Carta
Equity management software
Accounting & finance software
Compensation planning software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is Carta
Carta is an equity management platform used to manage capitalization tables, equity plans, and related stakeholder records across private and public companies. It supports workflows such as issuing equity, tracking vesting and exercises, managing option pools, and producing reports for audits and financial reporting. The product is commonly used by founders, finance teams, legal counsel, and administrators to maintain a system of record for ownership and equity transactions. Carta also offers services and modules that extend into valuations, tax forms, and investor/employee equity communications.
Comprehensive cap table workflows
Carta supports core equity administration tasks such as issuances, transfers, vesting schedules, exercises, and stakeholder communications in a single system. It is designed to serve as a central record for ownership and equity events over time. This breadth can reduce reliance on spreadsheets and ad hoc document tracking. It also fits organizations that need consistent processes across multiple entities or plans.
Equity plan and reporting support
The platform includes features for managing equity plans and producing outputs used in finance and compliance processes (for example, audit support and equity-related reporting). It can help standardize how equity data is captured and reconciled for downstream accounting and finance needs. This is useful when equity activity becomes frequent and requires repeatable controls. Teams can use the system to maintain documentation and history around equity events.
Ecosystem for stakeholders
Carta is built to be used by multiple stakeholder types, including company administrators, employees, investors, and external advisors. This multi-party orientation can streamline distribution of statements and reduce back-and-forth for routine questions about holdings and vesting. It also supports collaboration around approvals and record updates. The approach aligns with organizations that need a shared source of truth across internal and external parties.
Pricing and packaging complexity
Total cost can be difficult to estimate because functionality may be split across modules and service components. Organizations may need to purchase additional capabilities as they mature (for example, advanced reporting or valuation-related services). This can be a constraint for smaller companies that only need basic cap table tracking. Buyers often need careful scoping to avoid paying for unused features.
Implementation and data migration effort
Moving from spreadsheets or another equity system typically requires data cleanup, document reconciliation, and careful validation of historical transactions. Errors in legacy records can surface during onboarding and extend timelines. Companies with complex histories (multiple rounds, secondary transactions, or restructurings) may need additional administrative effort. This can increase reliance on internal finance/legal resources during rollout.
Not a full finance suite
While Carta supports equity-related reporting and workflows, it does not replace core ERP, payroll, or general ledger systems. Teams usually still need integrations or manual processes to align equity activity with broader accounting close and compensation operations. For compensation planning beyond equity (salary, bonus, headcount planning), separate tools are typically required. This can create additional process coordination across systems.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Free — up to 25 stakeholders and up to $1M raised | Cap table management, securities issuance, exercising & repurchasing, 83(b) support, ISO management, investor management, equity reporting, HRIS & payroll integrations, email/chat/phone support. (Freemium eligibility stated on Carta site.) |
| Build | Not listed publicly — price per stakeholder; contact sales | Up to 50 stakeholders. Includes cap table management, securities issuance, exercising & repurchasing, equity reporting, HRIS & payroll integration. (Price shown as per-stakeholder with minimum annual fee; exact amount not published.) |
| Grow | Not listed publicly — price per stakeholder; contact sales | Mid-tier package (features not priced on site). Carta states pricing is per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee; contact sales for exact pricing. |
| Scale | Custom pricing / contact sales | Enterprise-level plan. Carta indicates per-stakeholder pricing and a minimum annual fee; contact sales for full quote. Add-on products (Total Compensation, Equity Advisory, Liquidity, QSBS Attestation, etc.) are sold separately. |
Notes: Pricing page lists four package names (Launch, Build, Grow, Scale). The site states pricing is "price per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee" and that total price requires contacting sales; specific per-stakeholder rates or minimum fee amounts are not published on the public pricing pages.
Seller details
Carta, Inc.
San Francisco, CA, USA
2012
Private
https://carta.com/
https://x.com/carta
https://www.linkedin.com/company/carta/
