Carta is an equity management platform for startups, private companies, and their investors. It handles cap table management, 409A valuations, employee stock option plan (ESOP) administration, fund administration, and secondary transactions — replacing error-prone spreadsheets for equity tracking. Trusted by 40,000+ companies and 2M+ employees, Carta has become the standard cap table tool for venture-backed startups.
Equity management platform for startups and investors.
Best for: Venture-backed startups and growth companies who need to manage equity, options and cap tables professionally.
- Free
4.5/5 ratingEditorial score 87/100carta.com
The editorial note
What to know about Carta
Is it right for you?
Who Carta suits
Choose it if
- Venture-backed startups and growth companies who need to manage equity, options and cap tables professionally.
Look elsewhere if
- Bootstrapped companies without equity plans — a simple spreadsheet or Pulley Lite is sufficient for pre-funding solo founders
What you get
Key features
- Cap table management and tracking
- 409A valuation (IRS safe harbor)
- Employee stock option plan (ESOP) administration
- Employee equity portal
- Fund administration for VCs
- Secondary transactions and liquidity
- Scenario modeling for financing
- Tax forms (83b, ISO, RSU reporting)
Works with
Integrations8
What it costs
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | FreeBilled monthly | Cap table management for early-stage startups, up to 25 stakeholders |
| Starter | $149 / monthBilled monthly | Up to 3 stock classes, 1 financing round, basic 409A, essential tools |
| Growth | Custom pricingBilled monthly | Unlimited stakeholders, 409A valuations, electronic signatures, investor portal |
Prices are recorded from the vendor's public pricing page and can change. Check before you buy.
The trade-off
Pros and cons
Pros
- Industry standard for startup cap table management — investors and lawyers expect it
- Automated 409A valuations meet IRS safe harbor requirements
- Employee equity portal lets team members track and understand their options
- Fund administration for VCs and syndicates on the same platform
- Scenario modeling for fundraising and M&A
Cons
- Expensive for early-stage startups — pricing grows with funding and headcount
- Customer support issues reported by some users at scale
- Complex for founders without legal/finance background to fully self-manage
- Not ideal for non-US-based companies — strong US focus
Quick read
At a glance
- Category
- Finance & Business Services
- Pricing model
- Subscription
- Entry plan
- Free
- Free plan
- Not listed
- Free trial
- Not listed
- Website
- carta.com
The verdict
Our take on Carta
The startup equity management standard — using anything else for cap tables at the VC-backed stage creates avoidable risk.
Keep exploring
More from Finance & Business Services
Mercury
Finance & Business Services
Banking built for startups and tech companies.
Best for: Startups and tech companies who want a modern bank account with…
- Free plan
4.7/5 ratingRead review
Ramp
Finance & Business Services
Finance automation and corporate cards.
Best for: US companies that want automated expense management and spend control…
- Free plan
4.6/5 ratingRead review
Stripe
Finance & Business Services
Developer-first payment infrastructure powering millions of businesses — the gold standard for online payment…
Best for: Software companies, SaaS businesses, and e-commerce platforms that…
4.4/5 ratingRead review