If you run a studio or agency that builds several products with operator-partners, choosing an equity tool means weighing two very different philosophies. Carta is the established cap-table-of-record, used to manage equity for hundreds of thousands of companies. StakeBoard is a newer tool that fuses project management with per-project equity and profit-share. The StakeBoard vs Carta question comes down to what kind of team you are.
The stakes are real, because a mismatched tool quietly causes conflict. Co-founder and partner disputes are responsible for as many as 65% of all startup failures, and many begin with an ownership record that does not match how the team actually works. For a studio sharing profit across projects, a single-company cap-table tool can be that mismatch.
Studios and agencies face problems neither a spreadsheet nor a classic cap-table tool solves well. You run many projects at once, each with its own owners. You bring in operator-partners who earn both equity and profit-share. You need ownership tied to the work people actually ship. And you need a record everyone trusts when partners join or leave. This StakeBoard vs Carta comparison shows where each tool fits.
Challenges Studios and Agencies Face With Equity Tools
Before the feature comparison, here are the concrete problems that drive this choice. They are specific to portfolio teams.
Many projects, not one company. A studio runs several products at once, each with different owners. Most cap-table tools assume one cap table per account, with no portfolio roll-up.
Profit-share alongside equity. Operator-partners often earn a cut of profit as well as ownership. Cap-table tools track equity and ignore profit-share entirely.
Ownership disconnected from work. When equity lives in one app and the work lives in another, nobody connects what someone owns to what they shipped, and the split starts to feel arbitrary.
Partners who come and go. Operator-partners join one project and leave another. A fixed annual cap-table review cannot keep up with that churn.
Cost that does not match value. Paying thousands per year for 409A valuations and fund administration makes no sense for an internal studio record that never goes to an auditor.
| Tool | Best For | Equity & Profit Share | PM Board | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StakeBoard | Studios and operator-partner teams | Both, per project | Yes | $0 / $49 mo |
| Carta | VC-backed cap-table-of-record | Equity only | No | Free / $2,800+ yr |
The rest of this comparison goes feature by feature, so you can see exactly where StakeBoard and Carta diverge and which side of each line your studio sits on.
Cap Table Structure: Per-Project vs Single Company
Carta builds one cap table per company. That is the right model for a single startup with one set of shareholders heading toward a priced round and an exit. Everything in Carta assumes that structure, from share classes to reporting.
StakeBoard gives every project its own cap table, then rolls each person's equity up across the portfolio. A studio running six products sees six cap tables and one unified per-person view. For a portfolio team, that structural difference is the whole game, and it is where StakeBoard wins outright.
Profit-Share: Tracked vs Absent
Carta does not track profit-share. It models equity, options, and valuations for a company built to exit, not a team that distributes profit quarterly. If your operator-partners earn a cut of project profit, Carta has no place to record it.
StakeBoard tracks profit-share percentage right next to equity percentage, per project and per person. Distributions become a defined, visible number rather than a side conversation. For studios and agencies that pay profit-share, this is a decisive advantage for StakeBoard.
Project Management: Built In vs Separate
Carta has no project management. It is a finance and equity product, so the work your team does lives in a separate tool entirely, with no link to ownership.
StakeBoard includes scrum and agile boards in the same product as the equity layer. The result is that ownership stays tied to the work that earns it. When a partner ships a project, their stake and the project board sit in one place, which keeps the split feeling fair and grounded.
Record Integrity: Hash-Chained Ledger vs Standard Records
Carta maintains a professional, audit-ready system of record, which is exactly what investors and auditors want. Its records are reliable and recognized, and that recognition is a real strength when outside money is involved.
StakeBoard takes a different approach built for internal trust. Its ownership ledger is immutable and append-only, hash-chained so every change is tamper-evident, and governed by a propose, approve, then post flow. For a studio where partners join and leave, this settles “who agreed to what” without argument. Both are strong; they simply optimize for different audiences.
Stake Value in Real Money
Carta shows equity value through formal valuations, including 409A, which carry legal and tax weight. That rigor is necessary for a cap-table-of-record but heavy for an internal view.
StakeBoard shows each person's stake value in real money directly, so an operator-partner can see what their equity and profit-share are worth today without commissioning a valuation. For day-to-day motivation inside a studio, that immediacy matters more than a formal 409A.
Pricing and Fit
Carta is free on its Launch tier for companies under 25 stakeholders that raised up to $1 million, with paid plans from roughly $2,800 per year and higher tiers reaching thousands per month. You pay for valuations, fund administration, and compliance, which are worth it when you need a record-of-truth.
StakeBoard starts free, with a Studio plan at $49 per month and a custom Scale tier. You pay for a portfolio equity and profit-share tool with built-in boards, not for compliance you may never use. For an internal studio source of truth, StakeBoard's pricing fits the job far better.
How to Pick Between StakeBoard and Carta
The decision is less about features and more about what your record is for. If you are a single, venture-backed company that needs a cap-table-of-record, 409A valuations, and fund administration that investors and auditors recognize, Carta is the right call. It is the standard for a reason, and a studio with one project raising a priced round may genuinely need it for that project.
If you are a studio, app studio, or agency building a portfolio with operator-partners, StakeBoard fits how you actually work. You get per-project cap tables, profit-share alongside equity, project boards that tie ownership to the work, real-money stake value, and an immutable ledger your partners can trust, all starting at $0.
Many studios end up using both over time. They run StakeBoard as the internal source of truth across the whole portfolio, then add Carta as the cap-table-of-record for any single project that takes on outside investment. The two are not really rivals for those teams; they answer different questions. Start with the one that matches your most common, everyday need.
See StakeBoard for Your Studio
If your team runs more than one project and shares both equity and profit with operator-partners, a single-company cap-table tool will fight you at every turn. StakeBoard keeps project work, per-project equity, profit-share, and a tamper-evident ownership ledger in one place, starting free. Compare plans and find your fit on the pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between StakeBoard and Carta?
Carta is a cap-table-of-record for single venture-backed companies, with 409A valuations and fund administration. StakeBoard pairs project management with per-project equity and profit-share for studios and agencies, rolling each person's stake up across a portfolio. They serve different team structures.
Is StakeBoard a Carta alternative?
For studios, agencies, and founder teams running multiple projects with operator-partners, yes. StakeBoard fits portfolio teams that need equity and profit-share together. For a single VC-backed company needing a legally recognized cap-table-of-record, Carta remains the better fit, and some teams use both.
Does Carta track profit-sharing?
No. Carta tracks equity, options, and valuations for companies heading toward an exit. It does not record profit-share percentages or distributions. StakeBoard tracks both equity and profit-share per project, which is why studios that pay profit-share often choose it.
Can a studio use StakeBoard and Carta together?
Yes. Many studios run StakeBoard as the internal source of truth across the whole portfolio, then add Carta as the official cap-table-of-record for any single project that raises outside investment. The two answer different needs, so using both is common.
How much does StakeBoard cost compared to Carta?
StakeBoard starts free, with a Studio plan at $49 per month and a custom Scale tier. Carta is free on its Launch tier for very small companies, with paid plans from roughly $2,800 per year and higher tiers reaching thousands per month. StakeBoard is built for affordable internal use.
Build equity into the work itself.
Give every contributor a board to ship on and a stake worth shipping for.
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