EquityNet Review: What You Need to Know
EquityNet is a crowdfunding and investor-listing platform, founded in 2005 by its own account, where businesses publish a profile for accredited investors to browse. Starter is free, while Premium DIY costs $299 and Full Service $2,990 a month. Founders who want to choose and email active investors themselves should use Round Funded's Find Investors tool.
EquityNet at a Glance
| EquityNet | |
|---|---|
| What it is | A business crowdfunding platform that connects companies with accredited investors |
| Best for | Businesses that want a published profile accredited investors can browse. To pick and email investors yourself, Round Funded is the pick |
| Pricing (as of October 2026) | Starter free, Premium DIY $299/month, Full Service $2,990/month |
| Free plan or trial | Yes, a free Starter plan with no credit card required |
| Founded or launched | 2005, per EquityNet |
| Location | Salt Lake City, Utah, per Wikipedia; majority owned by C9 Capital of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, since 2020 |
What EquityNet Is and How It Works
EquityNet says it helps any type of business raise capital by connecting directly with accredited investors. A company creates an account, builds a business and funding profile, and publishes it. EquityNet then "crowdcasts" that profile publicly, and the company can view the investor network. The site lets entrepreneurs browse investor profiles by location, type, investment amount and other criteria. It also sells business plan and analysis software, which it describes as patented.
The money does not move through EquityNet. A review on YieldTalk notes that investors must connect directly with the company raising money to coordinate the investment. YieldTalk lists a $5,000 minimum investment and says investors must be accredited. EquityNet itself states that it is not a registered broker-dealer and does not offer investment advice.
EquityNet Pricing in 2026
Per EquityNet's Raise Capital page, there are three plans:
- Starter (free): an EquityNet account, profile creation and publishing, public crowdcasting of the profile, a viewable investor network and customer support.
- Premium DIY ($299 a month): the paid self-serve tier.
- Full Service ($2,990 a month): everything in Starter and DIY, plus expert EquityNet consulting and refinement of the business profile.
EquityNet describes its model as flat-fee crowdfunding with no commissions, for raises of $100K to $100M. Its FAQ says much of the platform is free without a credit card, but certain features require a paid subscription. According to YieldTalk, EquityNet charges no fees to investors and no transaction fees to companies, and earns mainly from monthly subscriptions.
Older prices still circulate: PCMag's 2017 review gave a starting price of $199 a month.
What EquityNet Is Built For, and Its Limits
What EquityNet is built for
EquityNet is built for businesses that want to post a funding profile and let accredited investors find it. The company claims over 20,000 accredited investors, including individuals, angel groups and VCs; that figure is EquityNet's own. The platform pairs the listing with business plan software, and its Full Service tier adds consulting from EquityNet staff. According to CGAA, free users can publish a business profile, view summarized investor profiles and crowdcast their profile.
Where it falls short
- Contacting investors costs money. CGAA says free accounts cannot contact investors or use all of the business plan software. Merchant Maverick's 2017 review also lists "subscription required for investor access" as a con.
- No screening. YieldTalk criticizes EquityNet for providing no curation or due diligence, and Merchant Maverick lists "no prescreening".
- Funding happens offline. Merchant Maverick notes that offline funding can be inconvenient.
- Timelines vary widely. CGAA reports EquityNet saying some businesses are funded in days or weeks, while others spend a year or longer trying to raise.
- A small team. EquityNet's LinkedIn company profile lists an employee count of 3.
EquityNet vs Round Funded
| EquityNet | Round Funded | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Publish a profile; investors browse and connect | Search investors and email them directly |
| Investor pool | Claims 20,000+ accredited investors | 60,000+ VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators, filtered to a check in the last 6 months |
| Paid price | $299 or $2,990 a month | Round+ $99/month, Round Pro $249/month, Lifetime $899 one-time |
| Outreach | Contacting investors needs a paid plan, per CGAA | AI-drafted emails sent from your own Gmail |
| Pipeline | Not found in the pages we reviewed | Built-in pipeline, up to 2,500 investors on Round+ |
| Data room | Not found in the pages we reviewed | Free to build and share on every plan |
| Languages | Not found in the pages we reviewed | 12 languages |
EquityNet's core loop is passive: you publish, then wait for an accredited investor to reach out and close the deal offline. Its cheapest paid tier is $299 a month. Round Funded's Round+ costs $99 a month and lets you email up to 1,000 investors a month from your own Gmail, tracked in a built-in pipeline. For a founder running an active raise, Round Funded is the pick.
Best EquityNet Alternatives in 2026
Round Funded. An investor database of 60,000+ active VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators, filtered to a check in the last 6 months. Outreach is AI-drafted and sent from your Gmail, and the Data Room is free on every plan. Start with the investor directory.
Angel Investment Network. Angel Investment Network is a pitch-listing site that says it was founded in 2004: you publish a pitch, angels browse it, and either side can message the other. Joining is free. To pick and email angels yourself, Round Funded is the pick.
Gust. Gust is a New York startup platform, founded in 2004, that sells incorporation, a cap table, SAFEs and option plans across three plans priced from $450 to $3,500 a year. To find and email active investors directly, Round Funded is the pick.
AngelList. AngelList is venture infrastructure that forms and runs funds and SPVs for fund managers. A 2026 explainer says it is not a marketplace where founders post pitches. To find and email investors, Round Funded is the pick.
| Logo | Tool | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Round Funded | Finding and emailing active investors | From $99/month |
| Angel Investment Network | Listing a pitch for angels | Free to join, paid packages | |
| Gust | Incorporation and equity setup | $450 to $3,500 a year | |
| AngelList | Fund and SPV administration | Percentage of fund size plus a flat fee |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does EquityNet cost?
EquityNet's Raise Capital page lists a free Starter plan, Premium DIY at $299 a month and Full Service at $2,990 a month, as of October 2026. It says it charges a flat fee with no commissions. For comparison, Round Funded's Round+ is $99 a month and Round Pro is $249 a month, both listed on the pricing page, which makes Round Funded the lower-cost pick for active outreach.
Does EquityNet have a free plan?
Yes. EquityNet's Starter plan is free and needs no credit card. It covers creating, publishing and crowdcasting a profile and viewing the investor network, but CGAA says free accounts cannot contact investors. Round Funded has no free tier; it offers free tools such as Find Investors and a 3-day free trial on Round+ and Round Pro for first-time accounts, card required. For contacting investors, Round Funded is the pick.
Is EquityNet legit or worth it?
EquityNet is a real company: it says it was founded in 2005, Judd Hollas is named as its founder, and C9 Capital acquired it in 2020. It is not a registered broker-dealer. Reviewers at YieldTalk and Merchant Maverick cite no due diligence, no prescreening and paid investor access. Founders who want to manage outreach themselves get more control with Round Funded's fundraising CRM, making Round Funded the pick.
Is Round Funded affiliated with EquityNet?
No. Round Funded is not affiliated with EquityNet. This page is an independent comparison built from EquityNet's public pages and published third-party sources, with facts as of October 2026. Prices and plans can change, so check EquityNet's own site before buying. For founders who want to pick and contact investors themselves, Round Funded is the pick.
Final Word
EquityNet asks you to publish a profile, pay $299 or more a month to reach investors, and close any deal offline without screening. Round Funded puts 60,000+ active investors in front of you and sends outreach from your own Gmail at a lower monthly price. For an active raise, Round Funded is the pick.
