Head to head

Carta vs Pave

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Carta

Sales-quoted

Cap table and equity management for private companies. Launch is free up to 25 stakeholders and $1M raised; paid plans are quote-based.

Where Carta fits

Startups setting up a first cap table
Companies that need 409A valuations
Finance teams handling ASC 718 reporting
HR teams syncing equity with HRIS and payroll

Pave is compensation intelligence with a permanent free Market Data Lite tier and quoted Market Data Pro. Lite is give-to-get: connect a supported HRIS or payroll system, then use US cash and equity benchmarks plus one extra market. This is not Pave Finance.

Where Pave fits

Startups and smaller teams that will connect an HRIS to unlock Lite at $0
Comp teams replacing annual surveys with live cash and equity benchmarks
US-first companies that only need one extra market on Lite
Growth-stage employers ready to quote Pro for global and peer-group data

At a glance

Detail	Carta	Pave
Starting price	Sales-quoted	Free plan, paid quote
Free tier	–No	✓Yes
MCP server	✓Yes	–No
Public API	✓Yes	–No
Listed under	Compensation	Compensation

Where they pull apart

Carta

Stands out: A free Launch plan for early cap tables, then Build, Grow and Scale with 409A valuations and ASC 718 reporting.

Watch out: Paid plans have no published price. Each has a per-stakeholder rate and a minimum annual fee, and add-ons like Total Compensation cost extra.

Not the right fit for

Buyers who need a published paid price
Public companies needing full stock admin

Pave

Stands out: Lite is free, not a timed trial. Support copy lists 7,500-plus companies in the dataset. Pro adds 56-plus countries, advanced equity insights, and peer-group reporting under one quoted price instead of per-data-point survey fees.

Watch out: Lite needs an HRIS or payroll integration before you see data. Pro has no public dollar. Do not confuse this Pave with Pave Finance.

Not the right fit for

Companies that will not connect an HRIS or payroll feed
Finance teams looking for Pave Finance, a different product

Pros and cons

Carta

Free plan for early-stage cap tables
409A and ASC 718 on higher plans
Public API and official MCP servers

No published price for paid plans
Minimum annual fee on paid plans
Add-ons sold separately

Pave

Permanent free Market Data Lite after an HRIS connect
One quoted Pro price instead of per-module survey add-ons
Cash and equity benchmarks in the same product

Lite is blocked until a supported HRIS or payroll system is connected
Pro is quote-only with no public dollar
Lite coverage is US plus one market, not a global survey replacement

What each one costs

Carta

Sales-quoted

Free plan; paid plans are sales-quoted. Launch is free for up to 25 stakeholders and $1 million raised. Build, Grow and Scale are priced per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee, and add-ons such as Total Compensation and Liquidity cost extra. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Pave

Free plan, paid quote

Market Data Lite is free on a give-to-get model: connect a supported HRIS or payroll system to see US cash and equity benchmarks plus one additional market. Market Data Pro is quoted and adds global markets, advanced equity insights, and peer-group reporting at one price. There is no public Pro dollar. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Carta or Pave for free?

Pave carries a free tier on our listing.

Does Carta or Pave have an MCP server?

Carta ships a first party MCP server, so an AI assistant can work the product directly.

Not the pair you wanted?

All Carta alternatives All Pave alternatives Every Compensation tool

Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?