Carta Alternatives in 2026: Free Tiers, Published Prices, and Who Is Still Taking Customers
The cheapest Carta alternatives in 2026 are J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions (free up to 40 stakeholders) and Eqvista (free under 20 stakeholders, or a 409A plus cap table bundle from $990 a year). Cake Equity is the published-price middle ground at $1,000 a year for 25 stakeholders. Two familiar names are off the list: Pulley shuts down on December 8, 2026, and AngelList stopped taking new standalone cap table customers on August 6, 2025. Carta itself publishes only its free Launch tier; Vendr reports $3,000 to $8,000 a year for Carta customers under 50 stakeholders.
Why founders leave Carta
- Price at the first paid tier. "They wanted $8,000 per year for our startup, and we are now working with a competitor for just a few hundred dollars" (Trustpilot, April 17, 2024). An early-growth founder on r/startups wanted to leave because "their fees do not make sense to us anymore" (October 10, 2025). Another thread names "frustration over per-stakeholder pricing" (October 6, 2026).
- The 409A hook. Two Hacker News commenters (January 2024) said they pay for cap table software mainly to get a bundled 409A, because stand-alone appraisals cost more.
- Cancellation and renewal. Founders told TechCrunch (December 12, 2024) that the earliest cancellation meeting Carta offered fell after their renewal date; Carta called it "a one-time staffing challenge".
- Trust. In January 2024 Linear's CEO said Carta had approached Linear's investors about selling their shares without the company's knowledge. Carta then exited secondary trading.
The counterweight is real: a poster on r/startups (October 6, 2026) described Carta as what "your lawyers know" and "your VCs expect", and the main fear of switching was "breaking 409A continuity during diligence". One seed VC on Hacker News (January 2024) wrote that he still sees "a majority of Excel cap tables over Carta". Full Carta cost picture: Carta pricing.
How we chose
- Takes new US startup customers today.
- Publishes at least an entry price or a free tier we could read on the vendor's own page.
- Handles the 409A, or works cleanly with an outside one, since the 409A drives the bill at seed.
The alternatives
J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions
Free for companies with 40 or fewer stakeholders, according to AngelList's migration FAQ; J.P. Morgan's own switch page says only "It's free to use". Eligible customers who also bank with J.P. Morgan Startup Banking get it free up to 100 stakeholders for three years. The 409A comes through partners, so budget for an outside report. No paid price above 40 stakeholders is published on a page we could read. Best fit: a seed company that wants the lowest bill and is happy to buy its 409A separately.
Eqvista
Free under 20 stakeholders, $2 per stakeholder a month above that (custom above 50), and 409A plus premium cap table bundles at $990, $1,290, $1,990 and $2,590 a year from pre-revenue to Series A, with unlimited 409A updates in the year (Eqvista pricing). The page says the tier can move with revenue, stakeholder count and capital structure. One Hacker News user (September 2026) reported "nothing but issues from day 1". Best fit: a company that needs two or more 409As a year.
| Plan | Price (monthly / billed yearly) | For / limits |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium Cap Table | $0 | <20 stakeholders |
| Premium Cap Table | $2/mo | Custom pricing above 50 stakeholders |
| 409A + Premium Cap Table: Pre-Revenue/Pre-Funding | $990/yr | |
| 409A + Premium Cap Table: F&F/Angel | $1,290/yr | |
| 409A + Premium Cap Table: Seed | $1,990/yr | |
| 409A + Premium Cap Table: Series A | $2,590/yr | |
| 409A + Premium Cap Table: Series B+ | Custom | |
| Add-on: Expedited processing | $490 and up | |
| Add-on: QSBS attestation | $1,000 and up | |
| Add-on: ASC 718 | $500 and up |
Prices verified on eqvista.com/pricing on October 12, 2026.
Cake Equity
US pricing: Free for 5 stakeholders, Build $1,000 a year for 25, Team $2,750 a year for 40 with two 409As included, and $60 a year for each extra stakeholder (Cake pricing). Cake shows different prices by country: visitors from Europe saw GBP plans under older names, so check the price for your location. Migration from Carta is free on every plan, and Cake lets you see your cap table in its app before you pay. Best fit: a seed company that wants a published price and quarterly billing on Build.
| Plan | Price (monthly / billed yearly) | For / limits |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, always free | 5 stakeholders |
| Build | $1,000/yr | 25 stakeholders included; +$60 per additional stakeholder per year |
| Team | $2,750/yr | 40 stakeholders included; +$60 per additional stakeholder |
| Pro | Custom | 100 stakeholders included; +$60 per additional stakeholder |
| Add-on: 409A valuation | $1,500 on any annual plan | FAQ: 'You can also add a 409A to any other annual plan for only $1,500.' Was $1,000 on the 2026-02-14 Wayback capture. |
| Add-on: QSBS | Add on (price not shown) |
Prices verified on cakeequity.com/pricing on October 12, 2026.
Ledgy
A Swiss vendor aimed at scale-ups and public companies, with no 409A product on its pricing page. Launch is free, but its own contact-sales page gives the limit as both "below 50" and "below 25" stakeholders. Scale "starts at EUR 5k/year" on the pricing page and "EUR 3,000/year" on the contact-sales page. Prices shown in EUR from Europe; US price not verified.
Capbase
$999 a year flat, unchanged since at least March 2024, covering incorporation, stock issuance, board and cap table (Capbase pricing). No stakeholder limit is stated and no 409A is listed, so add an outside report. Best fit: a founder who has not incorporated yet and wants one bill for setup and cap table.
| Plan | Price (monthly / billed yearly) | For / limits |
|---|---|---|
| Early Stage Startup | $999/yr | Incorporate, issue stock, set up the board, manage the cap table |
Prices verified on capbase.com/pricing on October 12, 2026.
Qapita and EquityList
Both are running switch offers, and neither is in our tracked price set yet. Qapita offers ex-Pulley customers its own rate or their Pulley price, whichever is lower, with free migration. EquityList advertises "50% off year one, with free migration from Pulley or Carta" for YC startups and a free first 409A for ex-Pulley customers.
Not an option for most founders
Pulley shuts down on December 8, 2026; its customers are moving to Carta or elsewhere (Pulley shutdown and alternatives). AngelList closed its standalone cap table to new customers on August 6, 2025; its new product serves only companies using Roll Up or Consolidation Vehicles.
If you are leaving because of cost
| Stage | J.P. Morgan WS + outside 409A | Eqvista | Cake Equity | Capbase + outside 409A | Carta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed, 8 stakeholders, no 409A yet | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $999 | $0 (Launch) |
| Seed, 25 stakeholders, one 409A | $1,500 | $1,990 | $2,500 | $2,499 | Quote (Vendr: $3,000-$8,000 under 50 stakeholders) |
| Series A, 70 stakeholders, two 409As | Paid tier not published | $2,590 (may be higher above 50 stakeholders) | $4,550 | $3,999 | Quote (Vendr median $15,450, all sizes) |
Annual USD from each vendor's pricing page, read October 12, 2026, computed in our cost model; an outside 409A is priced at $1,500 (Cake's published add-on); Carta paid figures are reported by Vendr, not Carta prices.
How to switch
- Time it to your renewal. Vendr reports Carta renewal increases of 5% to 15%, and founders report cancellation trouble close to the date. Give written notice early.
- Export everything. The cap table, every signed document (grant letters, SAFEs, notes, board consents) and all past 409A reports.
- Keep 409A continuity. Your current 409A stays valid for up to 12 months unless a material event such as a new round happens first. Ask the new vendor whether it will rely on it or start fresh.
- Tell your stakeholders. A founder who moved off Carta over a weekend on r/startups (October 2025) said the biggest hassle was "informing all investors and getting them to change platforms".
Not hands-on tested yet: we have not run live accounts on these tools. Prices and terms come from each vendor's published pricing page and help docs, read on October 12, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Carta?
Yes. J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions is free up to 40 stakeholders, Eqvista under 20, and Cake up to 5. Carta's own Launch tier is also free up to 25 stakeholders and about $1M raised.
Is Eqvista cheaper than Carta?
On published prices, yes: $1,990 a year at seed including unlimited 409As, against $3,000 to $8,000 reported by Vendr for Carta under 50 stakeholders.
Do I need a separate 409A provider?
Only if your cap table tool does not include one. A 409A report is not itself legally required: the strike price must be at least fair market value, and an independent appraisal is one of three safe-harbor methods that shift the burden of proof to the IRS. See our 409A provider comparison.
Related: cap table software compared, cap table calculator, the SaaS fundraising guide.