# Carta Pricing 2026: Free to 25 Holders, Then a Quote URL: https://aistartupinsights.com/review/carta-pricing Type: review Locale: en Published: 2026-10-27 Updated: 2026-10-28 --- > Carta Launch is free to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised. Paid tiers are quote-only, and Vendr's median is $15,450 a year. We read the tiers, 386 reviews and cheaper rivals. *Desk review, prices verified 28 October 2026* ## Carta Pricing 2026: Free to 25 Holders, Then a Quote Published tiers, Vendr contract data, four review platforms and a verdict for founders and funds. ## Verdict **Score: 6.8/10** Carta is the default cap table and its pricing is the weak point. Launch is free up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, but Build, Grow and Scale are quote-only. Vendr's data on 406 purchases puts the median at $15,450 a year, within a range of $2,947 to $55,413. G2 gives 4.3/5 across 233 reviews, and cost is its most-cited complaint. **Quick scores:** - Cap table and equity core: 9/10 - Compliance and 409A depth: 8.5/10 - Free tier: 8/10 - Pricing transparency: 3.5/10 - Value for money: 5.5/10 - Support and onboarding: 5.5/10 **Pros:** - Launch is free up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, with phone support - Feature stack grows from 11 to 28 listed items across four tiers - G2 holds 4.3/5 on 233 reviews, 91% of them at four or five stars **Cons:** - Build, Grow and Scale show no dollar price, so every quote starts with a sales call - Vendr's deal data spans $2,947 to $55,413 a year, an 18.8x spread - Trustpilot sits at 2.0/5 and G2 reviewers flag onboarding and support gaps *Call to action: Visit Carta* (Free Launch plan. Paid tiers by demo request.) > **Disclosure** — Disclosure: aistartupinsights has no paid relationship with Carta and this page carries no commission link today. The call to action points to the official site. We did not subscribe to Carta or run it on a live cap table, so every figure below comes from public pages, review platforms and a third-party pricing dataset, each named in the methodology. ## How this review was built - **Version tested:** Published plans and public pages as of 28 October 2026 - **Test period:** 2026-10-27 → 2026-10-28 **Test categories:** Published pricing, Tier feature counts, Contract data (Vendr), Review platforms, Alternatives This is a desk review, not a hands-on trial. Carta sells paid plans through a demo and quote, so we did not run it on our own cap table and we claim no usage hours. What we did: read Carta's plans page and Launch page on 28 October 2026 and counted the features each tier lists; read Vendr's Carta buyer guide, which reports 406 purchases; read G2's rating distribution and ten most recent written reviews, the 25 most helpful Capterra reviews, TrustRadius' 67 listed reviews and Trustpilot's 20; and priced Cake Equity from its own pricing page. Reddit threads were found through search, but our scraper cannot load Reddit, so only the snippet text is used and labelled that way. Ledgy and Eqvista prices come from a third-party roundup because Ledgy's pricing URL returned a 404. Four screenshots were captured live on 28 October 2026. Vendor claims are labelled as such. ## Should you pay for Carta? **YES if you...** - Companies with a priced round on the horizon, where investors often expect the cap table to live on Carta - Teams that need 409A valuations, Form 3921 and ASC 718 reporting from one vendor - Venture funds and SPVs that want fund administration and the cap table in one place - Founders under 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, who get the full Launch tier free **NO if you...** - Seed companies with 40 to 100 stakeholders that only need a cap table and e-signed grants, where Cake or Eqvista list lower prices - Buyers who need a price in writing before a sales call, since only Launch has one - UK teams: Trustpilot reviewers report a forced move to the US product after the Capdesk acquisition - Anyone planning to negotiate nothing: Vendr buyers saved 13% on average, so the first quote is rarely the last ## Carta plans for private corporations ### Launch — Free Up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised - 11 listed features - Cap table, securities issuance, exercising and repurchasing - 83(b) form, ISO management, equity reporting - SAFE modeling, SAFE fundraising and closings - Email, chat and phone support ### Build — Quote Up to 50 stakeholders - 16 listed features - Adds priced round modeling, Deal Closings and Deal Pro Forma - White-glove onboarding - Add-ons available ### Grow — Quote *(Recommended by Carta)* Flexible stakeholder limit - 20 listed features - Adds board meetings and Form 3921 - 409A valuations and audit support - Everything in Build ### Scale — Quote Flexible stakeholder limit - 28 listed features - Adds ASC 718 and IFRS reporting with audit support - Rule 701 management, exit modeling, IPO advisory - SSO for admins **ROI breakdown:** Vendr's median of $15,450 a year is 5.6 times Cake Equity's $2,750 Team plan, which includes two 409A valuations. At 100 stakeholders the Cake Team plan computes to $6,350, against a $10,000 floor for Carta's 100 to 300 stakeholder band in Vendr data. **Hidden costs & gotchas:** - Build, Grow and Scale list no dollar price: each quote starts with a sales call - 409A is listed as included from Grow, yet Vendr reports it quoted separately at $2,000 to $5,000 per valuation in its deal data - Per-stakeholder overages of $20 to $50 above the contract cap, a Vendr estimate - Annual escalators of 5% to 10% at renewal, a Vendr estimate - Onboarding or migration fees of $1,000 to $5,000 reported, often negotiable - Add-ons sold separately: Total Compensation, Equity Advisory, Liquidity and QSBS Attestation ## Customer ratings by platform Real counts read on 28 October 2026. Each card links to the source page. *[Interactive widget — see the live page for the full experience]* ## What we measured - **Free tier ceiling:** 25 stakeholders *(Carta Launch page; also capped at $1M raised)* - **Listed features, Launch to Scale:** 11, 16, 20, 28 features *(Counted per tier on carta.com/plans, cumulative)* - **Median annual cost:** 15,450 USD per year *(Vendr, 406 purchases, buyers saved 13% on average)* - **Lowest and highest contract:** 2,947 to 55,413 USD per year *(Vendr range, an 18.8x spread)* - **Median vs Cake Equity Team:** 5.6 x *($15,450 against $2,750, the Cake plan with two 409As included)* - **Cake Team at 100 stakeholders:** 6,350 USD per year *($2,750 for 40 stakeholders plus 60 more at $60 each)* - **G2 rating:** 4.3 out of 5 *(233 reviews: 170 five-star, 42 four, 6 three, 2 two, 13 one)* - **G2 four and five-star share:** 91 % *(212 of 233 reviews)* - **Capterra rating:** 4.2 out of 5 *(66 reviews; ease of use 4.0, customer service 3.8)* - **TrustRadius score:** 8.2 out of 10 *(67 reviews and ratings)* - **Trustpilot score:** 2.0 out of 5 *(20 reviews, 7 in the last 12 months)* - **Days to Pulley opt-in deadline:** 33 days *(From 28 October to the 30 November Carta offer cut-off)* > Scenario shown: compare the four plans on the official pricing page Four columns: Launch is the only one with a price, Free, for up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised. Build covers up to 50 stakeholders, Grow is marked Recommended, and Scale has a flexible limit. Build, Grow and Scale show a Get started button and no dollar figure. > Scenario shown: check what the free tier is for The Launch page headline reads The leading cap table platform, free, with a Get started for free button and a Carta notification mock-up saying the cap table is ready. Sign-up needs an email address and a certificate of incorporation, and no card. > Scenario shown: read the aggregate rating on G2 The listing for Carta Equity Suite shows 4.3/5 from 233 reviews, a G2 Top 50 badge and, in the Pricing panel, only the free Launch plan for 25 stakeholders. The paid tiers are listed as Contact Us further down the page. ## Pros and cons in detail ### Pros - **The free tier is a complete starter cap table** — Launch covers cap table, securities issuance, 83(b), SAFE modeling and phone support for up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised. No card is needed. - **Compliance depth scales with the tier** — Form 3921 and 409A arrive at Grow, then ASC 718, IFRS, Rule 701 and IPO advisory at Scale. Most rivals stop earlier. - **Reviewers praise the interface** — On G2, ease of use is the top positive with 26 mentions, ahead of equity management with 24 and user interface with 15. - **One vendor spans company and fund** — Carta lists fund administration for 8,800+ funds and SPVs, a vendor figure we did not verify. ### Cons - **Paid tiers have no published price** — Build, Grow and Scale are demo-only, so a founder cannot budget before a sales call. Rivals such as Cake publish every tier. - **Contract values vary 18.8x** — Vendr's low is $2,947 and its high $55,413 a year. The median is $15,450. Stakeholder count and add-ons drive the gap. - **Cost is the top G2 complaint** — Expensive carries 12 mentions on G2, ahead of onboarding issues at 9 and poor support and complex reporting at 7 each. - **Support and cancellation draw heavy criticism** — Trustpilot averages 2.0/5, with reviewers describing hard cancellations and slow replies. Capterra rates customer service 3.8 against ease of use at 4.0. ## Final verdict: strong product, opaque price **Score: 6.8/10** Carta earns its place as the default because the product works and investors know it. The Launch tier is a real offer: under 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, a founder gets a full cap table, SAFE tools and phone support for nothing. G2's 233 reviews, 91% at four or five stars, back the product itself. The price is the problem. Nothing above Launch is published, Vendr's contract data runs from $2,947 to $55,413 a year, and the median of $15,450 is 5.6 times Cake Equity's Team plan. Trustpilot at 2.0/5 and the G2 threads on onboarding and support suggest service does not always match the price. Our score is 6.8/10. Start on Launch, expect to leave it at 25 holders or $1M, and get a competing quote before the Build or Grow call. If a priced round is close, or you run a fund, Carta's depth is worth paying for. Otherwise price Cake and Eqvista first. **Dimensional scoring:** - **Cap table and equity core:** 9/10 — Top G2 praise - **Compliance and 409A depth:** 8.5/10 — Grow and Scale tiers - **Free tier:** 8/10 — 25 holders, $1M raised - **Pricing transparency:** 3.5/10 — Only Launch is priced - **Value for money:** 5.5/10 — 5.6x Cake Team at median - **Support and onboarding:** 5.5/10 — Capterra support 3.8 *Call to action: Visit Carta* ## Common questions ### How much does Carta cost in 2026? Carta Launch is free for up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised. Build, Grow and Scale have no published price. Vendr's data on 406 purchases gives a median of $15,450 a year, with contracts from $2,947 to $55,413. ### Is Carta free? Only the Launch plan. It needs fewer than 25 stakeholders and less than $1M raised, and Carta says you upgrade in-product once you pass either limit or need a 409A valuation. ### Does Carta include 409A valuations? Carta's plans page lists 409A valuations as included from the Grow tier. Vendr reports that in its deal data they are often quoted separately at $2,000 to $5,000 per valuation, so confirm it in writing. ### What do customers say about Carta? G2 gives 4.3/5 on 233 reviews, Capterra 4.2/5 on 66 and TrustRadius 8.2/10 on 67. Trustpilot gives 2.0/5 on 20. Praise centers on ease of use; complaints center on cost, onboarding, support and cancellation. ### Is Pulley shutting down, and does Carta take its customers? Pulley announced it will cease operations on 8 December 2026 and named Carta its preferred migration partner. The opt-in deadline for Carta's offer is 30 November 2026. Confirm terms with Carta before signing. ### What is the cheapest Carta alternative? Cake Equity lists Free for 5 stakeholders, Build at $1,000 a year for 25 and Team at $2,750 with two 409As. Eqvista lists a free plan under 20 stakeholders. Both publish prices, unlike Carta's paid tiers. ### Can you negotiate Carta pricing? Yes. Vendr says buyers saved 13% on average and that multi-year terms and competing quotes often unlock larger discounts. Ask about stakeholder caps, overage fees and renewal escalators. ### Is Carta worth it for a seed-stage startup? Under 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, the free tier is hard to beat. Past that, a seed company with 40 to 100 stakeholders can pay several times more than on Cake or Eqvista, so compare quotes. ## Update log - **2026-10-28** — Initial publication: pricing read from carta.com, contract data from Vendr, ratings from G2, Capterra, TrustRadius and Trustpilot. ## FAQ ### How much does Carta cost in 2026? Carta Launch is free for up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised. Build, Grow and Scale have no published price. Vendr's data on 406 purchases gives a median of $15,450 a year, with contracts from $2,947 to $55,413. ### Is Carta free? Only the Launch plan. It needs fewer than 25 stakeholders and less than $1M raised, and Carta says you upgrade in-product once you pass either limit or need a 409A valuation. ### Does Carta include 409A valuations? Carta's plans page lists 409A valuations as included from the Grow tier. Vendr reports that in its deal data they are often quoted separately at $2,000 to $5,000 per valuation, so confirm it in writing. ### What do customers say about Carta? G2 gives 4.3/5 on 233 reviews, Capterra 4.2/5 on 66 and TrustRadius 8.2/10 on 67. Trustpilot gives 2.0/5 on 20. Praise centers on ease of use; complaints center on cost, onboarding, support and cancellation. ### Is Pulley shutting down, and does Carta take its customers? Pulley announced it will cease operations on 8 December 2026 and named Carta its preferred migration partner. The opt-in deadline for Carta's offer is 30 November 2026. Confirm terms with Carta before signing. ### What is the cheapest Carta alternative? Cake Equity lists Free for 5 stakeholders, Build at $1,000 a year for 25 and Team at $2,750 with two 409As. Eqvista lists a free plan under 20 stakeholders. Both publish prices, unlike Carta's paid tiers. ### Can you negotiate Carta pricing? Yes. Vendr says buyers saved 13% on average and that multi-year terms and competing quotes often unlock larger discounts. Ask about stakeholder caps, overage fees and renewal escalators. ### Is Carta worth it for a seed-stage startup? Under 25 stakeholders and $1M raised, the free tier is hard to beat. Past that, a seed company with 40 to 100 stakeholders can pay several times more than on Cake or Eqvista, so compare quotes.