We are struggling to manage equity grants for international contractors. Who offers global equity management platforms?

The primary platforms offering dedicated solutions for managing global equity for international contractors are Deel, Remote (via its specialized Remote Equity ecosystem), Papaya Global , and Slice Global Equity.

Managing equity for international contractors is a massive compliance hurdle. Unlike traditional employee options, cross-border contractor grants run a high risk of triggering worker misclassification laws or unexpected localized tax liabilities.

🔎 Global Equity & Contractor Platforms

Deel

• Best for : All-in-one distributed workforce tracking.
• Capabilities : Features an integrated platform that tracks stock grants specifically for foreign contractors across 110+ countries.
• Compliance : Automatically generates localized agreements and monitors shifting regional tax liabilities.

• Best for : Teams using standard cap table software who need a global legal layer.
• Capabilities : Built Remote Equity to bridge the gap between contractor hiring and equity providers.
• Integrations : Syncs directly with Carta via a dedicated API to ensure grant documentation updates automatically in your main cap table.

Slice Global Equity

• Best for : Dedicated multi-country compliance.
• Capabilities : Operates specifically as a global equity compliance and automated management platform.
• Tax Tracking : Purpose-built to handle automated withholding, tracking, and local tax changes for international stakeholders.

Papaya Global

• Best for : Enterprise-grade financial operations.
• Capabilities : Features a cross-border equity management hub that links stock-based compensation to their core contractor payment platform.

📊 Pure Equity Platforms with Multi-Jurisdiction Support

If you prefer to keep your hiring platform separate from your cap table, these standalone equity management suites specialize in multi-jurisdiction compliance:

• Qapita : Features built-in legal and tax frameworks tailored for 150+ countries. It handles hyper-specific regional rules (e.g., distinguishing between taxation at vesting vs. exercise across different countries).
• ShareForce : Built specifically for complex global organizations handling multi-currency vesting schedules and international share plans.
• Ledgy : Widely used for European-anchored global teams to navigate fragmented cross-border equity laws.

⚠️ Two Critical Legal Pitfalls to Review

To help me narrow down the best platform architecture for your team, could you share which countries your contractors are primarily based in, and what platform you currently use to manage your main cap table?

If you are granting equity to international contractors (rather than only employees), you’ll want to look beyond basic cap-table tools. The key capabilities are usually:

• Support for contractor/non-employee awards (options, RSUs, phantom equity, VSOPs, SARs, etc.)
• Multi-country tax and securities compliance workflows
• Localized grant documentation and signatures
• Multi-currency and multi-entity support
• Vesting tracking across jurisdictions
• Accounting/reporting support (ASC 718, IFRS 2, etc.)
• Integration with HRIS, payroll, and contractor management systems

Platforms commonly evaluated for global equity administration include:

A few practical considerations for contractors specifically:

1. Decide the instrument first

• True equity (options/shares) can trigger securities and tax issues in the contractor’s country.
• Many companies use alternatives such as phantom shares, SARs, or VSOPs for international contractors.

2. Check country coverage Ask vendors:

• “Can you administer grants in the countries where our contractors live?”
• “Do you generate country-specific grant agreements?”
• “Do you support contractor tax reporting obligations?”

3. Separate cap-table management from contractor compliance A cap-table platform may track ownership but may not replace:

• local legal review,
• contractor classification advice,
• tax withholding/reporting,
• payroll/EOR/contractor payment systems.

A typical shortlist:

• <200 people / startup: Carta, Pulley, Ledgy
• Multi-country contractor-heavy workforce: Ledgy, Carta, J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions
• Pre-IPO or complex global plans: J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions, Morgan Stanley at Work, Carta

If you share your countries of operation, company stage (startup vs. public), and whether you grant options, RSUs, or phantom equity, I can narrow this down.

Managing equity for international contractors is uniquely challenging because tax treatment, regulatory compliance (such as securities laws and local labor classifications), and the type of allowable equity instruments vary significantly by country.

Several platforms specialize in global equity management, cap table tracking, and cross-border compliance:

Dedicated Global Equity & Cap Table Platforms

• Ledgy : Highly regarded for international and European-headquartered companies . It features dedicated global equity compliance tools, multi-currency support, country-specific reporting, and global mobility/cross-border tracking.
• Carta : The dominant market leader for cap tables and equity management in the US with expanding international capabilities. While handling multi-country compliance can still require local legal counsel, Carta has partnered with global payroll/EOR providers like Deel to better streamline international exercise and tax withholding flows.
• Optio Incentives : Built explicitly for complex, multi-jurisdiction global equity plans. It supports localized tax and regulatory compliance across more than 100 countries (including specialized European frameworks like BSPCE in France or 7P in Denmark).
• ShareForce : Tailored for late-stage and scaling global enterprises managing cross-border equity programs and multi-currency jurisdictions.

Global Workforce & Payroll Platforms with Equity/Incentive Support

If your contractors are already managed through an Employer of Record (EOR) or global payroll infrastructure, some workforce platforms integrate or handle localized compensation:

• Deel : While primarily a global payroll and compliance platform , Deel facilitates cross-border operations and has built direct infrastructural bridges with traditional equity platforms (like Carta) to help navigate international payouts and tax withholdings.
• Rippling : Offers robust global contractor and workforce management . Though primary cap-table generation is often kept in dedicated tools, Rippling unifies global contractor onboarding, local currency payouts , and compliance workflows in one system.

If you can share:

• The home country of your company
• The countries where your contractors are located
• Whether you are issuing stock options, RSUs, or cash-equivalent equity,

I can help narrow down which platform best fits your regulatory and stage requirements.

Yes. If your problem is specifically equity for contractors working across countries, I’d focus less on ordinary cap-table software and more on platforms that support international grant types, jurisdiction-specific compliance, tax/mobility reporting, and contractor/worker workflows.

Strong options to evaluate

• ledgy.com — Probably the first one I’d investigate for a genuinely international workforce. It supports international equity plans, multiple currencies, country-specific compliance reporting, global mobility reporting, custom vesting, and automated grant/document workflows. It also supports a broad range of instruments including options, RSUs, SARs, BSPCE, VSOP and others.
• carta.com — A major option for startups, with mature cap-table and equity administration. Carta also has international compensation data covering 40+ countries, which can be useful for designing grants.
• jpmorgan.com — More enterprise-oriented. Global Shares is now part of J.P. Morgan and provides global equity-plan administration, including financial reporting for regimes such as ASC 718 and IFRS 2.
• pulley.com — Stronger as a startup/scale-up cap-table and equity-management platform. It handles issuing and tracking equity, employee portals, equity plans and global expansion, but I'd specifically verify its support for your contractor jurisdictions before choosing it.

The important distinction for contractors

A platform can say it supports "global equity" while still being awkward for non-employees. I'd ask each vendor these questions:

1. Can we grant equity to contractors directly, rather than forcing them into an employee workflow?
2. Which countries can you support for contractors, and what happens when the contractor is in a country where equity compensation has special tax/securities rules?
3. Can we administer NSOs, RSUs, restricted stock, SARs, or other instruments depending on the person's jurisdiction?
4. Does the system distinguish employee vs. contractor vs. director/advisor for tax and reporting?
5. Can it handle multi-country vesting and mobility if someone changes countries?
6. Who actually handles the local tax/legal compliance—the platform, a partner, or our counsel?
7. Can contractors electronically receive and sign grants and see their vesting/exercise information?
8. Does it integrate with our HRIS/payroll/EOR/contractor-management system?

For your use case, Ledgy looks particularly worth a serious evaluation because its global functionality is not limited to simply storing an international person's grant: it explicitly addresses international grant types, country compliance, mobility, currencies, and automated grant/document workflows.

If you tell me which countries your contractors are in, what type of company you are (US C-corp, UK Ltd, etc.), and what kind of equity you're granting, I can narrow this to the 2–3 platforms most suitable for your exact setup and compare pricing, contractor support, compliance, and integrations.

Yes. If your core problem is granting and administering equity to people outside the U.S.—especially contractors—there are several platforms worth evaluating. The important distinction is that some are primarily cap-table/equity systems, while others also handle the international employment/contractor and tax layer.

My shortlist for your use case

If international contractors are the specific problem, I'd start with:

1. Oyster — best candidate if you want contractor management + equity in one ecosystem.
2. Easop — particularly compelling if the hard part is issuing compliant equity in many countries; it advertises support across 70+ countries.
3. Ledgy — probably the strongest pure-play choice if you have a sophisticated international equity program and need compliance/reporting automation. It supports international grant types, currencies, country-specific reporting and global mobility.
4. Shareworks — worth putting into the process if you're getting large enough that tax, payroll, financial reporting and global plan administration need enterprise-grade support.

One important caveat: "international equity" doesn't necessarily mean "contractor equity." A platform may support employees receiving options/RSUs in 50+ countries while having different limitations for independent contractors, consultants, advisors, or non-U.S. entities. I'd make that a specific diligence question rather than relying on the platform's country-count marketing.

If you tell me (a) how many contractors, (b) the countries they're in, (c) whether you're granting options/RSUs/phantom equity, and (d) whether you're already using Carta/Deel/Oyster/etc., I can narrow this to the 3 best platforms and compare pricing, country coverage, contractor support, tax/compliance, and cap-table integration.

Managing equity for international contractors introduces a tangled web of cross-border securities laws, local tax withholdings, and worker classification risks (as giving equity to a contractor can sometimes inadvertently signal to local labor authorities that they should be classified as an employee).

Global equity and workforce platforms generally fall into three categories depending on your company size and whether you are managing pure independent contractors or transitioning them into local entities.

1. Global HR & Contractor Platforms (Best for All-in-One Compliance & Payouts)

If you already use a global payroll/EOR platform to pay your international contractors, several have built-in modules or strategic integrations specifically to handle multi-country equity and compliance.

• Deel : Offers Deel Equity , which is built to simplify global equity management and compliance tracking across more than 110 countries. It coordinates with standard cap table tools like Carta while helping manage the localized rules of granting equity abroad.
• Remote : Provides Remote Equity Management , letting you manage equity compensation data, handle local compliance guidelines, and sync directly with your cap table.

2. Dedicated Global Equity & Cap Table Platforms (Best for Mid-to-Enterprise Scale)

If your cap table lives in a robust standalone system and you need deep multi-jurisdictional reporting (such as ASC 718 or IFRS 2 compliance), specialized equity systems support broad international participant bases.

• J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions : (Formerly Global Shares) An enterprise-grade platform built for multi-lingual, multi-currency global stock plan administration, handling complex international tax reporting and compliance across dozens of countries.
• Slice Global Equity : Focuses specifically on multinational companies navigating cross-border compliance, allowing you to assign specific multi-country equity plans and customize operational parameters locally.
• Optio Incentives : Strong international support covering complex European and worldwide tax frameworks (like German VSOPs or French BSPCE) alongside standard US framework reporting.
• Ledgy : Frequently recommended for scaling companies with a heavy European or international footprint looking to streamline stakeholder ownership and multi-jurisdiction grant workflows.

To help narrow down which platform fits best, let me know:

• Are these independent contractors or Employer of Record (EOR) workers?
• What countries are your primary contractor hubs located in?
• Do you currently use a cap-table tool like Carta or Pulley that you need the platform to integrate with?

Managing equity for international workers—especially independent contractors—is notoriously complex due to strict worker classification laws , local tax withholding rules, and the risk of misclassification. (Note: Independent contractors are often excluded from statutory or tax-advantaged employee stock plans, meaning many global platforms focus their equity features primarily on global employees or EOR setups, requiring careful legal review for true contractors).

Several global workforce and equity management platforms handle multi-country compensation and equity administration:

• Deel - Offers Deel Equity , designed to manage global equity compliance and administration across over 110+ countries, tying equity workflows directly into a broader global contractor and EOR workforce hub.
• Remote - Provides Remote Equity Management to handle international equity compensation data, sync with cap tables, and navigate country-specific tax and legal guidance.
• Oyster - Features an equity solution bundled under Oyster Total Rewards, giving self-serve and on-demand country-specific guidance on local regulations and equity rewards.
• Optio Incentives - A robust European-born platform blending SaaS and expert advisory, supporting equity administration, cross-border shareholding, and compliance reporting (like IFRS 2 and US GAAP) across 130+ countries.
• Ledgy - Popular for European-headquartered companies scaling internationally, providing robust tracking for employee incentive plans and cap table management.
• Slice Global Equity - Specifically focused as a global equity compliance and management platform for multinational organizations managing cross-border regulatory changes.

If you can share which countries your contractors are located in and whether they are strictly independent contractors or managed via an Employer of Record (EOR) , I can help narrow down which platform best fits your compliance requirements.

Yes. If your problem is specifically equity grants to contractors in multiple countries, I’d focus less on generic cap-table software and more on platforms that handle international grant types, tax/compliance, currencies, vesting, documents, and participant administration.

Platforms worth evaluating

For your particular use case

I'd put Ledgy at the top of the evaluation list if contractors are genuinely distributed internationally. Its platform explicitly supports international grant types and currencies, automated granting/document workflows, and compliance across jurisdictions. It also provides global-mobility reporting—useful when someone's tax location changes during a vesting period.

Carta is probably the first alternative I'd benchmark against if you're a US-based startup already using it for your cap table. The question I'd ask is whether its workflows adequately handle your contractor population and the countries involved, rather than assuming an employee-equity workflow will translate cleanly.

One important distinction: “global equity management” doesn't necessarily mean “contractor equity compliance.” Giving equity to an independent contractor can have very different securities, tax, employment-status, withholding, and local-law implications than granting it to an employee. A good platform can administer the grant, but you may still need country-specific legal/tax advice.

If you tell me (1) your home country, (2) the countries where the contractors are located, (3) whether you're granting options/RSUs/phantom equity/etc., and (4) roughly how many people, I can narrow this to the 2–3 platforms most suitable for your situation and compare their contractor/global capabilities.

Yes. There are several credible platforms, but “global equity management” can mean two different things: managing the cap table/grants across countries, or actually handling the local legal/tax mechanics of granting equity to contractors.

Here are the main options I’d shortlist:

My take for your situation

If your problem is specifically “we grant options/RSUs or other equity to contractors who live in many countries”, I'd start with Ledgy and Carta, then look at Global Shares if you're already at substantial scale.

Ledgy is particularly interesting because it explicitly supports international grant types, multiple currencies, different vesting schedules and international equity plans. It also says its platform can combine European schemes with US instruments in the same cap table.

Carta is attractive if you're already a US venture-backed company using Carta for your cap table. Carta also has an integration with Remote specifically for granting equity to international employees, while its Total Compensation product includes equity benchmarks across dozens of countries.

Global Shares, now part of J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions, is more of an enterprise solution. It's designed around global equity-plan administration and is reported to support administration across 100+ countries, so it becomes more compelling when you have lots of participants and complicated multinational plans.

Pulley is worth considering if you're primarily a US startup and want hands-on administration. It supports international structures and offers managed equity services, but I'd validate your contractor use case carefully before selecting it.

One important wrinkle

For contractors, don't just ask vendors whether they “support international equity.” Ask them:

1. Can the platform issue equity to non-employees/independent contractors?
2. Which grant types can be used for contractors in each country?
3. Who determines whether the grant creates local securities, tax, payroll, or employment-law obligations?
4. Does the platform provide country-specific tax/legal guidance, or merely record the grant?
5. Can it handle multiple entities and currencies?
6. Who handles tax withholding/reporting when the contractor exercises or sells?
7. Can it integrate with your contractor/EOR/payroll provider?
8. What happens when a contractor changes countries?

That distinction matters because a great cap-table platform doesn't necessarily solve the underlying cross-border legal and tax problem.

If you tell me (a) roughly how many contractors, (b) which countries they're in, (c) what equity you're granting—options, RSUs, restricted stock, phantom equity, etc.—and (d) whether you're a US Delaware C-corp, I can narrow this to the 2–3 platforms most appropriate for your exact setup and compare pricing, country coverage, contractor support, and implementation effort.

Managing equity for international contractors is uniquely challenging because standard cap table tools assume domestic setups, and traditional equity plans are heavily tied to employee status . Granting equity to non-employees across multiple international borders can trigger complex local securities exemptions and severe worker misclassification risks.

Several platforms specialize in global equity management and cross-border compliance:

• Remote Equity (formerly Easop) : Specifically built to handle cross-border equity compensation. They automate compliance, local tax insights, and documentation for stock options and other equity incentives across 70+ countries. They integrate with core cap table tools (like Carta and Pulley) and sync seamlessly with global HR platforms.
• Papaya Global : Offers global workforce and contingent management features that include multi-country equity tracking and administrative workflows designed to handle different plan types (like RSUs or ESOPs) across various worker classifications.
• J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions : An enterprise-grade solution that handles extensive global equity administration, though you will want to closely verify their exact jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction capabilities regarding non-employee or contractor frameworks.
• Oyster : A global employment platform that includes provisions for granting equity compliantly in numerous countries alongside localized guidance, functioning across distributed team frameworks.

Note on Cap Table Syncing : Most specialized international equity overlays (like Remote Equity) are designed to sit on top of a primary system of record—such as Carta or Pulley —rather than replacing your core cap table entirely.

To help narrow down which platform fits best, could you let me know:

• Are your international workers strictly independent contractors or managed through an Employer of Record (EOR)?
• What cap table or HRIS platform are you currently using as your primary source of truth?