There are also packages for Limited Liability Partnerships (£124.99) and Limited by Guarantee companies (£119.99), both including the Companies House fee.

Sleek formation packages

Sleek’s formation packages are priced as one-off fees plus VAT and include the £100 Companies House fee within the headline price.

The three tiers are:

• Essential Formation Package at £250 + VAT. Covers fully managed company formation, registered office at Regent Street London, director’s service address, first Confirmation Statement filing, and a free business bank account referral. Our step-by-step guide to registering a company in the UK covers what you’ll need to hand before you start.
• Business Compliance Package at £925 + VAT. Everything in Essential Formation, plus a dedicated UK accountant, annual bookkeeping, year-end accounts and Corporation Tax return, your Director’s Tax Return and VAT filing.
• Full Management Package at £1,155 + VAT. Everything in Business Compliance, plus company administration and management, a London business address and digital mailroom.

Matching the right package to your situation

The right product depends on what happens after Companies House confirms your registration.

On these figures, the two routes cost almost exactly the same in year one. The difference is the service model: Sleek assigns a dedicated UK accountant from day one, while 1st Formations reserves a dedicated accountant and phone support for its Scale plan at £129 + VAT a month.

When 1st Formations is cheaper, and when Sleek is

The numbers shift based on which 1st Formations package you start with and how complex your trading activity is:

• Dormant or low-activity companies: 1st Formations’ Digital Package (£102.99) or its Simple accounting plan (£49 + VAT a month) is the cheapest route in year one.
• Active single-director companies: first-year costs are broadly level, with Sleek adding a dedicated accountant.
• Non-UK residents and existing companies: 1st Formations’ accounting service isn’t available to either, so Sleek is the only one of the two that can pair formation or switching with ongoing accounting.

What happens after you incorporate?

A newly formed UK limited company has a long list of recurring obligations. These are not one-off tasks.

Recurring obligations every active limited company faces

• Annual accounts filed with Companies House
• Corporation Tax return submitted to HMRC
• Confirmation Statement filed every 12 months
• Payroll run if anyone is drawing a salary
• VAT registration and quarterly returns once turnover crosses £90,000. The registration threshold and what happens when you cross it are covered in our VAT threshold guide.
• Self Assessment for directors taking dividends

Miss any of these and the penalties add up quickly. Our guide to HMRC and Companies House fines sets out what each late filing costs.

How each provider covers the workload

1st Formations handles the statutory company secretarial side through its Hassle-Free Compliance Service at £149.99 per year. This covers:

• Confirmation Statement filing
• Statutory register maintenance
• Dormant company accounts submission
• Compliance support by phone and email

Accounting is a separate BSQ Accounting subscription, open to UK-resident founders who form with 1st Formations:

• Simple, £49 + VAT a month: year-end accounts, Corporation Tax return, VAT registration and Xero
• Standard, £89 + VAT a month: adds VAT returns, PAYE registration, and payroll and Self Assessment for one director
• Scale, £129 + VAT a month: adds a dedicated accountant, phone and video support, and payroll and Self Assessment for up to three people

Clients are referred to accountant partners through the Rewards section of the Online Company Manager.

Sleek bundles the accountant in from day one. Every Sleek accounting plan, from £75/month + VAT (billed annually), includes:

• Dedicated UK-based accountant
• Bookkeeping
• Year-end accounts and Corporation Tax filing
• Confirmation Statement filing
• Director’s Self Assessment

Questions worth asking yourself

1. Do I want one provider, or two?
2. Do I want my formation agent and my accountant to be in the same system, sharing the same data?
3. How much is my time worth in coordinating between two providers when something needs to change?

Some founders prefer the focused expertise of a pure formation agent paired with an independent accountant. Others want a single point of contact who knows the full picture of the business.

Sleek vs 1st Formations: Accounting and ongoing services

Sleek’s accounting service is built around four plans set by turnover:

• Starter, £900 + VAT a year: annual bookkeeping, year-end accounts, Corporation Tax, Confirmation Statement and one Self Assessment return, for turnover up to £90,000.
• Scale, £1,399 + VAT a year or £130 + VAT a month: quarterly bookkeeping and two Self Assessment returns, for turnover up to £90,000.
• Pro, £2,160 + VAT a year or £200 + VAT a month: monthly bookkeeping plus VAT registration and quarterly VAT filing, for turnover up to £200,000.
• Enterprise, £4,299 + VAT a year or £399 + VAT a month: adds quarterly management accounts, a quarterly advisory call and same-day support, for turnover up to £500,000.

The equivalent setup using 1st Formations

Replicating the same coverage through 1st Formations means combining:

• The All Inclusive with Accounting Package (£39.99 + VAT)
• An accounting plan: £49 + VAT a month, rising to £89 for VAT returns and director payroll, or £129 for a dedicated accountant
• The Hassle-Free Compliance Service (£149.99 a year) and address services (£39 to £161 a year) once the first 12 months end

Founders with an existing trusted accountant may prefer a modular setup. Founders who already have a company, or live outside the UK, can’t use 1st Formations’ accounting service and will need a separate accountant.

1st Formations vs Sleek: Company secretarial and compliance

Both providers offer company secretarial support, but the scope and pricing model differ.

1st Formations has built a deep specialism in company secretarial work, and the Hassle-Free Compliance Service is well-designed for founders who want statutory support without full accounting.

Sleek’s approach absorbs the same tasks within the accounting relationship rather than pricing them as a separate service, so clients already on a Sleek accounting plan don’t need an additional product for statutory filings.

Sleek vs 1st Formations: Onboarding and getting set up

How each provider handles the first 24 hours after you sign up is worth weighing, especially if you’re working to a deadline.

Sleek onboarding

Sleek’s onboarding is built around removing the legwork from the client. With Sleek:

• Formation fee included in the package price, with no separate Companies House charge to pay
• Full setup for Making Tax Digital
• Bank feeds and app integrations connected for you
• Complete handover from your previous accountant if you’re switching
• Guided onboarding call with clear next steps
• Ongoing support by email, phone, and chat
• 30-day money-back guarantee

You’re set up to be compliant from day one, with a clear roadmap and a dedicated accountant who knows your business.

1st Formations onboarding

1st Formations runs a fast, software-led onboarding process focused on getting the company registered as quickly as possible:

• Online application form completed in 5–10 minutes
• ID checks completed for directors, shareholders and the customer (required under ACSP rules)
• Application submitted to Companies House, usually approved within 24 hours
• Same-day formation available for £79.99, for orders placed before 12 noon Monday to Friday
• Full document set delivered by email on incorporation
• Online Company Manager dashboard for ongoing filings and address management
• Support via phone, email and live chat (Managed Live Chat included on selected packages)

Important to consider

A few things worth thinking about before committing:

• 1st Formations offers same-day formation as a £79.99 add-on; Sleek’s managed formation typically completes within 24 hours
• Sleek includes a 30-day money-back guarantee
• Sleek assigns a dedicated accountant from incorporation; 1st Formations includes one only on its £129 + VAT Scale plan
• 1st Formations is faster and cheaper if you only need the registration itself
• Sleek removes more friction if you want bookkeeping, payroll and tax handled in the same setup

If speed of registration is the priority and you have your accounting handled elsewhere, 1st Formations is one of the fastest formation routes available. If you want a complete setup including the accountant and the first year of compliance, Sleek consolidates the process into a single onboarding.

Sleek vs 1st Formations: Certifications and awards

Awards and certifications aren’t the whole picture, but they signal how each provider is viewed in the industry.

Both providers carry strong credentials. The difference is the type of credential, with Sleek’s leaning toward accounting and fintech, and 1st Formations’ leaning toward formation-specific industry standards and high-volume client reviews.

Sleek vs 1st Formations: Customer reviews

Independent reviews reflect real customer experiences. Both providers are well rated, with 1st Formations holding the higher score in absolute terms.

1st Formations holds a Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5 from over 22,000 reviews, making it the highest-rated formation agent in the UK. Customers frequently praise the speed of formation, the clarity of the online process, and the responsiveness of the support team.

Sleek holds 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot and 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 4,100+ reviews, with a 95% client satisfaction rate from 16,000 surveyed clients. Customer feedback frequently mentions the personalised support, the quality of the dedicated accountants, and the responsiveness of the in-house team.

Both providers attract praise for friendly, knowledgeable service. The right fit comes down less to ratings and more to whether the service model matches what your business actually needs.

Sleek vs 1st Formations: Which provider is right for you?

Both Sleek and 1st Formations support UK business owners who want to incorporate without the admin overhead. The decision comes down to what you need after the company is registered.

Choose Sleek if you want

• An end-to-end provider covering formation, accounting, tax and payroll
• A dedicated UK accountant included from day one
• Fixed pricing for ongoing accounting from £75/month + VAT (billed annually), available to existing companies and non-UK residents
• Specialist support for SEIS/EIS, R&D tax credits, and crypto compliance
• A 30-day money-back guarantee on accounting packages
• One provider, one dashboard, one point of contact

Choose 1st Formations if you want

• The lowest-cost formation product on the UK market
• A formation specialist with the highest Trustpilot rating in the category, plus optional accounting for new UK companies
• The flexibility to choose your own accountant
• Strong company secretarial support via the Hassle-Free Compliance Service
• Established expertise in non-resident formation with multi-bank referrals
• A one-off formation fee without ongoing service commitments

How Sleek helps with end-to-end company formation

Sleek’s end-to-end incorporation service is built around the things that actually move the needle for growing businesses: a fully managed formation, a dedicated UK accountant from day one, and bundled compliance that scales as the company grows.

From the moment your company is registered through to your first year’s annual accounts and Corporation Tax return, Sleek covers the full lifecycle of a UK limited company under one provider. No second relationship to source. No coordination overhead. No gap between formation and accounting.

Thousands of UK businesses have already made the switch from formation-only providers to Sleek’s bundled model. The 30-day money-back guarantee removes the risk from your decision.