# Carta vs Pulley: which do AI models recommend for cap table management, October 2026

Finance AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Cap table management. Nine of fourteen models named Carta first on the direct prompt; two named Pulley. Page: https://finance-ai-index.com/corporate/cap-table-management/carta-vs-pulley/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carta | 33% | #1 of 10 | 32% | 74 | 14 of 14 |
| Pulley | 18% | #2 of 10 | 39% | 66 | 14 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- DeepSeek V4 Flash: both first (first choices: Carta, Pulley) (alternatives: Shareworks)
- GPT-5.4 mini: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Eqvista, Ledgy, Shareworks)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Ledgy, Mantle, Qapita)
- Perplexity Sonar: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Cake Equity, Pulley, Qapita)
- Grok 4.1 Fast: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Ledgy, Pulley)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Pulley, Qapita, Shareworks)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Fidelity Private Shares, Pulley, Qapita)
- GPT-6 Luna: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Shareworks)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: carta first (first choices: Carta) (alternatives: Cake Equity, Ledgy, Qapita)
- Kimi K2: pulley first (first choices: Cake Equity, Pulley) (alternatives: Eqvista, Ledgy)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Qapita) (alternatives: Cake Equity, Carta, Pulley)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: Qapita) (alternatives: Ledgy, Pulley)
- MiniMax M2.5: neither first, one named (first choices: Cake Equity, Qapita) (alternatives: Carta, Shareworks)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named

## What the models said about Carta

- "Carta — Approach with Caution ... Data misuse for secondary trading: Carta was caught using confidential customer cap table data to solicit secondary share sales" (Kimi K2, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Founders have publicly reported steep, unexpected price increases at renewal... canceling required scheduling a mandatory meeting" (Claude Haiku 4.5, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Avoid Carta if budget is your top concern" (Kimi K2, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Carta: The market leader for VC-backed private companies. Highly trusted by law firms and investors. It offers the most comprehensive suite of services ... but it is generally the most expensive option." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, scale prompt, first choice)
- "I'd generally recommend Carta if your priorities are cap table management, fundraising workflow, and a platform that can scale" (GPT-5.4 mini, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "Go with Carta if you need end-to-end (formation to exit), have 50+ stakeholders... dominant for mid-market B2B despite past issues." (Grok 4.1 Fast, direct prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Pulley

- "Pulley is closing - The platform announced it will cease operations on December 8, 2026 ... If you're considering Pulley, you'll want to evaluate Carta or other alternatives." (MiniMax M2.5, comparative prompt, hard negative)
- "Pulley — caution right now because it announced it is shutting down, with final day of operations/services on December 8, 2026." (GPT-5.4 mini, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Pulley — avoid for a new setup; migrate if you're already a customer. Pulley has announced it will end operations on December 8, 2026." (GPT-6 Luna, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "My specific recommendation for most mid-market B2B companies: ... Pulley offers the best balance of capability, price transparency, and ease of use." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, direct prompt, first choice)
- "Pulley has emerged as the primary challenger to Carta. It is designed specifically for high-growth startups moving through multiple funding rounds." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Start with Cake Equity or Pulley—both offer the right balance of features" (Kimi K2, direct prompt, first choice)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.