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Finance

Best Equity Calculators for Worthless Options

Calculate your way to acceptance that your startup options might be worth $0

Most founders use spreadsheets and denial; these tools just automate the denial.
πŸ‘‘ #1 Pick

Pulley

The most honest equity calculator that shows you exactly when your options become worthless

All 5 recommendations

Est. prices as of Feb 19, 2026

#1 Β· Pulley Inc. Β· Best Value

Pulley

$0-$300/month

The most honest equity calculator that shows you exactly when your options become worthless

  • βœ“ Real-time valuation updates
  • βœ“ Models dilution scenarios accurately
  • βœ“ Cap table integration with major platforms
  • βœ“ Shows waterfall analysis to reveal your actual payout
  • βœ— Subscription model feels expensive when calculating $0 payouts
#2 Β· Carta Β· Premium Pick

Carta

$0-$500/month

Enterprise-grade cap table management that doubles as your equity disappointment tracker

  • βœ“ Comprehensive cap table intelligence
  • βœ“ Secondary market valuation data
  • βœ“ 409A valuation integration
  • βœ“ Works for multiple companies
  • βœ— Overkill for solo option holders; designed for company admins
#3 Β· Equity Zen Β· Hidden Gem

Equity Zen

$0-$200/month

Specialized in making secondary markets feel accessible when your primary options tank

  • βœ“ Focused on liquidity events
  • βœ“ Marketplace for selling shares
  • βœ“ Clear tax impact calculations
  • βœ“ Negotiation tools for option strikes
  • βœ— Limited to employees in well-known startups; most users have no liquidity options
#4 Β· Capboard

Capboard

$99-$400/month

Beautiful interface that makes your equity spreadsheet look less sad

  • βœ“ Clean UX and visualizations
  • βœ“ Scenario modeling tools
  • βœ“ Document storage for option agreements
  • βœ“ Mobile app for checking bad news anywhere
  • βœ— Visualization doesn't change the math
  • βœ— Pricier for basic calculations
#5 Β· Free Internet Β· Budget King

Google Sheets + Black Scholes Template

$0

The calculator your broke startup founder actually uses

  • βœ“ Completely free
  • βœ“ Full customization to your specific terms
  • βœ“ Works offline
  • βœ“ Forces you to understand the math of your worthlessness
  • βœ— Manual updates required
  • βœ— Easy to make formula errors
  • βœ— No integration with cap table data
  • βœ— You have to do the work yourself