Launch
Free
per year
Best for: Pre-seed companies with up to 25 stakeholders and under USD 1M raised
- Cap table management
- securities issuance
- 83(b) forms
- ISO management
- SAFE modeling
- HRIS and payroll integration
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Carta pricing in 2026: Launch, Build, Grow and Scale explained
What each Carta plan includes, what drives the quote, and what buyers report paying, since only the free Launch plan has a price.
The short answer
Carta Launch is free for up to 25 stakeholders and USD 1M raised. Build, Grow and Scale are quote-only, priced by package, stakeholder count and add-ons with a minimum annual fee. Vendr reports a median Carta contract of USD 15,450 a year.
- Cheapest optionLaunch is free for up to 25 stakeholders and USD 1M raised.
- What venture-backed companies needGrow, where 409A valuations and Form 3921 start.
- Biggest hidden costStakeholder growth, since price scales per stakeholder above a minimum fee.
- Best way to saveClean the stakeholder list and bring Pulley or Cake Equity quotes.
Written by Procurement VMS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Michael, Procurement Advisor Expert · Price data dated · 9 minute read
Carta plans and prices
Carta is the cap table most investors and lawyers expect to see, and its pricing reflects that. Only the Launch plan has a price on the page, and it is free. Everything above it is quoted by package, stakeholder count and add-ons.
This guide explains what each plan includes, what drives the quote and what buyers report paying.
Prices below were recorded on 21 September 2026. The headline figure is the lowest price you can get for that plan. Check the official page before you buy, because vendors change prices without notice.
Build
Custom
per year
Best for: Seed companies with up to 50 stakeholders
- Launch features plus priced round modeling
- deal closings
- deal pro forma
- white-glove onboarding
Grow
Custom
per year
Best for: Venture-backed companies issuing options at scale
- Build features plus board meetings
- Form 3921
- 409A valuations and 409A audit support
Scale
Custom
per year
Best for: Late-stage and pre-IPO companies
- Grow features plus ASC 718 and IFRS reporting with audit support
- exit modeling
- IPO advisory
- SSO for admins
How billing works
Carta prices paid plans by package, number of stakeholders and optional add-on products, with a minimum annual fee. Stakeholder count is the main driver, so every new hire with options and every new investor can push you into a higher bracket at renewal. Add-ons such as Total Compensation, Equity Advisory, Liquidity and QSBS Attestation are sold separately, and the free Launch plan ends once you pass 25 stakeholders or USD 1M raised.
The tier trap
409A valuations and Form 3921 start on Grow. The first time you need a defensible strike price or have option exercises to report, Build is no longer enough. ASC 718 reporting for your auditors only comes with Scale.
Read this first. Carta paid plans are quote-only, so this guide uses no list prices. Buyer ranges come from Vendr alone. The Pulley and Cake Equity prices come from G2 pricing pages, because the official pages could not be fetched.
Carta cost calculator
Move the slider to see what each plan costs at your size. The figures use the list prices on this page and leave out tax, add-ons and any discount you negotiate.
How Carta quotes grow with stakeholders
There is no public price to multiply, so this table shows which plan a company reaches at each stage.
| Scenario | Cost per year | Against the headline |
|---|---|---|
| Launch (up to 25 stakeholders, under USD 1M raised) | Free | Free |
| Priced round with 50 stakeholders, so Build | Custom | Quote by stakeholders and add-ons |
| 409A and Form 3921 needed, so Grow (50 stakeholders) | Custom | Higher package, quote only |
What each Carta plan includes
Compare the plans side by side. Where a cell says Check page, the vendor's pricing page was not specific enough for us to fill it in.
| Feature | Launch | Build | Grow | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stakeholders | Up to 25 | Up to 50 | Flexible | Flexible |
Features we could not place by plan: Cap table, issuance, 83(b), SAFE modeling, Priced round modeling and deal closings, Board meetings and Form 3921, 409A valuations, ASC 718 and IFRS reporting, Exit modeling and IPO advisory, SSO for admins. Check the official page for which plan includes each one.
Which Carta plan should you pick?
Launch
Pick it if you have up to 25 stakeholders and have raised under USD 1M.
Build
Pick it if you are closing a priced round with up to 50 stakeholders.
Grow
Pick it if you need 409A valuations, board meetings and Form 3921.
Scale
Pick it if auditors need ASC 718 or IFRS reports, or you are planning an exit or IPO.
Our view
Carta is the default cap table for venture-backed companies, and investors expect it, which is worth something. It is expensive for what early-stage companies use, so seed teams should compare cheaper tools before leaving the free Launch plan.
You may be overpaying if
You pay for Grow or Scale features you do not use, your stakeholder count includes former employees with nothing left to track, or you buy 409A through Carta without comparing standalone providers.
How to pay less for Carta
Stay on Launch as long as you can
Launch is free up to 25 stakeholders and USD 1M raised.
Clean the stakeholder list
Former employees and fully settled holders can inflate the count that drives price.
Negotiate multi-year and caps
Vendr reports multi-year commitments can bring 10 to 20 percent. Ask for stakeholder caps and capped annual increases.
Unbundle 409A
Compare Carta's Grow package against a standalone 409A plus a cheaper cap table tool.
Get competing quotes
Pulley and Cake Equity publish lower entry pricing for early-stage companies.
Ask to waive onboarding
Vendr reports onboarding and migration fees are often negotiable.
What other buyers report
Vendr reports a median Carta annual contract value of USD 15,450 across 679 deals, with buyers saving an average of 12.85 percent through negotiation. Source
Renewal email you can copy
Fill in the brackets and send it about 90 days before the renewal date. It works best next to your renewal tracker.
Subject: Carta renewal on [renewal date] Hi [account manager], Our Carta [plan] subscription renews on [renewal date]. Over the last 90 days, [active stakeholders] of the [paid stakeholders] we pay for used it. We would like to renew with [target stakeholders] on a [term] term. Before we sign, please send: 1. The current list price and the price you are offering us, line by line. 2. The cap on any price increase at the next renewal. 3. The notice period if we want to cut stakeholders or move to another plan. We are comparing this against [alternative] and plan to decide by [decision date]. If you can offer [target discount] percent off list, or a lower price for a longer term, we are ready to talk this week. Thank you, [name] [company]
Free PDF and Excel
Carta pricing sheet and cost model
A one page summary of every plan, plus an Excel model that adds up your own seat count.
- All plans and prices on one page
- Excel model with your seat count and yearly cost
- Renewal checklist and the email above, ready to edit
- Date of the price data and the source links
Carta alternatives and what they cost
If this vendor does not fit, these are the closest options and what they charge.
| Alternative | Starting price | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| Pulley | USD1,200 per year (Startup, 25 stakeholders) | You are early stage and want published pricing |
| Cake Equity | USD1,000 per year (Build, 25 stakeholders), free plan available | You want the lowest cost with 409A as a USD 1,500 add-on |
| Eqvista | USD2 per stakeholder per month (Premium Cap Table), free under 20 stakeholders | You want 409A and cap table bundled from USD 990 a year |
Keeping Carta spend under control
Equity software is bought once, in a rush around a funding round, and then renews every year on a quote nobody re-examines. The stakeholder list drifts while the price follows it.
- Get the quote in writing, line by line. Finance and HR systems are priced by employee, module and service. Ask for each module as its own line so you can remove one later.
- Read the renewal clause first. Look for the uplift cap, the notice period and the rules on reducing headcount. Our contract management guide lists what to check.
- Compare against alternatives with the same scope. A fair comparison needs the same modules and employee count on both sides. Use a vendor comparison matrix.
- Plan for implementation cost. Setup, data migration and training often cost as much as a year of licences. Add them to the total cost of ownership.
Bottom line. Carta is worth it when investors, auditors and a growing option pool need a standard system, but not before. Stay on Launch while you can, clean stakeholders before renewal and negotiate caps on stakeholder growth and price increases.
Carta pricing questions
How much does Carta cost?
Carta Launch is free for up to 25 stakeholders and USD 1M raised. Build, Grow and Scale are quote-only and priced by package, stakeholders and add-ons with a minimum annual fee. Vendr reports a median Carta contract of USD 15,450 a year.
Is there a free version of Carta?
Yes. Carta Launch is free for companies with up to 25 stakeholders that have raised USD 1M or less. It includes cap table management, securities issuance, 83(b) forms, ISO management and SAFE modeling, with email, chat and phone support.
How much is Carta for larger companies?
Carta does not publish Grow or Scale prices. Vendr reports that late-stage companies with 500 or more stakeholders typically pay USD 30,000 to USD 75,000 or more a year, depending on add-ons, share classes and cap table complexity.
Can you get a discount on Carta?
Yes, through negotiation. Vendr reports buyers save an average of 12.85 percent, and multi-year commitments can bring 10 to 20 percent. Ask to cap stakeholder overages and annual increases, and to waive onboarding fees before you sign.
Is Carta billed monthly or annually?
Carta's paid plans are annual subscriptions with a minimum annual fee, priced by stakeholder count. Carta does not publish a monthly option, so plan for one invoice a year and a renewal conversation before it.
What is the cheapest alternative to Carta?
Cake Equity has a free plan and a Build plan at USD 1,000 a year for 25 stakeholders. Pulley starts at USD 1,200 a year for 25 stakeholders. Both suit early-stage companies that do not yet need Carta's audit and IPO features.
How we put this page together
We start from the vendor pricing page and note the date. Where a figure comes from a third party instead, we say so on the page. Procurement VMS is a ratings and comparison site, not a software vendor, and nobody paid for a place in this guide. Spot a number that has changed? Tell us on the contact page and we will check it.
Take the Carta cost model to your renewal meeting
You get a one page PDF and an Excel model with your seat count, the plans above and a renewal checklist.
Choosing software instead of renewing? See the ranked procurement software list.