A free Carta alternative for early-stage founders
Carta does almost everything, and doesn't publish its prices. Capfolder covers what an early company uses (SAFEs, option grants, vesting, signatures) for free, in a folder you own.
Written by the Capfolder team. Checked October 2026.
Capfolder
Carta
FreeNo subscription, no price per stakeholder.
Your filesYour cap table is a folder on your computer.
No setupDownload, open, done.
Side by side
| Capfolder | Carta | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Not published* |
| Setup needed | None | Account + onboarding |
| Where your data lives | Your computer | Their servers |
| Works offline | Yes | No |
| Works outside the US | Yes | Yes |
| SAFEs | Yes | Yes |
| Option grants and vesting | Yes | Yes |
| E-signatures | Yes | Yes |
| Documents | Yes, sorted for you | Yes, data rooms |
| 409A valuations | Not yet | Yes, Grow plan |
| Employee and investor logins | Not yet | Yes |
| Round modelling | Not yet | Yes |
Not thereBasicSolidBest in class
* Carta doesn't publish prices for paid plans, so these figures come from what buyers report, not from Carta: Vendr (406 purchases, updated February 2026), Spendflo. Plans and features: carta.com/pricing, OCX export, privacy policy (data location), UK, Europe and Australia. Checked October 2026.
Which one fits you
Choose Carta if…
- You need 409A valuations and employee logins.
- You run exit waterfalls and priced-round models.
- Your investors expect a registered transfer agent.
Choose Capfolder if…
- You want it free, with no setup.
- You want your cap table in files you own.
- You mostly issue SAFEs and option grants.
Moving from Carta in 3 steps
Export from Carta
Run reports: Cap table (Detailed), Securities ledger, Vesting, Stakeholder details. Documents library → download as zip.
Import
In Capfolder, choose Import from Pulley or Carta and pick the Excel file.
Drop your documents
Drop the folder in. Capfolder sorts it and lists what's missing.
Export steps from Cake Equity's guide and Carta's note.
An import that doesn't match? Tell us (describe the columns, don't attach your real file).
Before you cancel Carta
- Import your cap table into Capfolder.
- Compare the totals with Carta's: fully diluted, each share class, options outstanding, pool available. Capfolder shows any gap.
- Every signed document downloaded (Documents library → download as zip) and added to Capfolder.
- Board consents and the option plan are in Documents.
- The last 409A report is saved.
- Check 3 people by hand: shares, vesting start, strike price.
- Download everything again on your last day, if anything changed.
What's coming
Items marked in orange close a gap with Carta.
Also compare: Pulley alternative · SumoShares. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Open an issue on GitHub and we'll fix it. Carta and its logo are trademarks of their owner; Capfolder isn't affiliated with Carta. Capfolder isn't legal advice.