Astrella vs Shareworks (Morgan Stanley at Work)
A side-by-side comparison of Astrella and Shareworks (Morgan Stanley at Work) — two options for cap table & equity management. Pricing, features, and honest pros and cons.
Category
Cap Table & Equity Management
Cap Table & Equity Management
Rating
3.9 / 5
3.7 / 5
Pricing
Enterprise / Custom
Enterprise / Custom
Best for
Later-stage private companies wanting registry-grade records and an IPO path
Large global companies and pre-IPO enterprises with complex equity programs
Key features
- Fully diluted cap table with real-time updates
- Employee stock plan administration
- Waterfall and exit scenario analysis
- 409A valuation services
- Path to EQ transfer-agent and registry services pre-IPO
- Private-company cap table and equity plan administration
- Global plan support across 150+ countries and tax regimes
- Tender offer and liquidity event execution
- ASC 718 financial reporting and audit packages
- Integrated brokerage and participant wealth services via Morgan Stanley
Pros
- Backed by EQ's decades of share-registration infrastructure
- Strong waterfall and audit-ready reporting
- Natural continuity from private cap table to public registry
- Handles very large, multi-country equity programs credibly
- Bank-grade compliance, execution, and participant brokerage
- One suite from private cap table through public-company administration
Cons
- Far less startup mindshare and community than Carta or Pulley
- Smaller integration ecosystem; UI feels more corporate than modern SaaS
- UI widely described in reviews as dated and non-intuitive
- Customer support responsiveness is a recurring complaint
- Participants report notable selling fees and FX charges