Carta vs Morgan Stanley Shareworks
A side-by-side comparison of Carta and Morgan Stanley Shareworks — two options for cap table & equity. Pricing, features, and honest pros and cons.
Category
Cap Table & Equity
Cap Table & Equity
Rating
4.5 / 5
3.9 / 5
Pricing
Custom / Tiered
Enterprise / Custom
Best for
GPs standardizing equity records and fund admin in one place
Pre-IPO companies planning the public-company transition
Key features
- Cap table management and share issuance
- 409A valuations
- Option grants, exercises and employee portals
- Fund administration with LP portal
- Scenario and waterfall modeling
- Equity plan administration for private and public companies
- Cap table management with liquidity event support
- Valuation and 409A-related services
- Global compliance and tax mobility support
- Participant financial wellness and education
Pros
- Network effect: your portcos are likely already on it
- Clean investor view of stakes across the portfolio
- Fund admin plus cap table in one vendor relationship
- Deep bench for IPO transitions and tender offers
- Bank-grade compliance and participant services
- One vendor from late-private through public life
Cons
- Pricing has climbed steadily with market position
- Support quality varies with plan tier
- Standalone Shareworks branding is being retired, muddying evaluation
- Heavy for early-stage cap tables
- Enterprise pricing and contracting