Head to head
Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.
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
Sales-quoted
Enterprise HCM of record where recruiting is one module. Quote only, with long implementations and a tenant-scoped MCP rather than a public one.
Where Workday fits
| Detail | Carta | Workday |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Sales-quoted | Sales-quoted |
| Free tier | –No | –No |
| MCP server | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Public API | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Listed under | Compensation | ATS, Benefits administration, HR help desk, HRIS, Payroll, People analytics, Succession & internal mobility |
| Capterra | Not enough reviews | 4.5 from 1,769 reviews |
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
Workday
Stands out: It is the system of record for very large companies; recruiting rides along with it.
Watch out: Recruiter sentiment is among the most negative of any platform here, and implementations run long.
Not the right fit for
Carta
Workday
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
Workday
Sales-quoted
Enterprise. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
Checked 7 Sep 2026
All Carta alternatives All Workday alternatives Every Compensation tool
Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?