Software · head to head
Carta vs Avalara
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Carta free plan eligibility as captured 19 January 2024 was capped at companies with fewer than 25 stakeholders and less than $1M raised in funding; Avalara plans start at $699 per state per year, so multi-state sellers multiply that figure rather than paying one subscription
- They diverge on capability: Carta covers Cap table management, Avalara covers Tax calculation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Carta and Avalara actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Carta
- Cap table management
- 409A valuations
- Equity plans
- Investor reporting
- Fund administration
- Gusto
- Slack
- Bank-level encryption
Only in Avalara
- Tax calculation
- Returns filing
- Exemption management
- Document management
- Real-time rates
- NetSuite
- Shopify
- Magento
Both cover
- QuickBooks
- SOC 2
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Carta
- Equity managementnot Avalara
- 409A valuationsnot Avalara
- Fund administrationnot Avalara
Avalara
- Real-time sales tax calculation at checkoutnot Carta
- Multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determinationnot Carta
- VAT, lodging, communications and excise tax calculationnot Carta
- Feeding tax results into an ERP or ecommerce platform through the APInot Carta
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Carta
- Free plan eligibility as captured 19 January 2024 was capped at companies with fewer than 25 stakeholders and less than $1M raised in funding
Avalara
- Plans start at $699 per state per year, so multi-state sellers multiply that figure rather than paying one subscription
- Billed by transaction, where one API call is one transaction, so cost tracks invoice volume
- The free option is limited to the Streamlined Sales Tax programme, in up to 25 states and only for qualifying businesses
Pricing, plan by plan
Carta
$29/month- LaunchFree
- Cap table
- Stakeholder management
- Seed$360/year
- 409A valuations
- Option exercising
- Scenarios
Avalara
$29/month- AvaTax$50/month
- Tax calculation
- Exemption certificates
- Returns filing
Which should you pick?
Choose Carta if
- You need cap table management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want 409a valuations.
Choose Avalara if
- You need tax calculation.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want returns filing.
Questions people ask
- Is Carta or Avalara better?
- Neither clearly leads. Carta starts at $29/month and Avalara at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Carta or Avalara?
- Carta starts at $29/month and Avalara at $29/month.
- Does Carta or Avalara run on more platforms?
- Carta runs on Web, Ios, Android. Avalara runs on Web, Api.
- What is Carta best used for?
- Carta is most often used for equity management, 409a valuations, fund administration. Of those, equity management and 409a valuations are not what Avalara is typically brought in for.
- What can Carta do that Avalara cannot?
- Carta covers Cap table management, 409A valuations, Equity plans, Investor reporting. Avalara covers Tax calculation, Returns filing, Exemption management, Document management. Both handle QuickBooks, SOC 2, Web support.