Best 409A Valuation Providers in 2026: Startup Pricing Compared

Best for: Early-stage founders who want a published, stage-based 409A price bundled with cap table software.

• Publishes stage-based 409A prices, which makes early budgeting easier.
• Add-ons are priced openly, including expedited processing from 490 dollars and ASC 718 from 500 dollars.
• Tier assignment depends on funding round and other factors, so a seed company with revenue may be quoted above the listed tier.

Our take: Eqvista sells its 409A as an annual bundle with its Premium Cap Table, priced by stage: 990 dollars per year for pre-revenue, pre-funding companies, rising to 2,590 dollars at Series A, with Series B and later quoted. The bundle includes unlimited 409A updates and renewals during the subscription, which matters if you raise a round mid-year and need a refresh. Standard delivery is listed at 5 to 10 working days, and expedited processing starts at 490 dollars. Eqvista states that its team is NACVA-certified, that reports follow AICPA guidance, and that it provides lifetime audit support. In practice, you upload financial statements, the cap table, incorporation documents and funding history, and analysts build the report. In a call, confirm which tier your company falls into, what triggers a custom price, and how audit support works if your auditor questions the discount for lack of marketability. Compared with Carta, Eqvista is cheaper to start; compared with Redwood, it is more standardized.

Best for: Founders who want a fast 409A draft and a one-on-one review with a valuator, bundled with equity management.

• Three-business-day draft turnaround is stated as standard.
• Each client gets a one-on-one consultation with a dedicated valuator to review the result.
• Audit support is described only in general terms, so ask what happens if an auditor or the IRS challenges the report.

Our take: Cake Equity started in Australia and now serves US startups with equity management and 409A valuations. You can add a 409A to any plan for 1,500 dollars, or choose the Team plan at 2,750 dollars per year, billed annually, which includes two valuations a year and 40 stakeholders. Cake says drafts arrive in three business days as standard and that each client gets a one-on-one session with a dedicated valuator to review the inputs and the effect on option pricing. Its safe harbor guide says the appraisers hold CFA, CVA and CPA designations. In practice, this fits a seed or Series A company that wants to issue options soon after a round. In a demo, ask who signs the report, how the valuator handles a recent SAFE or convertible note, and what support is included if your auditor pushes back. Compared with Eqvista, Cake states a faster draft; compared with Mantle, it includes two valuations a year on its Team plan.

Best for: Founders who want a low-cost cap table with an annual 409A included, especially companies with US and Canadian entities.

• Free Starter plan lets you set up the cap table before paying for a valuation.
• Enterprise tier covers both US QSBS attestation and Canadian CCPC support.
• The 409A is included only from the Growth plan upward, and Mantle does not publish a turnaround time.

Our take: Mantle is a cap table platform that includes an annual 409A valuation in its Growth plan at 3,000 dollars per year, alongside VIP support and SOC 2 Type 2 report access. Its comparison table lists additional 409A valuations at 1,800 dollars, which you should confirm in writing. The free Starter and 1,200 dollar Essentials plans do not include a valuation. In practice, Mantle suits early startups that want one system for SAFEs, option grants and the annual 409A without a large platform fee, and its Enterprise tier mentions both US QSBS attestation and Canadian CCPC support. The pages we checked do not state a turnaround time or name who performs the valuation. In a demo, ask for typical delivery times after a priced round, who signs the report, and what support is included during your first audit. Compared with Carta, Mantle publishes prices; compared with Cake, it includes one valuation per year rather than two.

Best for: Venture-backed companies that already manage their cap table on Carta and want valuations inside the same system.

• Carta says it is trusted with over 120,000 valuations.
• Cap table, financial imports from Xero and QuickBooks, and valuation data live in one system.
• You cannot buy a Carta 409A without moving your cap table onto Carta.

Our take: Carta includes 409A valuations in its Grow and Scale plans, along with 409A audit support, and prices each package per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee set through sales. The free Launch plan and the Build plan do not include valuations. Carta's FAQ states you must be onboarded onto Carta to request a valuation, so this is an option for companies already on the platform or planning to move there. The process verifies the cap table, imports financials through Xero and QuickBooks integrations, includes an analyst call if needed, and passes an internal review before the final report. In practice, the advantage is fewer data handoffs, because the valuation draws on the same cap table your investors see. In a sales call, ask for the stakeholder-based price, how many valuations per year are included, typical turnaround after a priced round, and what audit support covers. Compared with Eqvista or Mantle, Carta costs more to reach; compared with independent firms, it bundles software and valuation.

Best for: Startups and private companies that want a standalone 409A report quickly without adopting a cap table platform.

• States a two-working-day draft turnaround.
• Says it has valued startups since 2014 and focuses on 409A work.
• The fee is not published on the pages we could access, and audit defense terms are not described in detail.

Our take: Sharp 409A is a specialist firm that says it has valued startups since 2014 and focuses on 409A reports for startups and private companies. Its homepage describes a flat fee that does not change with company stage and a process in which you submit company details and documents, receive a draft in two working days, and then get a signed report. It says its reports meet IRC safe harbor standards, follow AICPA guidance and run more than 60 pages. The firm lists a US phone number and an office in Bengaluru, India, and combines automated systems with valuation specialists. In practice, it suits founders who want a standalone report quickly and do not want to adopt a new cap table tool. Before you engage, ask for the fee in writing, the credentials of the signing appraiser, and what happens if your auditor requests changes. Compared with Cake or Eqvista, it is not bundled with software; compared with Redwood, it states a much faster draft.

Best for: Companies with multiple share classes or complex capital structures that want a dedicated valuation firm working with their auditor.

• Offers a range of defensible valuation outcomes and simulation software modeling thousands of common stock outcomes.
• States its team will work with your auditor during the process.
• A 3 to 4 week standard draft can delay option grants if you start late.

Our take: Redwood Valuation is a valuation-focused firm that says it has completed thousands of 409A valuations. Its early-stage page describes a range of defensible outcomes, industry data sets and simulation software that models thousands of possible common stock outcomes. Drafts typically take 3 to 4 weeks, with expedited options of about one week, and later-stage companies may take longer. The firm offers to work directly with your auditor, which helps when your capital structure includes several preferred classes, warrants or venture debt. Reports are valid for up to 12 months or until a significant event such as a new round. In practice, Redwood suits companies whose auditors expect detailed methodology support. Before you engage, ask for a fixed quote, the expedited fee, and how many revision rounds are included. Compared with Sharp 409A it takes longer by default; compared with Carta it is independent of your cap table software.