Carta Pricing: How Much Does Carta Cost a Startup?
Carta's cap table is free on its Launch plan up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised (as of October 2026). Paid tiers are quote-only; Vendr data puts companies under 50 stakeholders at an estimated $3,000 to $8,000 a year. Round Funded is not a cap table tool: it helps founders find and reach investors; its cap table calculator is free.
Past Launch, Carta charges per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee, so the bill grows with your cap table.
Carta at a Glance
| Carta | |
|---|---|
| What it is | Equity management: cap table, securities, 409A valuations and compliance |
| Best for | Early-stage founders building a first cap table; funded companies whose lawyers and investors already use Carta |
| Pricing (as of October 2026) | Launch free up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised; Build, Grow and Scale by quote |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan (Launch); Capterra lists no free trial |
| Founded or launched | 2012 as eShares; renamed Carta in 2017 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco |
| What it does not do | Publish paid-tier prices, or include a 409A on Launch |
What Carta Is and How It Works
Carta was founded as eShares in August 2012 by Henry Ward and Manu Kumar and rebranded as Carta in 2017. It says over 50,000 companies in more than 160 countries use it, including 85% of US unicorns for their cap table.
The core is a real-time digital cap table that updates as transactions occur. You manage share classes and vesting templates, issue securities electronically, and, as a US company, use Carta as your SEC-registered transfer agent for option exercises and repurchases.
Carta's current pricing page also lists investor updates, and an older one lists a data room; we cover how Carta's data room works for a raise separately.
Carta Pricing in 2026
As of October 2026, Carta publishes one price: Launch is free. Per Carta's pricing page, each package has a price per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee; for Build, Grow and Scale, neither number is published. We found no monthly billing option; the only fee period Carta states is the annual minimum.
| Plan | Price (as of October 2026) | Limit | Plan card highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | Free | Up to 25 stakeholders, $1M raised | Cap table, securities issuance, 83(b) form, ISO management, SAFE modeling and closings |
| Build | Quote; per stakeholder, annual minimum | Up to 50 stakeholders | Priced round modeling, Deal Closings, white-glove onboarding |
| Grow | Quote; per stakeholder, annual minimum | Flexible | 409A valuations and tax support |
| Scale | Quote; per stakeholder, annual minimum | Flexible | ASC 718 and IFRS reporting, Rule 701 management, IPO Advisory |
What Buyers Report Paying (Estimates)
Third-party estimates, not list prices: figures published by Adlega in October 2026, or by Startup Yeti in July 2026 where named. Adlega credits the median, the under-50-stakeholder range and the 409A range to Vendr.
- $3,000 to $8,000 a year for companies under 50 stakeholders
- $15,450 a year median across 406 Carta purchases
- $30,000 or more a year for late-stage companies (Startup Yeti)
- $1,000 to $5,000 one time for onboarding or migration (Startup Yeti)
- 5% to 15% increases at renewal
- $2,000 to $5,000 per 409A when quoted separately
- $20 to $50 for each stakeholder above a tier limit (Startup Yeti)
Adlega argues the 409A decides the bill for most seed companies: Launch includes none, so a company needing a Carta 409A must upgrade. The cheaper path Adlega estimates, as of October 2026: a free cap table plus an outside 409A for about $1,500 a year, with stand-alone 409As from around $1,299.
Startup Yeti reports that 15% to 25% off the first quote is common and that onboarding fees are often waived if you negotiate or come through a partner referral. Adlega notes that Stripe Atlas lists a 20% Carta discount for companies it incorporates.
What Carta Does Well
Carta is strongest where ownership has to be legally exact: it is an SEC-registered transfer agent, and on that job it beats Round Funded outright.
- A real free plan. Startup Yeti calls Launch "a real free plan with genuine cap table management, not a trial." Round Funded has no free tier.
- Depth on equity, up to an IPO. A startup COO on Capterra says Carta has been "saving lots of time to grant stocks or stock options." Scale's plan card lists ASC 718, IFRS reporting and IPO Advisory. Round Funded does none of this.
- A fit if your lawyers already use it. If you need the broadest feature set and your lawyers already use Carta, a poster on r/founder writes, the switching cost might not be worth it.
- Well rated on Capterra. Reviewers there give Carta 4.2 out of 5 from 66 reviews (as of October 2026), and a VP of Finance praises its "well structured reports, funding overviews, cap tables."
Where Carta Falls Short
- No price past the free tier. Past 25 stakeholders or $1M raised, in Startup Yeti's words, what you pay "is set by negotiation rather than a number on a page."
- Renewal jumps. Beyond the 5% to 15% renewal increases Adlega reports, one poster on r/founder says their renewal quote came in "38 percent higher than last year."
- Cancellation friction. Per Adlega, founders told TechCrunch in December 2024 that Carta made cancelling hard before auto-renewal, and Carta called it "a one-time staffing challenge." Adlega advises giving notice well before renewal.
- Service and interface. Capterra reviewers rate customer service 3.8 out of 5. On Trustpilot, Carta scores 2 out of 5 from only 19 reviews; a June 2026 reviewer wrote: "Hard interface to use. Not clear at all."
Carta vs Round Funded
Carta keeps a real-time record of who owns your company; Round Funded helps you find and reach the investors you pitch.
| Carta | Round Funded | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Equity: cap table, 409A, compliance | The raise: finding and reaching investors |
| Cap table | Real-time, with electronic issuance | Not a cap table tool; free cap table calculator |
| Fundraising | SAFE and priced round modeling, closings | 60,000+ active investors, outreach from your own Gmail, pipeline |
| Investor sharing | Investor updates, data room | Free Data Room; per-investor link analytics from $99/month |
| Price (as of October 2026) | Free Launch plan; paid tiers by quote | $99/month, $249/month or $899 one-time; 3-day trial on monthly plans for first-time accounts (card required), no free tier |
Carta wins on everything about equity: a free cap table, a transfer agent, 409As and audit support. About to raise? Run both: a cap table tool for ownership, Round Funded for the round.
Best Carta Alternatives in 2026
The best Carta alternative depends on the job: a cheaper cap table, or help with the raise itself.
Round Funded: For the Raise
Round Funded is not a cap table tool: it is for the raise itself, including a round that pushes you past Launch's $1M limit. You get a search across 60,000+ active investors, outreach from your own Gmail, a built-in pipeline, and a free Data Room, with per-investor link analytics from $99 a month. As of October 2026, Round+ is $99 a month, Round Pro $249 a month and Lifetime $899 once; compare the plans.
Mantle
A founder roundup on r/founder calls Mantle the best fit for predictable costs if you are early stage or migrating from spreadsheets. It cites flat-rate pricing instead of per-stakeholder, plus a free tier for pre-seed. That is one anonymous post, and Mantle's prices are unverified.
Cake Equity
The same thread recommends Cake Equity for its international focus, especially Australia and Europe, and for non-US option grants.
Eqvista
The thread calls Eqvista the cheapest of the bunch, with basic functionality.
Vestd
Capterra names Vestd its best overall Carta alternative, on a list that also mixes in accounting software such as Xero and QuickBooks Online.
What About Pulley?
Adlega reports, citing a Pulley FAQ dated September 15, 2026, that Pulley shuts down on December 8, 2026, with Carta as its exclusive migration partner. Per the same report, customers who opt in by November 30 get a 12-month Carta contract at their current Pulley price; year-two pricing is not published. We have not seen Pulley's FAQ ourselves, so confirm the dates with Pulley before you plan a move.
| Logo | Tool | Best for | Price (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Round Funded | Finding and reaching investors | From $99/month |
| Mantle | Predictable costs (per one r/founder post) | Not verified | |
| Cake Equity | Non-US option grants | Not verified | |
| Eqvista | Tight budgets | Not verified | |
| Vestd | Capterra's best overall pick | Not verified |
Who Should Use Carta
Use Carta if you fit inside Launch, or if you are funded, need 409As or audit-ready reporting, and your lawyers already work in it.
Use Round Funded if the problem is the raise rather than the cap table: who to pitch, how to reach them, and who opened your deck.
If per-stakeholder pricing hurts, use a free cap table plus an outside 409A. The r/founder roundup above points to Mantle for flat-rate pricing, Eqvista for tight budgets and Cake Equity for non-US grants. Comparing full fundraising suites? See our all-in-one platforms guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Carta cost for a startup?
Carta is free on its Launch plan up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, as of October 2026. Past that, Build, Grow and Scale are quote-only, priced per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee. Buyer-reported Vendr data, published by Adlega, puts companies under 50 stakeholders at $3,000 to $8,000 a year: an estimate, not a Carta list price.
Does Carta have a free plan or a free trial?
Yes, Carta has a free plan: Launch, which Startup Yeti calls a real free plan, not a trial. It covers up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised. Capterra lists no free trial. At exactly 25 stakeholders or $1M, confirm the limit in writing: Carta words it differently across its pages.
What is included in the Carta Launch plan?
On Carta's US page, Launch includes cap table management, securities issuance, exercising and repurchasing, the 83(b) form, ISO management, equity reporting, SAFE modeling, and SAFE fundraising and closings. It has no 409A valuation; those start on Grow. One FAQ answer on Carta's UK page calls the package Raise.
Is Carta legit and worth it for early-stage startups?
Carta is legit, and on the free Launch plan it is worth it: you pay nothing. An SEC-registered transfer agent, it raised a $500M Series G at a $7.4B valuation in 2021 and says it crossed $500M ARR in 2025. Past Launch, an r/founder poster relays their founder Slack's consensus: Carta is the safe enterprise choice, but alternatives save money at seed and Series A. Model your round first with the free YC SAFE calculator.
What is Carta used for?
Startups use Carta to run a real-time digital cap table, issue securities electronically and model SAFEs. As an SEC-registered transfer agent, Carta handles option exercises and repurchases for US companies, and paid tiers add priced round modeling, 409A valuations and ASC 718 and IFRS reports. Investors use Carta's separate fund administration product.
What are the best Carta alternatives and competitors?
For a cheaper cap table, a founder roundup on r/founder suggests Mantle, Cake Equity and Eqvista; separately, Capterra names Vestd its best overall Carta alternative. If your real job is the raise, Round Funded's investor match finds your 10 best-fit active investors.
Is Round Funded affiliated with Carta?
No. Round Funded has no affiliation with Carta. This is an independent comparison built from Carta's public pages and published third-party sources, including Sacra, Adlega, Startup Yeti, Capterra, Trustpilot and r/founder, with facts as of October 2026. Round Funded is a fundraising platform, not a cap table tool, so the two do different jobs.
Final Word
As of October 2026, Carta's Launch plan is free up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, without a 409A. Past that, every price is a negotiation, so get the quote early and plan for renewal. Before the round, model your dilution with the free cap table calculator, then spend your time on the investors themselves.
