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Software · head to head

Carta vs Pleo

Carta logo

Carta

Software

Equity management & valuations

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pleo logo

Pleo

Software

Smart company cards for forward-thinking teams

From
£9.5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Pleo card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • They diverge on capability: Carta covers Cap table management, Pleo covers Company cards.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carta and Pleo actually diverge.

Attributes where Carta and Pleo differ
AttributeCartaPleo
Starting price$29/month£9.5/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded20122015

Identical on both: 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 Pleo

  • Company cards
  • Receipt capture
  • Expense categorization
  • Spend limits
  • Accounting sync
  • Xero
  • Sage
  • NetSuite

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • SOC 2
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Carta

  • Equity managementnot Pleo
  • 409A valuationsnot Pleo
  • Fund administrationnot Pleo

Pleo

  • Employee expensesnot Carta
  • Spending autonomynot Carta
  • Expense automationnot 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

Pleo

  • Card delays and transaction limits impact usability, with limited regional acceptance in some areas
  • Receipt capture OCR inaccuracies and upload lag/glitches complicate expense categorization
  • Limited expense categories and tags reduce flexibility for complex accounting structures
  • Transaction approval workflows have minimal customization options
  • Lacks in-built forecasting tools and reporting is basic, providing limited insights into trends

Pricing, plan by plan

Carta

$29/month
  • LaunchFree
    • Cap table
    • Stakeholder management
  • Seed$360/year
    • 409A valuations
    • Option exercising
    • Scenarios

Pleo

£9.5/month
  • Starter$9.5/month
    • Company cards
    • Real-time expense tracking
    • Automated reports
  • Essential$39/month
    • Reimbursements
    • Mileage and per diem
    • Vendor cards
  • Advanced$89/month
    • Cashback
    • Budgets
    • Multi-entity management
  • Beyond$179/month
    • Spending insights
    • Sub-wallets
    • Dedicated success manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Carta if

  • You need cap table management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want 409a valuations.
Carta review

Choose Pleo if

  • You need company cards.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want receipt capture.
Pleo review

Questions people ask

Is Carta or Pleo better?
Neither clearly leads. Carta starts at $29/month and Pleo at £9.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carta or Pleo?
Carta starts at $29/month and Pleo at £9.5/month.
Does Carta or Pleo run on more platforms?
Carta runs on Web, Ios, Android. Pleo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
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 Pleo is typically brought in for.
What can Carta do that Pleo cannot?
Carta covers Cap table management, 409A valuations, Equity plans, Investor reporting. Pleo covers Company cards, Receipt capture, Expense categorization, Spend limits. Both handle QuickBooks, SOC 2, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pleo: What are Pleo's pricing tiers?

Pleo offers four pricing tiers: Starter (GBP 9.50/month), Essential (GBP 39.00/month), Advanced (GBP 89.00/month), and Beyond (GBP 179.00/month). Annual billing provides equivalent of two free months.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo have a free tier?

No, Pleo does not offer a free tier or permanent free plan. All plans require payment with a free trial available for evaluation.

Source
Pleo: What integrations does Pleo support for accounting?

Pleo integrates directly with Xero and QuickBooks, plus Sage 200, Sage 50, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Datev, and Visma e-conomic. Zapier integrations are also available.

Source
Pleo: What platforms can access Pleo?

Pleo is accessible via iOS and Android mobile apps, and through a web interface. Physical and virtual cards are issued for spending.

Source
Pleo: Does Pleo support multiple currencies?

Yes, Pleo supports multi-currency spending and transactions. The platform is particularly strong for European teams with local payment methods.

Source
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