Compare/Head to head
Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.
Starting price
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 4 Nov 2026
Workday
Sales-quoted
Enterprise. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
Checked 4 Nov 2026
All Carta alternatives All Workday alternatives Every Compensation tool
Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 4 Nov 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?