GmbH vs AG: what 744,362 register entries say about how Switzerland incorporates in 2026

Ask most people which company form dominates Switzerland and they will say the AG — the classic Aktiengesellschaft. The register says otherwise. Across all 744,362 entries in the Swiss commercial register (Regista's snapshot of the official Zefix / LINDAS data, 4 July 2026), the GmbH is now clearly ahead.

The headline numbers

• GmbH / Sàrl: 268,140 entries — about 36% of the register.
• AG / SA: 240,363 entries — about 32%.
• Sole proprietorships (Einzelfirma): roughly 168,000 entries — about 23%.
• Associations (Verein): 12,501. Foundations (Stiftung): roughly 17,500.
• Cooperatives (Genossenschaft): 6,290.

Together the GmbH and AG account for two thirds of every entity registered in Switzerland. The GmbH's lead makes economic sense: CHF 20,000 minimum capital instead of CHF 100,000, the same limited liability, and since the 2008 revision essentially the same operational flexibility for a small firm.

What this means if you are founding

The GmbH is the statistical default for new Swiss businesses, the AG remains the form of choice where capital, anonymity of shareholders or later investment rounds matter, and the sole proprietorship is still the lightest way to start — a quarter of the register runs on it. Whichever you pick, check your name is free first (see Regista's free name-check tool) and remember the register entry is public from day one.

Method note: counts are from the full official register snapshot (744,362 entries, 4 July 2026). Register vocabulary splits a few categories across several labels; sole proprietorship and foundation figures above merge those variants. Explore the live numbers on Regista's insights page.