Carta vs. thinkorswim

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Carta
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Carta is an equity management platform that helps private companies manage their cap tables and issue securities electronically. Carta's tools help companies with valuations, tax filings, and equity compliance. Most recently, Carta launched Total Comp—a compensation management suite that offers benchmarking, leveling, scorecards, total rewards statements, and other tools used to forecast, hire, and retain…N/A
thinkorswim
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Thinkorswim, with its Investools division, is an American company offering live and online investor education services. In addition, through its brokerage subsidiary, thinkorswim, Inc., Investools provides services to funded trading accounts for self-directed option traders and institutional users who invest in equities, exchange-traded funds, futures, mutual funds and bonds.N/A
Pricing
Cartathinkorswim
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
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Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cartathinkorswim
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details$0.00 commissions. No platform fees. No data fees. No trade minimums. Online---$0.00-- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Phone System-$5.00-- Broker-assisted-$25.00
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cartathinkorswim
Best Alternatives
Cartathinkorswim
Small Businesses

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Coinbase
Coinbase
Score 7.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies

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Coinbase
Coinbase
Score 7.5 out of 10
Enterprises

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All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cartathinkorswim
Likelihood to Recommend
9.5
(10 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Usability
9.5
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cartathinkorswim
Likelihood to Recommend
Carta
Carta is perfect for any sized organization when shares and stock options are in the picture for new/seasoned employees alike. If a company does not provide these benefits to employees, it may not be the best fit for them unless there are other value-adds the tool can provide in other areas.
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thinkorswim
I would not hesitate to recommend thinkorswim to someone who wants to get into the stock market. The opportunity to use "paper money" can help beginners learn the fundamentals of trading without any risk. Although the trial period is only 60 days, [that's a] good amount of time for new users to learn enough before venturing out into the real world. Adding to the positives, thinkorswim mobile app is superb and a great way to keep up with your portfolio on the go.
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Pros
Carta
  • Expense Reporting - GAAP compliant and easy to manage, a report is run monthly and provides all the details needed to book the expense.
  • Equity Manageent - All stock certificates for our investors are held in Carta making Equity easy to manage.
  • Stock Option Issuance - Options are issued in Carta and the entire option life cycle from issuance, approval, and exercising is handled in Carta.
  • User Interface is very easy to follow.
  • Support is very responsive and helpful.
  • Numerous education articles available to all users.
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thinkorswim
  • Day Trading
  • Swing Trading
  • Long term Investment
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Cons
Carta
  • Still some issues with the auto-generated Excel file for stock calculations that required correction by technical support.
  • Could offer integration into accounting platforms or HR/payroll platforms to further cut down on manual input.
  • It should allow for custom user creation to allow for varying levels of access based on role in the company; currently, all security roles in the platform are out of the box without any modification allowed.
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thinkorswim
  • Offering more streaming platforms, like bloomberg for example or Fox Business.
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Usability
Carta
Because it is simple to use, I have never experienced any issues or bugs while using it and I have not heard anyone else having issues with it either. It simply works.
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thinkorswim
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Carta
Every time I have sent a message to Carta's support team, they've responded within 2 business days. The support team is very helpful and always has answered my questions competently and professionally. Many of my questions have also been answered through their extensive support articles. Carta makes available a lot of information that has helped reduce te administrative work of answering questions for our employees as they are able to get most of the information they need through Carta's website.
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thinkorswim
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Carta
I was not personally involved in choosing Carta over any other platforms. However, I can say I'm very happy with Carta. Carta allows for a central place to manage stock options from multiple companies and is extremely user-friendly and intuitive. With Carta being a market leader, it's nice to find new employers already using it as well.
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thinkorswim
I have personally used Charles Schwab mobile app and online page for about 3 years and have been thoroughly satisfied. Before TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab merged, I had used thinkorswim for the 60-day paper money trial before using my real money on investments. I confidently believe the time I've spent on thinkorswim has helped me mitigate any big losses in my investments. As for robinhood, the mobile app is a lot better for beginners to understand and the UI can be described as more aesthetically pleasing. thinkorswim triumphs in many other aspects [as well] such as being backed up by TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab and the plethora of knowledge [a user can access].
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Return on Investment
Carta
  • If a company's cap table is wrong that is legally considered fraud ( yes, a capital F fraud ), as in there could be criminal repercussions, and almost assuredly whatever transaction that requires it to be accurate will be canceled.
  • Compliance is a major factor when it comes to having a stock option plan. Carta is the best I've seen at keeping a company in compliance.
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thinkorswim
  • Easy to place orders
  • Easy to analyse stocks
  • Easy to check over all portfolio
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ScreenShots

Carta Screenshots

Screenshot of the company dashboard that provides a comprehensive view of tasks and recommended next steps.Screenshot of a company's detailed cap table breakdown by share class, providing vital insights into authorized shares, ownership percentages, dilution effects, and funds raised, accessible at a glance.Screenshot of the equity awards management interface featuring visibility into options holders, exercise prices, vesting schedules, and remaining allocation from an equity plan.Screenshot of the shareholder information and certificate interface where edits are incorporated into the cap table automatically.Screenshot of Carta's interface to create, track, and receive funding.