Sleek vs 1st Formations 2026: Which UK Company Formation Agent Should You Use?

💬 Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission when you complete a purchase at no extra cost to you. The comparison below stays neutral — every price comes from the agents' official pages, checked August 2026.

Here is the honest math before any nuance: the cheapest credible way to form a UK limited company through an agent right now costs £103.59 (1st Formations' Digital package), while the cheapest equivalent at Sleek costs £265. Yet telling you to "just pick the cheaper one" would be lazy advice, because Sleek's £704–£1,056 tiers bundle full accounting and tax compliance — services that would cost you £600–£1,200+ a year from a high-street accountant on top of a cheap formation. So the real question is not "which agent is cheaper?" but "who is doing your company's books this year?" This guide walks through both agents' official package pricing, models two founder scenarios (a Gulf-based non-resident and a hands-off store owner), and shows you exactly where each agent wins.

Quick Verdict

• 1st Formations if you want the lowest entry cost with maximum flexibility: formation from £103.59 including the government's Companies House fee, a dedicated Non-Residents package at £219.99 with London registered office and service address, VAT/PAYE registration options, and a free domain in most packages. Form your UK company through 1st Formations here.
• Sleek if you want incorporation plus managed accounting, tax filings, and compliance from day one, and accept paying more for it: Essential at £265, Business Compliance at £1,085 (currently ~£704 with their 20% promotion), Full Management at £1,615 (currently ~£1,056).

Rule of thumb: tight budget and you file your own paperwork → 1st Formations. You hate admin and want it all handled → Sleek.

What Each Agent Actually Does

Since the UK's identity-verification rules came into force, forming through an authorised agent (ACSP — Authorised Corporate Service Provider) is the smoothest path, especially for non-residents: the agent verifies your identity, files the incorporation, and supplies the registered office address every UK company must legally have.

1st Formations is a London-headquartered specialist that has been forming companies for over a decade. It sells formation-focused packages — more than twenty of them — covering everything from a bare-bones digital incorporation to bundles with London addresses, VAT and PAYE registration, printed documents, meeting-room access, and an annual compliance service. It carries a 4-star rating from 3,000+ verified reviews and is a Companies House-registered ACSP.

Sleek operates across four markets — Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and the UK — with a different philosophy: only three broad packages, designed so that the upper tiers hand you a fully managed back office. Sleek's UK operation is headquartered on Regent Street, London, runs under ACSP number AP012971, claims 420,000 founders served across its markets, and partners directly with Revolut for business banking.

The Official Package Pricing, Side by Side

1st Formations (checked August 2026)

Current extras across most packages: a free .com or .co.uk domain, a free UK phone number for three months, and a Shopify offer (3-day trial then 3 months at £1/month). All prices include the government's Companies House incorporation fee (£100 online, £124 postal) — no surprise at checkout.

Sleek UK (checked August 2026)

Sleek's promotion runs on a countdown timer, so treat the discounted figures as time-sensitive. Note the gap between tiers: there is no mid-market "formation + address only" package priced against 1st Formations — Sleek jumps from £265 straight to the compliance-included tiers.

The Two-Year View (Where the Real Decision Lives)

Read the last two rows carefully: without an accountant, 1st Formations is roughly six times cheaper over two years; with a full external accountant, the totals converge and Sleek can win. That is the entire decision compressed into one table.

Scenario 1: A Gulf-Based Founder Registering Remotely

Ahmed in Riyadh wants a UK Ltd to sell consulting services to European clients, without flying to London:

• Through 1st Formations: the £219.99 Non-Residents package provides a London registered office and service address, VAT registration if he needs it, business-bank-account referrals (digital banks such as Revolut generally accept non-residents), and an annual compliance service. Entry cost: under £220.
• Through Sleek: the £265 Essential covers incorporation and address privacy, but the accounting-and-tax management Ahmed would actually want starts at £704. The upside: Sleek's Revolut partnership makes the banking step flow directly from the formation process.

The non-residents offer — official image from the 1st Formations website

If Ahmed's affairs are simple — a handful of invoices, modest expenses, one annual filing — the self-managed route via 1st Formations saves him roughly £485 in year one versus Sleek's entry tier, and the gap widens in year two when Sleek renews at full price. For a fuller breakdown of every government fee hiding inside these packages, see our guide to UK company formation costs.

Scenario 2: A Hands-Off Store Owner Who Wants Accounting Included

Sara in Dubai is launching an e-commerce store serving UK customers and wants nothing to do with spreadsheets:

• Through Sleek: Business Compliance at ~£704 bundles incorporation with accounting and tax — a team prepares her annual accounts, files them, and chases her deadlines.
• Through 1st Formations: the £147.99 All Inclusive forms the company, registers VAT and PAYE, and includes an annual compliance service, but actual bookkeeping and the year-end accounts remain hers or an external accountant's (billed separately).

Here the table flips: £704 all-in can undercut £147.99 plus £600–£1,200 of external accounting. Sleek wins this specific case — which is precisely the market it built its UK packages for. And note that from April 2026, more UK filing obligations have moved onto digital rails under Making Tax Digital; if you also hold UK property, our Making Tax Digital guide for landlords and business owners explains those thresholds and deadlines separately.

Why Use an Agent at All Instead of Companies House Direct?

Fair question: the government's own portal incorporates companies for £100. Three differences justify an agent for most non-residents:

1. Identity verification. The current regime requires an authorised provider to verify founders' identities. Agents run this electronically end-to-end; the direct-government route can be clumsier from abroad.
2. The registered office. Every UK company needs a UK address by law. Agents bundle one (usually London) into the package; buying address service standalone typically costs £40–£120/year elsewhere.
3. The extras. Confirmation statement handling, VAT registration, document templates, a free domain, and human support by email — included or available as add-ons.

We compared the agent-versus-government route line by line — including where the direct route genuinely wins — in 1st Formations vs Companies House: which route is better?

Speed, Platform, and Support Experience

• Speed: electronic incorporation via any ACSP typically completes within 24 working hours after identity checks, because the filing mechanism at Companies House is the same for both agents. The real variable is your documents — a valid passport, a recent proof of address, and clean director/shareholder details.
• The dashboards: 1st Formations gives you a straightforward order-and-documents panel with renewal reminders. Sleek positions itself as a broader business-management platform: company profile, upcoming obligations, accounting, and a dedicated team inbox.
• Support: both operate in English. 1st Formations' support is fast and formation-specialised; Sleek's runs deeper on accounting and compliance because that is its core paid service.

The shared mechanics, step by step: choose an available company name (the final say rests with Companies House), submit director and shareholder details with shareholdings, upload ID documents, pay — then the agent files on your behalf, and you receive your certificate and company number (CRN) electronically, usually next working day. From that moment your Ltd is a fully liable legal entity: contracts, invoices, a business bank account, and annual obligations that start counting from incorporation day, not from your first sale.

For Non-Resident Founders: Five Decision Points

1. Do you already trust an accountant? Yes → 1st Formations and keep your accountant. No → Sleek bundles one.
2. Do you need a prestigious London address for contracts and business cards? 1st Formations' Prestige tier delivers exactly that at a modest price — see all 1st Formations packages here.
3. Do you plan to open a UK digital bank account? Sleek integrates directly with Revolut; 1st Formations provides banking referrals in the Non-Residents package. Both get you there.
4. Will you register for VAT? Registration becomes mandatory once taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in a rolling 12 months; voluntary early registration has pros (input-tax recovery) and cons (quarterly returns). Both agents offer it — free within specific 1st Formations packages.
5. What happens in year two? Budget the renewals — address service, confirmation statement, accounting — before falling for a year-one headline price.

For the address question specifically — which every non-resident asks first — here is 1st Formations' official explainer:

Source: 1st Formations official YouTube channel

And for the question that follows it, the official answer on business bank accounts for non-residents:

Source: 1st Formations official YouTube channel

Reputation Check

1st Formations displays a 4-star rating from 3,000+ verified clients; the recurring complaints in public reviews concern renewal fees for address and mail services rather than failed incorporations — a pattern common across the whole formation industry, so check what renews annually before you buy. Sleek runs under ACSP AP012971, advertises 420,000 founders served across its four markets, and lists 3,000+ verified client reviews. Crucially, both are regulated by the same government body: neither is "more official" than the other. Before paying either, screenshot the final checkout page (it usually itemises one-off versus recurring charges), ask support in writing for the year-two renewal price, confirm identity verification is included, and — if you are abroad — confirm which proof-of-address documents your country's documents satisfy.

Where Each Agent Falls Short

1st Formations cons:
- Full accounting is not built into base packages — it is an add-on or an external arrangement.
- Twenty-plus packages can overwhelm a first-time buyer.
- The "compliance service" in some bundles is a reminders-and-filings service, not full accounting — read inclusions precisely.

Sleek cons:
- Materially more expensive at entry (£265 vs £103.59).
- The 20% promotion is time-limited; tiers renew at full price.
- No low-cost middle tier competing with 1st Formations' address packages — it jumps from £265 to £704+.
- Its deepest operational experience is in Singapore and Australia; the UK arm is newer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sleek cheaper than 1st Formations?
At entry level, no: £265 vs £103.59. But when you add formation plus a year of accounting, Sleek's discounted £704 tier can beat 1st Formations plus a separate accountant.

Are both agents officially recognised by Companies House?
Yes — both are authorised ACSPs (Sleek under AP012971), regulated by the same government body.

Which package is best for non-residents from the Gulf?
1st Formations' Non-Residents package (£219.99) is purpose-built: London addresses, VAT registration, banking referrals, and annual compliance. If you want managed accounting from day one, start at Sleek's Business Compliance.

Do these prices include the Companies House fee?
Yes — both agents' prices incorporate the government fee (£100 online, £124 by post).

Do I need accounting in year one?
A UK Ltd must file annual accounts and a corporation-tax return even with zero profit, so the question is only who prepares them. Self-file or use a cheap accountant → 1st Formations; want it fully managed → Sleek.

How long does incorporation take through each?
Usually under 24 working hours after identity verification, via either agent — the filing mechanism is identical.

Can I switch agents later?
Yes, any time, by notifying Companies House of your new registered office/service provider. Your company belongs to you. Switch before your annual renewal, not after, to avoid paying twice.

Which is better for a non-profit or an LLP?
1st Formations — it sells dedicated Limited by Guarantee (£123.99) and LLP (£129.99) packages, while Sleek's UK tiers focus on commercial Ltd companies.

The Verdict

If money is the primary constraint — and for most first-time founders from our region it is — 1st Formations offers the strongest entry value in the market: a complete incorporation with a London address from £121.59, and a well-designed non-residents package at £219.99. Start your UK company with 1st Formations today. If your first year will carry real transaction volume and you want zero accounting headaches, Sleek's discounted all-in tiers (£704–£1,056) justify themselves. The most honest summary: price the two-year total — formation, renewals, accounting — and choose on that number, not on either agent's homepage.

Sources

1. 1st Formations official packages page: https://www.1stformations.co.uk/packages/
2. Sleek UK official pricing page (checked August 2026; we do not link to competitor agents — search "Sleek UK pricing" for the official page)
3. UK government guidance on limited company formation and fees: https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation
4. 1st Formations official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@1stformations
5. 1st Formations — registered address rules: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ipFWo9MaDE
6. 1st Formations — business bank accounts for non-residents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=955CDcBJuWM