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Software · head to head

Carta vs Sage 50

Carta logo

Carta

Software

Equity management & valuations

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sage 50 logo

Sage 50

Software

Powerful desktop accounting for small businesses

From
$29/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; Sage 50 sage 50 tiers as captured in 2022: Pro Accounting $595/year for 1 user, Premium Accounting $970/year for 1-5 users with multi-company support, Quantum Accounting $1,610/year for larger teams
  • They diverge on capability: Carta covers Cap table management, Sage 50 covers General ledger.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carta and Sage 50 actually diverge.

Attributes where Carta and Sage 50 differ
AttributeCartaSage 50
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows
Founded20121981

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
  • QuickBooks
  • Gusto
  • Slack

Only in Sage 50

  • General ledger
  • Invoicing
  • Inventory management
  • Job costing
  • Budgeting
  • Microsoft 365
  • Salesforce
  • Local encryption

What people use each for

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

Carta

  • Equity managementnot Sage 50
  • 409A valuationsnot Sage 50
  • Fund administrationnot Sage 50

Sage 50

  • Desktop accountingnot Carta
  • Job costingnot Carta
  • Inventory trackingnot 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

Sage 50

  • Sage 50 tiers as captured in 2022: Pro Accounting $595/year for 1 user, Premium Accounting $970/year for 1-5 users with multi-company support, Quantum Accounting $1,610/year for larger teams

Pricing, plan by plan

Carta

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

Sage 50

$29/month
  • Pro Accounting$50/month
    • Core accounting
    • 1 user
    • Basic reports
  • Premium Accounting$85/month
    • 5 users
    • Job costing
    • Inventory

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 Sage 50 if

  • You need general ledger.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want invoicing.
Sage 50 review

Questions people ask

Is Carta or Sage 50 better?
Neither clearly leads. Carta starts at $29/month and Sage 50 at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carta or Sage 50?
Carta starts at $29/month and Sage 50 at $29/month.
Does Carta or Sage 50 run on more platforms?
Carta runs on Web, Ios, Android. Sage 50 runs on Windows.
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 Sage 50 is typically brought in for.
What can Carta do that Sage 50 cannot?
Carta covers Cap table management, 409A valuations, Equity plans, Investor reporting. Sage 50 covers General ledger, Invoicing, Inventory management, Job costing.
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