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The Carta Total Compensation alternative: TalentUp vs Carta

Carta Total Compensation benchmarks salary and equity for venture-backed startups using Carta's private-market data. TalentUp covers every role and company type in 98 countries, with EU Pay Transparency tools built in.

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Where Carta falls short

What to know before choosing Carta

  • Built around venture-backed startups and their roles.
  • International figures for 40+ countries are geo-adjusted from US benchmarks.
  • Benchmarks are refreshed quarterly.
  • No public price: it's sold as an add-on to Carta plans.
  • No pay transparency or pay equity tooling appears in its release notes.

Why teams switch from Carta to TalentUp

Local data in 98 countries, not Carta's adjusted US figures

  • Local salary data in 98 countries and 38K+ cities, not adjusted from US figures.
  • 750 roles across 22 departments, for startups and established companies alike.
  • Salary data refreshed every two weeks.
  • Public pricing: start free, then Pro at €60/month.
  • Pay Transparency tool built in: salary bands, gender pay gap analysis and reports.

How TalentUp compares with Carta

The questions that matter most when choosing a salary benchmarking tool, answered side by side.

Data source

Where does the salary data come from?

TalentUp

No data sharing

Salaries published in job ads

Carta

Carta cap-table data (Available)

50,000+ private companies

International data

How is data outside the US produced?

TalentUp

Local data, 98 countries

Down to 38K+ cities

Carta

40+ countries (Limited or with conditions)

Geo-adjusted from US data

Data updates

How current are the benchmarks?

TalentUp

Every two weeks

Continuous data pipeline

Carta

Quarterly (Limited or with conditions)

Roles covered

How many roles can you benchmark?

TalentUp

Every department

750 roles, 22 departments

Carta

Startup roles (Limited or with conditions)

Salary and equity

Pricing

Can you see prices before talking to sales?

TalentUp

Public pricing

Pro €60/month, cancel anytime

Carta

Add-on to Carta plans (Limited or with conditions)

No public price

EU Pay Transparency

Does it help you comply with the EU Pay Transparency Directive?

TalentUp

Built-in tool

Salary bands, pay gap analysis, reports

Carta

Not advertised (Not available)

Carta may still be the right fit if…

You're a US-centred, venture-backed startup that wants equity benchmarks next to your cap table.

Why HR teams choose TalentUp over Carta

Carta Total Compensation is built for US venture-backed startups that want equity data next to their cap table. TalentUp covers every type of company with local salary data in 98 countries.

Local data, not geo-adjusted like Carta

Carta's international figures for 40+ countries are adjusted from US benchmarks. TalentUp uses local salaries in 98 countries, down to 38K+ cities.

Every two weeks vs quarterly at Carta

Carta refreshes its benchmarks quarterly. TalentUp refreshes salaries every two weeks.

Beyond Carta's startup roles

750 roles across 22 departments, for startups and established companies alike.

Public pricing, not a Carta add-on

Carta Total Compensation is sold as an add-on with no public price. TalentUp starts free, and Pro costs €60/month.

EU Pay Transparency tools Carta doesn't advertise

TalentUp includes salary bands, gender pay gap analysis that separates justified from unjustified gaps, and one-click compliance reports.

No cap table required

Benchmark without sharing any internal data. Connecting your HRIS is optional and free.

TalentUp vs Carta: frequently asked questions

What HR teams ask most when comparing TalentUp and Carta: data, pricing, compliance and switching.

Still have questions?

Our team can walk you through TalentUp with your own roles and countries.

Talk to our team

What is the main difference between TalentUp and Carta Total Compensation?

Carta Total Compensation benchmarks salary and equity for venture-backed startups using Carta's cap-table data, with non-US figures adjusted from US benchmarks. TalentUp uses local salaries from job ads in 98 countries, for every type of company.

Do I need to be a Carta customer to use Carta Total Compensation?

No. Since 2024 it's open to companies that don't use Carta, although cap-table customers get extra features. TalentUp doesn't require any other product either.

Is TalentUp better than Carta for companies outside the US?

TalentUp uses local salary data in 98 countries and 38K+ cities, while Carta's international figures for 40+ countries are geo-adjusted from US benchmarks.

How often is Carta Total Compensation updated?

Carta refreshes its benchmarks quarterly. TalentUp refreshes its salary data every two weeks.

How much does Carta Total Compensation cost?

Carta doesn't publish a price: it's sold as an add-on to Carta plans. TalentUp's prices are public, with a free plan and Pro at €60/month.

Does Carta Total Compensation help with the EU Pay Transparency Directive?

Carta doesn't advertise pay transparency or pay equity tools for it. TalentUp includes salary bands, gender pay gap analysis and one-click compliance reports.

See how TalentUp compares to Carta on your own roles

Run your first salary benchmark for free, with no survey to fill in and no HRIS to connect.

Start now with 1 free search See pricing

Learn more: how we collect salary data · EU Pay Transparency Directive guide

Information about Carta Total Compensation is based on its publicly available materials as of November 2026 and may have changed since. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Spotted something out of date? Let us know through our contact page.

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