What is Equitybee Benchmark?
Equitybee Benchmark is a free, searchable tool that lets U.S. startup employees see how their equity grants stack up against the market. Instead of guessing whether your stock options are fair, you can compare your grant against 9,000+ verified new-hire grants collected from 2,500+ startups. The dataset spans companies from seed stage to pre-IPO, and you can filter by department, seniority level, and company stage to find the cohort that matches your situation.
The benchmark is built from actual new-hire equity grants submitted through Equitybee, giving you a real-world view of what startups are offering today. It's designed to be used at key career moments—when you're evaluating a job offer, negotiating a promotion, or considering a move to another company.
Who it's for
- Job seekers evaluating offers – See how a startup's equity proposal compares to verified grants for similar roles at similar-stage companies before you sign.
- Current employees preparing for talks – Get data-backed context for promotion, refresh, or retention conversations by seeing what new hires in your target role typically receive.
- Career movers exploring options – Understand what comparable employees receive when joining the companies you might consider next, so you can negotiate from a position of knowledge.
Key features
9,000+ verified new-hire grants
The dataset contains over 9,000 individual equity grants, each verified through Equitybee's submission process. This isn't self-reported survey data—it's tied to actual grant details, giving you a more reliable picture of what startups are offering.
Filter by department, seniority, and stage
You can narrow the benchmark to your specific situation: choose your department (Engineering, Operations, Sales, and more), your seniority level (from Individual Contributor to VP & C-Level), and the company stage (seed through pre-IPO). This lets you compare apples to apples rather than against a broad average.
Cohort-based comparison tool
The "Build Your Benchmark" feature lets you select the cohort most relevant to you and instantly see how your grant compares. The tool is designed to be practical—you input your parameters and get a clear read on where you stand.
Market trend insights
Beyond individual comparisons, the benchmark reveals broader patterns. For example, median new-hire grants rose from approximately $18K in 2019 to $57K in 2022, and have held near $60K through 2025. You can also see how AI & Data roles have grown in both share and grant size.
What stands out
"For years, companies have benchmarked the equity they offer. Now you can benchmark yours."
This is the first tool that flips the power dynamic in equity negotiations. Companies have long had access to compensation data; employees have had to rely on anecdotes and guesswork. Equitybee Benchmark puts verified, filterable data directly in the hands of employees, so you can walk into any equity conversation with real market context. The fact that it covers 2,500+ companies from seed to pre-IPO means you're likely to find a relevant comparison regardless of where you are in your career.
Worth checking out if…
You're a U.S. startup employee who has ever wondered whether your equity grant is fair—whether you're evaluating a first offer, preparing for a promotion discussion, or thinking about your next move. It's especially valuable if you're in a role where equity is a significant part of compensation and you want to negotiate with confidence. Just keep in mind the dataset is informational and not independently verified, so use it as one input in your decision-making, not the final word.
