What is Carta?
Pros from reviewers
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Automated updates and progress tracking: Users appreciate how Carta automatically updates them on their vested options and displays a progress bar for remaining stock options to vest, providing clear visibility on their equity status
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Efficient customer support: Despite some user complaints, Carta's support team is generally responsive and assists in resolving issues, ensuring a smooth user experience.
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User-friendly interface: Carta is praised for its simple and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to navigate and manage their stock options
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Comprehensive equity management: Carta offers features like investor equity management, employee equity option management, cap table management, and 409A valuation, providing a one-stop solution for equity management
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Extensive knowledge database: Carta has a vast knowledge database for quick learning, making it easier for users to understand and utilize the software
Cons from reviewers
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Lack of comparative details: Carta does not provide enough comparative details with similar companies for benchmarking purposes, limiting its usefulness in strategic decision-making
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Time-consuming updates: The software does not offer a quick method to bulk update a set of option grants, resulting in a time-consuming process of updating each grant individually
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User-unfriendliness: Some users find Carta's interface not very user-friendly, requiring a solid understanding of securities and stock options, which can be a barrier for those without this knowledge
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High cost for startups: Despite its many features, Carta can be quite expensive for startups, making it a less viable option for companies with tight budgets
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Difficult cancellation process: Some users have reported that it is extremely difficult to cancel the account before renewal, requiring multiple emails and calls, and even then, the process is not straightforward.
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Main features
Starting Price
Free Plan
Cap table management
Equity issuance and tracking
Fund management
Automated compliance
Valuation tools
Starting Price
N/A
Free Plan
No
Cap table management
Equity issuance and tracking
Fund management
Automated compliance
Valuation tools
25% off 1 year on Carta
Get 25% off 1 year on Carta and up to $625 savings with Secret.
How Carta compare to similar software?
Product
Price
N/A
Free plan
No
Main features
Pros
Cons
Alternatives
Deal
Ledgy and Carta are both robust equity management platforms, but they cater to different needs and preferences with distinct differences in their features and functionalities.
One of the key differences between Ledgy and Carta is their target audience and the scalability they offer. Ledgy is particularly tailored to startups and growing companies in Europe, focusing on user-friendly features and ensuring compliance with European regulations. It excels in handling employee participation plans and providing transparent equity management, which is essential for smaller organizations looking to scale without extensive legal overhead.
In contrast, Carta is a more comprehensive solution that targets companies at various growth stages, including those gearing towards public offerings. It offers a broad suite of services including cap table management, 409A valuations, and IPO planning, making it ideal for larger enterprises or those with complex equity structures and multiple stakeholders....
Who is Carta best for according to our reviewers?
Companies with numerous employees: These companies can monitor who has vested stock options and receive automatic updates on vested options. Carta also displays a progress bar for remaining stock options to vest
Corporate Securities Attorneys: Carta offers an accurate and easy-to-manage turnkey solution for the Board, Investors, and Employees. It enables swift extraction of data and reports for external Funds and Auditors, and provides a self-service portal for Employees
Startups: Despite being costly, Carta offers features like investor equity management, employee equity option management, cap table management, and 409A valuation. It also provides well-organized reports, funding overviews, cap tables, and the capability to establish a data room for investors
Co-Founders: Carta simplifies the management of cap table, compliance, and 409A's. It serves as an excellent portal for legal teams, investors, and employees with options, providing them access to necessary information and documents.
Investors: Carta allows investors to manage their portfolio, although the software can be slow and the user experience illogical. It also makes it hard to maintain a backup
25% off 1 year on Carta
Get 25% off 1 year on Carta and up to $625 savings with Secret.
Carta Reviews
4.2
Carta rating
23 Carta Reviews
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Elijah Martinez
Valuable Educational Resources: Simplifying Equity Management with Carta
Lastly, the educational resources provided by Carta were very useful. They helped me understand the nuances of equity management better, making the whole process less daunting.
September 9, 2024
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Alexis A
Effortless Equity Management for Startups with Carta
I find it simple to monitor when I can exercise shares and view my current holdings on Carta. However, I think the website is quite basic and I would appreciate more features, such as educational links and ways to track the value of the shares, if such information is available.
September 3, 2024
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Elijah
Seamless Integration: Simplifying Operations with Carta's Platform Integration
The integration of Carta with other platforms like Gusto and Stripe was seamless. This made it easier for us to manage our operations without having to switch between multiple platforms
August 25, 2024
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Danielle D
Top-Notch Security: Safeguarding Sensitive Financial Data
The software's security features were top-notch. I felt confident knowing that our sensitive financial data was well-protected
August 17, 2024
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Brenda M
Responsive and Helpful: A Review of the Carta Team
I found the Carta team to be very responsive and helpful. Their customer support was always ready to assist with any queries or issues we had
August 12, 2024
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Kelly M
Revolutionary Reporting: Streamlining Board Meetings and Investor Updates
The software's robust reporting capabilities were a game-changer for us. It made it easy to generate custom reports for board meetings and investor updates
August 5, 2024
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David R
Carta: A Game-Changer for Co-Founders and Investors
As a Co-Founder, I absolutely love using Carta! It has truly revolutionized the way I manage my cap table, compliance, and 49A's. It's such a fantastic portal for our legal team, investors, and employees with options. They can easily access all the necessary information and documents they need. While the navigation may initially seem a bit complex, I see it as an exciting challenge. It's like a treasure hunt, searching for what I need, and it's always rewarding when I find it. The menus may not be organized or labeled as one might expect, but it adds a unique touch to the software, making it stand out from the rest. The cap table report may appear a bit messy at first glance, but it's actually a great opportunity to get hands-on and customize it in a spreadsheet to make it truly our own. It's like a blank canvas waiting for us to add our personal touch. In spite of these minor quirks, I wholeheartedly endorse Carta. It's a tool I would definitely consider using for future companies. It's not just a software, it's a game-changer!
July 27, 2024
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Sharon G
Carta's Unparalleled Transparency Improves Investor Relations
The transparency Carta offers is unparalleled. It allowed all stakeholders to view their holdings and understand their value in real-time, which significantly improved our investor relations
July 23, 2024
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Emily
Mixed Feelings About Carta
I can't compare Carta to any other software as I haven't used any others. On the plus side, I suppose I can add 'Carta' as a skill on my resume, although I'm uncertain if I'd want to use it again if I switch jobs. I frequently run into problems with this software, but Carta's support team is typically very responsive and assists me in resolving them. The software itself seems to function well as it seldom has technical issues. I value the tutorial provided by the Carta team, it's beneficial. However, the software isn't very user-friendly! It necessitates a solid understanding of securities and stock options, which I don't have. A significant problem I have with Carta is the absence of a quick method to bulk update a set of option grants. Instead, I have to update each option grant individually, which is time-consuming and annoying. This process also triggers an email notification for the option holders, resulting in numerous inquiries from them.
July 14, 2024
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Brenda M
Unbearably Slow, Making Usage Impossible
As an investor using Carta, I find the software quite frustrating. Every time we get a new stock certificate from Carta, it takes a long time to process. Ideally, managing our portfolio of over 50 different holdings should be simple, but it isn't. We are investors, not issuers, and we encounter three major problems. First, the site is incredibly slow, to the point where I often end up emailing the portfolio company for information. Second, the user experience for the portfolio is illogical. For example, after accepting a certificate, I'm not directed to the holdings but to a summary page where I have to search for what I just accepted. If I'm not in the correct "portfolio", it doesn't show up. Lastly, Carta makes it hard to maintain a backup. I didn't choose Carta and if I had the option, I wouldn't use it.
July 9, 2024
