Comparison · Updated October 5, 2026

Pulley is shutting down: Carta vs Pulley alternatives

Notice, as of October 5, 2026

November 30, 2026: last day to opt into Carta's assisted migration (you have two weeks to sign once the agreement arrives).
December 8, 2026: Pulley shuts down.
January 31, 2027: end of limited-format data access.

Source: the shutdown notice on pulley.com and Pulley's shutdown FAQ.

Quick answer for Pulley customers

Export everything now, then decide by November 30, 2026. Take the Carta migration if you are a US equity-only startup that wants it done for you: Carta moves your cap table, documents, and history, matches your Pulley price for year one, and credits prepaid time. Move elsewhere if price after year one matters or you run a token cap table: Cake Equity ($1,000 to $2,750/yr, free migration) and Eqvista (free under 20 stakeholders, 409A bundle from $990/yr) are the main published-price alternatives. AngelList is not taking new standalone cap table customers.

StartupCFO comparison, pricing from official vendor pages as of October 5, 2026.

Switching from Pulley to Carta: is it worth it?

For most US equity-only startups, yes, because the migration is done for you and year-one pricing matches what you pay Pulley; the case weakens if you care about cost beyond year one or hold tokens.

Take the Carta migration if:

You want the move done for you (Pulley will not help with any other provider)
You're raising in the next 12 months and can't spare reconciliation time
You expect tender offers, international hires, or IPO-grade ASC 718 later
Your investors and counsel already work in Carta
You have prepaid Pulley time you want credited

Move to an alternative if:

Cost after year one matters: Carta's later renewals are not guaranteed
You run a token cap table (reports indicate the Carta migration covers equity only)
You want published pricing: Cake Equity Build $1,000/yr, Team $2,750/yr
You want 409A bundled cheaply: Eqvista from $990/yr with unlimited updates
You're bootstrapped and under 20 stakeholders (Eqvista Free)

Other names you will see: Shareworks (Morgan Stanley at Work) is an enterprise, quote-only platform for pre-IPO and late-stage companies. AngelList Equity stopped onboarding new standalone cap table customers in 2026. Other providers, such as Fidelity Private Shares and Qapita, are also courting Pulley customers; check their current terms directly.

What a migration involves (Carta or anywhere else)

Export your full record from Pulley yourself, even if Carta is migrating it, so you have an independent copy to reconcile against.
Reconcile every holding against signed documents (stock purchase agreements, board consents, 83(b) elections) before go-live. Migration copies errors as faithfully as it copies data.
Carry over your 409A history and ASC 718 expense schedule so stock comp expense ties to prior periods in your books.
Re-invite stakeholders and have them confirm their holdings, then tie out one month-end before you rely on the new system.
If you are mid-raise, tell your lead investor and counsel now; a migration during diligence is fine if it is disclosed and reconciled.

What to export from Pulley before December 8, 2026

Download every document below now; after December 8 Pulley support ends and data is only available in a limited format until January 31, 2027.

Full cap table and holder ledger (CSV and PDF)
Share certificates and stock purchase agreements
Option, RSU, and warrant grants with vesting schedules
SAFEs and convertible notes, with conversion terms
Exercise and repurchase history
Every 409A valuation report (PDF)
Board consents and stockholder approvals
ASC 718 stock comp reports and expense schedules
83(b) election copies, if stored in Pulley

What happens to your 409A

A 409A done in Pulley stays valid after the shutdown: it can be relied on for up to 12 months from its valuation date unless a material event, such as a priced round, happens first (Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iv)(B)). What you lose is easy access to the report, so download the PDF and file it with your board consents. When it expires, your new platform may bundle the next one; if not, see our 409A valuation cost guide or our 409A valuation service.

Moving off Pulley? Reconcile before you migrate.

30 minutes with a CPA. We'll walk through your SAFEs, advisor grants, §83(b) status, and option pool, and tell you what to fix before your cap table lands on a new platform.

Carta vs Pulley vs alternatives: cap table software compared

With Pulley closing, Carta is the done-for-you path, Cake Equity is the closest published-price replacement, and Eqvista is the cheapest.

Feature	Carta	Pulley (shutting down)	Cake Equity	Eqvista	AngelList Equity
Status (Oct 5, 2026)	Open; assisted migration for Pulley customers who opt in by Nov 30, 2026	Shuts down Dec 8, 2026; limited data access until Jan 31, 2027	Open; free migration	Open	Not onboarding new standalone cap table customers
Pricing	Launch free (25 or fewer stakeholders, under $1M raised); paid plans quote-only. Pulley migrants: Pulley pricing matched for year one	Was $1,200/yr (Startup) or $3,500/yr (Growth)	Free (5 stakeholders); Build $1,000/yr; Team $2,750/yr; Pro custom	Free under 20 stakeholders; Premium $2/stakeholder/mo; 409A bundle $990 to $2,590/yr	Existing customers keep current pricing (priced by team members, investors free)
409A valuation included?	Not on free Launch; bundled on paid plans per quote	Was included on Growth and Enterprise	Add-on ($1,500) on Build; 2 per year on Team; included on Pro	Unlimited 409A updates in the bundle	On higher tiers for existing customers
Stakeholder limits	Launch capped at 25; paid plans priced by stakeholder count	Not applicable: shutting down Dec 8, 2026	Build 25, Team 40, Pro 100, then per stakeholder	Free under 20; Premium per stakeholder, custom above 50	Priced by team members with equity
Fundraising modeling	Round and scenario modeling on paid plans; exit modeling on upper tiers	Fundraise modeler (its best feature)	SAFEs, convertible notes, and round modeling	Funding round and waterfall modeling on Premium	SAFE and roll-up vehicle (RUV) tools
ASC 718 stock comp reporting	Upper tier or add-on; the most audit-tested	Was on Enterprise	Share-based comp reporting on Pro	Paid add-on from $500	Not a headline feature; confirm
Migration from Pulley	Assisted: cap table, documents, and transaction history moved for you	Will not assist moves to any provider other than Carta	Free migration, 2 to 5 business days, reviewed before go-live	White-glove migration with the 409A bundle; onboarding on Premium	Not available to new customers
Best fit	Companies heading to Series B+, tender offers, multi-country teams	Export your data now	Seed and Series A teams wanting published pricing	Bootstrapped or pre-seed teams on a tight budget	Existing customers and RUV users

As of October 5, 2026. Sources: pulley.com and Pulley's shutdown FAQ, cakeequity.com/pricing, eqvista.com/pricing, Carta Launch FAQ, AngelList product update FAQ. Carta does not publish paid-plan prices. Prices change; confirm directly.

Losing Pulley's fundraise modeler? You can check SAFE conversion and dilution math independently with our SAFE calculator.

Common mistakes

The costly mistakes in a forced migration are about deadlines and reconciliation, not which platform you pick.

Waiting for the December 8 shutdown

The Carta opt-in closes November 30, 2026, and the agreement must be signed within two weeks of arrival. Missing it means a standard Carta contract with no matched pricing or credits.

Trusting the migration without your own export

Keep an independent copy of the ledger, 409A reports, and board consents. If something is missing after migration, you will need the original to prove it.

Migrating an unreconciled cap table

Errors move with the data. Tie every grant and SAFE to a signed document before go-live, not after your next priced round exposes the problem.

Forgetting 409A coverage on the new platform

Carta bundles 409A only on paid plans, Cake on Team and Pro (or as a $1,500 add-on), and Eqvista in its 409A bundle. Check when your current valuation expires before choosing a tier.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pulley shutting down?

Yes. Pulley shuts down on December 8, 2026, per the notice on pulley.com. Data stays accessible in a limited format until January 31, 2027. Pulley customers who want Carta's assisted migration must opt in by November 30, 2026, and Pulley says it cannot help migrate to any other provider.

What does the Pulley to Carta migration offer include?

Per Pulley's shutdown FAQ (as of October 5, 2026), Carta migrates your cap table data, documents, transaction history, and equity records, matches your current Pulley pricing for your first year, and credits any prepaid Pulley time. You must sign a new Carta agreement, monthly billing converts to quarterly or annual, and you have two weeks from receiving the agreement to sign, with a final deadline of November 30, 2026.

Is switching from Pulley to Carta worth it?

For most US equity-only startups, yes: the migration is done for you and year-one pricing matches Pulley. It is less compelling if you are price-sensitive beyond year one (Carta's later pricing is not guaranteed), run a token cap table (reports indicate the Carta migration covers equity only), or want 409A bundled cheaply, in which case Cake Equity ($1,000 to $2,750/yr) or Eqvista (409A bundle from $990/yr) are credible alternatives.

What should I export from Pulley before December 8, 2026?

Download the full cap table and holder ledger, share certificates, option and RSU grants with vesting schedules, SAFEs and notes, exercise history, every 409A report PDF, board consents and stockholder approvals, and any ASC 718 stock comp reports. Do this even if you take the Carta migration, so you have an independent record to reconcile against.

Is my 409A from Pulley still valid after the shutdown?

Yes. A 409A valuation is a report about your company, not the software, so it stays reasonable for up to 12 months from its valuation date unless a material event (such as a priced round) happens first, under Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iv)(B). Download the PDF before December 8, 2026 and keep it with your board records.

What is the best cap table software for startups now that Pulley is closing?

Carta is the default for companies that want a done-for-you migration and expect to need tender offers or international equity later. Cake Equity is the closest published-price alternative ($1,000/yr Build, $2,750/yr Team with two 409As a year, as of October 2026). Eqvista is the cheapest, free under 20 stakeholders. AngelList is not onboarding new standalone cap table customers.

Pulley vs AngelList: can I move from Pulley to AngelList Equity?

Not as a new customer. AngelList stopped onboarding new customers to its standalone cap table product in 2026 while it rebuilds around roll-up vehicles. Existing AngelList customers can stay with no pricing change.

Pulley vs Eqvista: is Eqvista a good Pulley alternative?

For cost-focused teams, yes. Eqvista is free under 20 stakeholders, $2 per stakeholder per month on Premium, and $990/yr (pre-revenue) to $2,590/yr (Series A) for a bundle with unlimited 409A updates and white-glove migration. It has less investor familiarity than Carta.

Pulley vs Shareworks: is Shareworks an option?

Only for late-stage and pre-IPO companies. Shareworks (Morgan Stanley at Work) is an enterprise platform with US GAAP and IFRS reporting, global compliance, and liquidity programs, priced by quote. Most Pulley customers will be better served by Carta, Cake Equity, or Eqvista.

Carta vs AngelList for cap table management?

For a new company in 2026, the choice is effectively Carta, since AngelList is not accepting new standalone cap table customers. Carta Launch is free with 25 or fewer stakeholders and under $1M raised.

How StartupCFO works with your cap table

Whatever platform you land on, we keep it reconciled

We reconcile your cap table monthly against signed legal docs, integrate equity comp expense (ASC 718) into your monthly close, and clean up the messes (missing §83(b) elections, terminated employee shares, MFN triggers) before your priced round.

Read the cap table cleanup guide

Clean up your cap table before it moves

We clean up cap tables (terminated employees, missing §83(b) elections, unsigned SAFEs, MFN triggers) and integrate equity comp accounting (ASC 718) with monthly close, so the record that lands on your new platform is the right one.

Read our cap table cleanup guide

Compare other options

Most founders weigh several of these at once. Here is the rest of the set.

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