In a carta vs pulley comparison, the right choice depends on whether you need to manage equity or organize investor outreach. We at AI Perks raised our round through Round Funded because its investor database, AI email agent, workspace, Data Room and tracking links fit the fundraising work we wanted to do.
What are Carta and Pulley designed to do?
Carta describes its product as software for managing cap tables, securities, 409A valuations and compliance. The company says its digital cap table updates as transactions happen. It also offers tools to manage share classes and vesting templates and issue securities electronically. Carta says it is an SEC-registered transfer agent for US companies handling option exercises and repurchases.
Carta presents its product as relevant to early-stage founders setting up a first cap table, as well as funded companies whose lawyers and investors already use Carta. Its described role centers on equity administration and ownership records.
Pulley describes its platform as cap table software for equity and tokens, aimed at founders and finance teams. Its Startup plan includes a fundraise modeler. Pulley lists additional equity-administration features on its Growth and Enterprise plans.
These descriptions point to a difference in the work each product addresses: Carta and Pulley focus on equity information and administration. Finding potential investors, sending pitches and keeping track of outreach are separate fundraising tasks. We at AI Perks chose Round Funded for that side of our raise, not as a substitute for cap table software.
How do Carta and Pulley pricing compare?
The companies describe different pricing structures, and the information available is not equally detailed.
Carta says Build, Grow and Scale are quote-only plans. It also says packages include a per-stakeholder price and a minimum annual fee, without publishing the figures for those plans. Carta states that its Launch plan does not include a 409A valuation, which starts with Grow.
Pulley lists these prices and stakeholder limits:
| Pulley plan | Published price | Stakeholder information |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | $1,200 per year | Includes the first 25 stakeholders |
| Growth | $3,500 per year | Includes the first 40 stakeholders |
| Enterprise | Contact Pulley | Stakeholder limit not listed |
Pulley says customers above the stated stakeholder counts should contact the company. It also says an angel investing $50,000 or less counts as half a stakeholder. G2 and Capterra list no free plan or trial for Pulley.
For Round Funded, the published plans are Round+ at $99 a month, Round Pro at $249 a month and Lifetime at $899 one-time. Round+ and Round Pro include a 3-day free trial for first-time accounts, and there is no free tier. These are different categories of product, so comparing the listed prices does not make them interchangeable. Carta and Pulley describe equity-management plans; Round Funded supports investor discovery and fundraising outreach. Submit your startup on Round Funded to get matched with investors.
Do Carta and Pulley help with investor outreach?
Carta says it does not find investors, send outreach or track who opened a deck. Pulley’s site navigation does not list an investor database or outreach product. Its Startup plan includes a fundraise modeler, but Pulley does not describe that feature as a tool for finding investors or sending pitches.
A founder’s process can involve researching investors, preparing individual messages, following up and sharing fundraising materials. We needed support for those steps when raising our round. That is why we chose Round Funded after looking at Carta and Pulley. We are not saying we used either one.
Round Funded covers 60,000+ active VCs, angels, family offices and accelerators. Founders can search by stage, industry, geography and check size. Investors are filtered to recent activity, a check in roughly the last 6 months, and their emails are verified.
The product also includes a fundraising pipeline to organize investors, stages and next steps. Its AI drafts personalized outreach emails and follow-ups for each investor. Messages go out from the founder’s own Gmail, so replies arrive in the founder’s inbox and the thread belongs to the founder.
What did we choose for our raise, and why?
We at AI Perks raised our round through Round Funded. Our choice came down to the tasks and features we wanted in our fundraising workflow: a clean investor database, an AI agent that writes emails, a convenient interface, teammate access, a Data Room and tracking links. Explore Round Funded to get matched with active investors.
Round Funded lets founders invite teammates into the startup’s workspace. Its Data Room can hold a deck, traction, team information and the ask on one link. Building and sharing the Data Room is free on every plan. Per-investor tracked links and engagement analytics, including views, deck opens and meeting clicks, come with Round+.
The distinction matters when assessing Carta versus Pulley. Both companies describe products for equity management, while Round Funded is designed to help founders find investors, send pitches and track replies. It does not replace ownership records or act as cap table software. For our fundraising workflow, Round Funded was our pick.
What happened to Pulley?
Pulley said it would cease all operations and services on December 8, 2026. Its shutdown FAQ said the app would no longer be accessible and customer support would stop on that date. Pulley also said customers keep limited-format access to their data through the app until January 31, 2027.
Founders who used Pulley for their cap table need a new home for those records before that date.
How Round Funded helps founders manage outreach
- Submit your startup on Round Funded to get matched with investors.
- Search the investor database by stage, industry, geography and check size.
- Use the fundraising pipeline to keep investors, stages and next steps together.
- Have the AI draft personalized emails and follow-ups, then send outreach from your own Gmail.
- Build and share a Data Room, and use per-investor tracked links and engagement analytics with Round+.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Carta and Pulley?
Carta describes software for cap tables, securities, 409A valuations and compliance. Pulley describes a platform for equity and tokens, with plans aimed at founders and finance teams. Neither is described as an investor database or outreach tool.
How much does Carta cost?
Carta says its Build, Grow and Scale plans are quote-only. It states that packages have a per-stakeholder price and a minimum annual fee, but does not publish those figures for the plans. Carta also says Launch does not include a 409A valuation.
How much does Pulley cost?
Pulley lists Startup at $1,200 per year for the first 25 stakeholders and Growth at $3,500 per year for the first 40. Enterprise requires contacting Pulley, and its stakeholder limit is not listed.
Has Pulley shut down?
Pulley said it would stop all operations and services on December 8, 2026. Its FAQ said app access and customer support would end then, with limited-format data access through the app until January 31, 2027.
Does Round Funded replace cap table software?
No. Round Funded is for investor discovery, outreach and fundraising organization. We at AI Perks chose it for those tasks, not to replace equity records or cap table software.