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Software · head to head

Carta vs QuickBooks

Carta logo

Carta

Software

Equity management & valuations

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Software

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/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; QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • They diverge on capability: Carta covers Cap table management, QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carta and QuickBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Carta and QuickBooks differ
AttributeCartaQuickBooks
Starting price$29/month$30/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20121983

Identical on both: 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
  • QuickBooks
  • Slack
  • SOC 2

Only in QuickBooks

  • Income & expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Payment processing
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax preparation
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps

Both cover

  • Gusto
  • Bank-level encryption

What people use each for

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

Carta

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

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot Carta
  • Invoicingnot Carta
  • Expense trackingnot Carta
  • Financial reportingnot Carta
  • Tax preparationnot 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

QuickBooks

  • Chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • Even the top Advanced tier caps bulk invoice uploads at 1,000 transaction lines per batch
  • Payroll is a separate paid add-on billed per employee per month (USD 6 to 10 depending on plan) on top of the base subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Carta

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

QuickBooks

$30/month
  • Simple Start$30/month
    • Income & expense tracking
    • Invoice & payments
    • Tax deductions
  • Essentials$60/month
    • Everything in Simple Start
    • Bill management
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$90/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Inventory tracking
    • Project profitability
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Dedicated account team
    • 25 users

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 QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
QuickBooks review

Questions people ask

Is Carta or QuickBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Carta starts at $29/month and QuickBooks at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carta or QuickBooks?
Carta starts at $29/month and QuickBooks at $30/month.
Does Carta or QuickBooks run on more platforms?
Carta runs on Web, Ios, Android. QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, 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 QuickBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Carta do that QuickBooks cannot?
Carta covers Cap table management, 409A valuations, Equity plans, Investor reporting. QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting. Both handle Gusto, Bank-level encryption.
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