EquityBee alternatives

EquityBee connects employees who need cash to exercise vested options with investors who fund it for a share of the upside. If you're weighing it up, here are the alternatives — from an independent source with nothing to sell you.

What EquityBee does, and why compare

EquityBee is a US marketplace where investors fund your option exercise (and often the tax) in exchange for a portion of your future gain. People compare alternatives to keep more of the upside, or to find a route that fits their situation or country.

The main alternatives

Alternative	How it helps you exercise	Trade-off
Secfi	Equity planning + non-recourse financing	A cut of the gain; US-focused
Non-recourse financing	Lender covers cost + tax; repaid only on an exit	Expensive; share of the upside
Sell-to-cover	Sell a slice in a tender/secondary to fund the rest	Needs a liquidity window
Self-funding / partial exercise	Pay yourself, or exercise only what you can afford	Cash at risk; may leave options unexercised

General information, not financial advice; confirm terms with each provider.

How to choose

Know the cost first — strike plus AMT/tax — with the free exercise & AMT calculator.
Giving up upside is the real price of all financing (EquityBee, Secfi, lenders). If you can self-fund or sell-to-cover, you keep more.
A partial exercise can cut the cash needed without any financier.

Where PrivateTechShares fits — and doesn't. We are not one of these platforms, not a broker or marketplace, and we take no cut of anything you do. We're the independent layer that helps you work out, for free, what your stake is worth, what it costs to exercise, and whether you can sell — before you choose a platform. Use us to decide; use them to transact.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to EquityBee?

It depends. Secfi and non-recourse lenders offer similar financing (cash to exercise for a share of the upside). If a liquidity window is open, selling a slice to cover the cost often keeps more of your gain than financing. And self-funding or a partial exercise avoids giving up any upside. Calculate the true cost first, then compare.

How is EquityBee different from a loan?

EquityBee isn't a traditional loan — investors fund your exercise in return for a share of your future gain, and you typically owe nothing if the company fails. That non-recourse feature reduces your downside but costs a meaningful slice of the upside if the company succeeds. Compare it against selling a slice to self-fund.

Does PrivateTechShares fund option exercises?

No. We're independent education and tools — not a financing provider or marketplace. We give you free calculators to work out exercise cost and tax and help you understand the trade-offs, with no product to sell and no cut to take.

Get the numbers before you decide

Free, no sign-up: estimate what your stake is worth, the cost to exercise, and whether you can sell.

Value my equity (free) → · All free tools → · Glossary →

When you're ready to go deeper, there's an optional Equity Toolkit and Report.