Managing your cap table feels overwhelming, right?
As companies expand, tracking ownership, equity grants, and compliance risks can quickly spiral out of control. Manual spreadsheets often result in errors, missed vesting, and stressful investor conversations.
You do not have to constantly worry about maintaining compliance or clarity as your equity plan gets more complicated. The pressure just builds, especially when you’re preparing for a new fundraising round or a potential exit.
According to a recent survey by PwC, close to 88% of private companies reported significant challenges tracking equity and ensuring compliance. That is a staggering number of organizations that deal with these headaches every day.
That is why choosing a reliable equity management platform is so essential for your business’s growth, accuracy, and peace of mind.
This article will help you zero in on the best tools for the job. I am going to walk you through the best equity management software to simplify your cap table and compliance needs—no matter the size of your organization.
You will learn which platforms offer streamlined automation, clear reporting, and robust compliance measures that can scale as you grow.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Target Users |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carta↗ | Startup founders and CFOs managing equity and compliance |
| 2 | Pulley↗ | Founders and finance leaders needing precise cap table management |
| 3 | Shareworks↗ | Startups and growing companies requiring accurate, compliant equity |
| 4 | Ledgy↗ | Companies needing automated equity plans and global compliance |
| 5 | Cake Equity↗ | Startup founders streamlining ownership and funding processes |
1. Carta
Managing your cap table shouldn’t be a headache.
Many founders and startup CFOs struggle to track equity accurately and stay compliant as their companies grow.
Carta offers a comprehensive solution that helps you accurately manage your equity and simplifies compliance with SEC regulations.
Its cloud platform centralizes your cap table and equity management, enabling you to issue electronic shares, record valuations, and automate tax forms. This means you can avoid costly manual errors and focus on scaling your business.
The software also helps you maintain investor relations by providing real-time updates and transparent reporting.
It keeps your company audit-ready and compliant, which is crucial for fundraising or going public.
Another neat feature is Carta’s scenario modeling, letting you visualize how different financing rounds and stock option plans will affect ownership. This empowers you to make better strategic decisions.
The platform supports growing companies, from startups to more established firms, across industries, making equity management less stressful.
Key features:
Centralized equity management platform: Track ownership, stock options, and convertible securities in one place to reduce errors and simplify updates.
Compliance automation: Automates 409A valuations and tax form filings, ensuring your company stays compliant without manual hassle.
Cap table scenario planning: Visualize dilution and funding impact with detailed reports that help you make informed financial decisions.
Learn more about Carta features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict:
Carta clearly earns its spot as the best equity management software for startup founders and CFOs by delivering comprehensive cap table management and compliance tools. Trusted by thousands, it simplifies SEC reporting and saved one user hundreds of hours previously spent on manual calculations.
2. Pulley
Worried about managing your company’s equity precisely?
Pulley simplifies equity management for founders and finance leaders so you can make confident decisions without the stress.
Managing equity can get complicated fast, especially when you’re negotiating shares or scaling your company. Pulley tackles this by providing intuitive tools that help you keep your cap table clear and compliant. It handles everything from fundraising modeling and issuing SAFEs to 409A valuations and equity grants across US and international teams.
It really takes the pressure off.
Pulley automates compliance tasks like 409A valuations in five days or less, plus handles 83b elections and stock-based compensation reports.
Another feature worth noting is how it supports various ownership structures—from LLCs and private equity to crypto tokens—giving you one platform to manage all your equity and token needs.
Pulley also strengthens communication by letting you share easy-to-understand investor updates and improves the employee experience by providing clear visibility into vesting and ownership.
You’ll appreciate how it streamlines workflows for legal, HR, and finance teams, reducing errors and saving time.
Managing equity doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It’s built for founders and finance pros who want accuracy, speed, and compliance without headaches. Pulley even helped Linear, one of its customers, turn complex equity tasks into simple processes so they could focus on building their product and projects.
Pulley empowers you with clear, audit-ready data and a centralized system you can trust.
Key features:
- Comprehensive equity management tools that cover cap tables, fundraising modeling, SAFEs, and multi-jurisdictional equity issuance to save you time and reduce risk.
- Automated compliance and valuations that deliver 409A valuations fast and handle complex tax and reporting tasks so you never fall behind on legal requirements.
- Robust stakeholder communications with employee equity visibility and investor update features to keep your team and backers engaged and informed.
Learn more about Pulley features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict:
Pulley stands out as the best equity management software for founders and finance leaders who need precise, compliant cap table management. Its automation of fundraising workflows, rapid 409A valuations, and multi-structure equity support underscore why over 5000 companies trust it. Linear’s success story confirms its ability to turn complexity into simplicity.
3. Shareworks
Need help managing your company’s equity and compliance?
Shareworks offers a comprehensive equity management platform that keeps your cap table accurate and compliant so you don’t have to worry about errors or legal risks.
Designed for growth-driven companies, Shareworks centralizes equity data and simplifies complex cap table management through real-time updates and collaboration tools. It helps you stay organized while freeing up time to focus on your business.
It’s easy to track every issuance and transaction.
The platform also provides valuable insights and reporting, giving you a full picture of your company’s equity structure without complicated spreadsheets.
With its integrated compliance management, Shareworks reduces your risk by automating audit trails and regulatory filings. Plus, it supports everything from stock options to warrants, helping you handle various equity types efficiently.
Keeping investors and employees informed is another major plus. You can offer shareholders transparent access to their holdings, boosting trust and engagement. If you’re interested in broader tools to simplify your client care, you might want to check out solutions that help with client-focused processes in other sectors, too.
Key features:
- Real-time cap table management offers accurate, up-to-date equity data so you can make informed financial decisions without error-prone manual tracking.
- Automated compliance and audit trails help you easily meet regulatory requirements and reduce legal risk, saving you time and headache on filings.
- Comprehensive shareholder management portal provides investors and employees with clear visibility into their equity, improving communication and satisfaction.
If revenue is a concern for your team, consider pairing equity solutions with recurring billing software to simplify your revenue and streamline operations.
Learn more about Shareworks features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict:
Shareworks stands out as one of the best equity management software solutions for startups and growing companies, thanks to its real-time updates, automated compliance, and investor-friendly portal. Many users appreciate how it saved time and eliminated errors that could otherwise complicate fundraising or audits.
4. Ledgy
Is managing your company’s equity becoming overwhelming?
Ledgy automates equity workflows to save you valuable time and reduce errors.
It helps you keep your cap table accurate and up to date, turning it into a strategic asset for your company. This means less manual data entry and fewer mistakes that could cost you. You also get instant access to audit-ready financial reports, helping you meet compliance deadlines without stress.
Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated.
Ledgy supports global regulations by automatically generating country-specific compliance reports, enabling your team to focus on growth without legal worries.
Another strong feature is its intuitive employee dashboard, designed to engage your team by making equity ownership clear and accessible, which helps boost motivation and transparency.
Migration to Ledgy is fast and smooth, with expert support ensuring your historical data is imported correctly, so you can start benefiting right away.
Ledgy blends finance, legal, and people teams into one secure platform. Its ISO 27001 certification and robust security features give you peace of mind while managing sensitive equity data. This combination of automation and control makes equity management less stressful and more strategic.
Key features:
- Automated equity plan workflows and cap table updates reduce time spent on manual processes while improving accuracy and reliability of your data.
- Global compliance made simple with automatic, jurisdiction-specific reporting and IPO readiness support for scaling companies.
- Intuitive employee dashboards boost equity transparency, helping your team understand and feel connected to their ownership.
Learn more about Ledgy features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict:
Ledgy is a top contender for the best equity management software if you want a solution that covers equity plan automation, compliance, and employee engagement. Climeworks improved their equity management accuracy and migrated 3000 stakeholders in just 45 days using Ledgy’s expert onboarding and automation tools.
5. Cake Equity
Struggling to manage your startup’s equity effortlessly?
Cake Equity helps you keep your cap table clean and accurate no matter how many shareholders or investors you have.
This platform automates your equity management, letting you issue stock options, track ownership, and simulate capital raises all in one place. It means fewer errors and less time spent wrestling with spreadsheets or legal complexity.
Equity management made simple.
You can easily set up customized equity plans with lawyer-approved templates while ensuring compliance with US 409A valuations delivered within days.
The employee app motivates your team by giving them transparent access to their equity’s real-time value and vesting schedule. That helps keep everyone aligned and focused on growth.
If you are also seeking to boost your member engagement, there are dedicated tools that can help with that too.
Cake also offers scenario modeling tools to forecast investment rounds and ownership dilution. This means you can plan confidently for future funding and exits without surprises.
Support is human and fast, so you’re never stuck waiting on bots or hidden fees that drain your budget.
Key features:
- Comprehensive cap table management: Manage shareholders, investors, and stock option holders with an intuitive platform that avoids costly mistakes and confusion.
- Automated equity plans with compliance: Easily issue NSO, RSA, or RSU grants using customizable templates and fast 409A valuations tailored to US startups.
- Future-proof financial planning: Model capital raises and ownership scenarios using audit-proof valuations and real-time reports to make smart decisions.
If your organization wants to improve community management for better engagement, there are some great software options to consider.
Learn more about Cake Equity features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict:
Cake Equity stands out as the best equity management software for startup founders aiming to streamline their ownership and funding processes. Trusted by 20,000+ companies, it simplifies complex equity tasks, saving time through automation and clear communication. Vow’s COO says their cap table in Cake is their “source of truth,” highlighting its reliability.
6. Eqvista
Need an easier way to manage your cap table?
Eqvista lets you onboard your cap table fast and start issuing electronic shares immediately.
Managing your company’s equity and compliance can get overwhelming quickly, especially as your startup grows. Eqvista solves this by giving you a simple, online platform to handle everything from issuing shares to tracking shareholders and managing complex ownership details. You can eliminate the headaches of manual record-keeping while ensuring your company stays up to date with all reports and filings.
The platform is designed with entrepreneurs in mind.
You can easily share access with founders, investors, accountants, or lawyers to keep everyone in the loop without complicated processes.
Their 409A valuation service is another highlight. Alongside equity management, Eqvista provides affordable, accurate valuations that speed up compliance and give you confidence in your company’s financial standing. Many startups appreciate how quickly they receive detailed 409A reports, sometimes in less than a week.
If you want visual insights, their waterfall analysis shows financing rounds and dilution clearly, helping you plan exits or future fundraising.
Your shareholders stay connected, and you stay in control.
Key features:
- Fast cap table onboarding and share issuance make it straightforward to digitally issue and manage shares for founders, employees, and investors from day one.
- Comprehensive 409A valuation and reporting helps you meet regulatory compliance affordably and quickly, minimizing delays in fundraising or employee stock plans.
- Accessible shareholder management and secure collaboration lets you grant controlled access to stakeholders, making communication and document sharing smooth and transparent.
Learn more about Eqvista features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict:
Eqvista is a strong contender for the best equity management software if you’re an entrepreneur needing an all-in-one platform to manage shares and valuations. Trusted by over 20,000 companies and handling $80 billion in assets, it delivers fast cap table onboarding and clear 409A valuation reports, helping startups scale efficiently.
Conclusion
Is managing your cap table stressing you out?
As businesses grow, the complexities of tracking equity can become overwhelming. This often leads to errors, compliance issues, and strained investor relationships. I know firsthand how this pressure mounts when you’re gearing up for a fundraising round or an exit.
A staggering 88% of private companies face significant challenges with equity tracking and compliance. That’s a large number of companies, just like yours, that struggle daily.
Choosing a dependable equity management platform is essential to smooth out these challenges.
That’s where Carta shines; it centralizes your cap table management and automates compliance tasks, allowing you to focus on growing your business. Its user-friendly features make managing equity effortless, leading to improved accuracy and investor satisfaction.
Ready to take control of your equity management? I highly recommend you book a free demo of Carta to see how it can transform your processes.
By choosing Carta, you’ll not only reduce stress but ensure your equity management is streamlined and compliant, giving you peace of mind as you scale.
