Surrogate Alternatives Compared to Brownstone Surrogacy: Choosing the Right Agency for Your Family
Surrogate Alternatives, a family-owned surrogacy agency, and Brownstone Surrogacy, a surrogacy agency headquartered in New York City, are both founder-led. Both use independent escrow and serve intended parents across multiple states.
The core differences are matching and screening order, agency fee structure and escrow provider naming. Surrogate Alternatives matches on compatibility with screening after the match and one agency fee disclosed upfront. Brownstone Surrogacy screens carriers before matching, at its own cost, and stages its agency fee across four milestones. This page lays out the differences so intended parents can decide which model fits their family.
Surrogate Alternatives
- Founder-led since 1998 by a former surrogate
- No paid or unpaid waiting lists
- Independent third-party escrow via SeedTrust
- Fixed agency fees with a line-item breakdown
Brownstone Surrogacy
- Screening completed before matching, at Brownstone's cost
- $50,000 agency fee staged across four milestones
- Escrow provider not publicly named
- Founder-led by Jarret Zafran, Esq., a reproductive-law attorney
(SeedTrust)
Surrogate
acceptance
Founder-led
How Matching Order, Fees and Escrow Compare
Surrogate Alternatives does not operate paid or unpaid waiting lists. Many intended parents begin reviewing curated surrogate profiles within days, based on compatibility. Medical screening and psychological evaluation take place after a match is made.
Brownstone Surrogacy completes screening for intended parents and carriers, including medical record review, psychological evaluation and background checks covering criminal history, motor vehicle records and credit review, before matching and at its own cost. Brownstone Surrogacy's process evaluates legal fit first, then substantive alignment such as transfer preferences and communication style. The carrier reviews intended-parent information first and decides whether to proceed before intended parents receive the carrier's profile.
Both agencies connect intended parents with carriers through curated processes, but the sequence differs. Intended parents who want to begin reviewing profiles quickly may find Surrogate Alternatives a better fit, while those who want screening completed before Brownstone Surrogacy presents a profile may value Brownstone Surrogacy's order.
SAI Discloses One Agency Fee While Brownstone Stages Its Fee Across Four Milestones
Surrogate Alternatives publishes transparent pricing of $150,000 to $200,000, with fixed agency fees and a detailed cost breakdown disclosed before the journey begins. There are no surprise agency fees.
Brownstone Surrogacy publishes a domestic agency fee of $50,000, staged across four milestones: $5,000 at enrollment, $25,000 at preliminary match, $15,000 when intended parents and the carrier execute the legal agreement and $5,000 upon confirmed fetal heartbeat. Brownstone Surrogacy's total published domestic cost estimate is $150,000 to $200,000, with a best estimate of $180,000, excluding IVF and gamete donation.
The two agencies' total published cost ranges are close. The difference is how each agency structures payment: Surrogate Alternatives discloses one fee upfront, while Brownstone Surrogacy releases its agency fee in stages tied to milestones in the journey. Intended parents comparing the two should weigh whether a single upfront figure or a milestone-based schedule fits their planning better.
SAI Names Its Escrow Provider While Brownstone Does Not
Surrogate Alternatives requires all client funds to be held through SeedTrust, an independent third-party escrow provider. Surrogate Alternatives never holds or controls escrowed funds at any point, and every dollar moves through SeedTrust rather than through Surrogate Alternatives directly.
Brownstone Surrogacy requires intended parents to fund an independent escrow account for carrier compensation, travel, medical costs and other expected expenses before the carrier begins pre-transfer medication. Brownstone Surrogacy publishes an escrow fee of approximately $2,000 as part of its current cost schedule and returns unused funds to intended parents after the journey, but does not publicly name a standard escrow provider.
Brownstone Surrogacy funds escrow before a carrier begins pre-transfer medication, which is a timing commitment, not a transparency one. Timing says when money moves, not who is checking the account itself. States that regulate escrow directly, like California, require licensed agents to file CPA-audited annual reports. New York does not impose that particular requirement on Brownstone's arrangement, so intended parents working with any unnamed provider should ask directly whether the funds are audited, and by whom.
Talk With Surrogate Alternatives About Your Journey
Intended parents who want a family-owned, surrogacy-focused agency with a founder who lived the journey, no waiting list, curated matching and a named independent escrow provider can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with Surrogate Alternatives. An agency director walks intended parents through the full surrogacy process and answers all questions about medical, legal and financial requirements before intended parents and surrogates sign any agreements.
Surrogate Alternatives coordinates with fertility clinics and reproductive law attorneys nationwide so families have experienced professionals at every stage. Surrogate Alternatives has been building families since 1998.
The right agency is the one whose process, values and focus match what matters most to your family. Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with Surrogate Alternatives to find out if this is the right fit.
