Vesting schedule calculator.

Generate a complete equity vesting timeline with cliff periods, monthly breakdowns, and acceleration scenarios. For founders, employees, and advisors — in a few seconds.

Why vesting protects the company (and the founders).

Vesting turns equity from a gift into earned ownership. It's the cheapest, highest-leverage insurance policy a startup can buy.

  1. 01
    Protect the company.Without vesting, a co-founder who quits in month 3 keeps their full equity. With vesting, they keep only what they've earned.
  2. 02
    Standard is 4 years, 1-year cliff.Year 1 you get nothing if you leave. Hit the cliff and 25% vests instantly. Then monthly for 36 more months.
  3. 03
    It applies to founders too.The biggest mistake founders make is exempting themselves from vesting. Investors will require it before Series A — better to bake it in now.
  4. 04
    Acceleration matters at exit.Double-trigger (acquired AND terminated) is founder-friendly and acquirer-friendly. Single-trigger scares acquirers and lowers your offer.

Calculate vesting schedule.

Number of shares or equity percentage granted.

4 years is standard for founders and employees.

No vesting until this period — then a lump sum.

Acceleration only if acquired AND terminated (founder-friendly)

Date when vesting begins.

Acceleration scenarios.

No Acceleration

Standard vesting continues even after company acquisition or termination

Single Trigger

Full vesting acceleration upon company acquisition (risky for acquirers)

Double TriggerRecommended

Acceleration only if acquired AND terminated (founder-friendly)

Vesting by role.

  1. 01
    Founders.4 years with 1-year cliff. Double-trigger acceleration.
  2. 02
    Employees.4 years with 1-year cliff. No acceleration (standard).
  3. 03
    Advisors.2–3 years with shorter or no cliff.
  4. 04
    Consultants.2–3 years with 3–6 month cliff.

Best practices & common mistakes.

Best practices.

  • →Always use vesting schedules - this protects the company if someone leaves early
  • →Standard is 4 years with 1-year cliff (25% at month 12, then monthly)
  • →Founders should have double-trigger acceleration for protection
  • →Put vesting terms in writing before issuing any equity
  • →Consider shorter vesting for advisors and consultants

Common mistakes.

  • ×Not implementing vesting at all — the single biggest mistake founders make.
  • ×Vesting periods under 3 years — too short to filter out short-term commitments.
  • ×No cliff — lets people leave early and keep equity for minimal contribution.
  • ×Verbal vesting agreements — they fall apart under pressure.
  • ×Forgetting the 83(b) election within 30 days — US tax penalty applies.

The 83(b) election (US founders).

File within 30 days.

When you receive restricted stock, you can elect to pay taxes upfront on the (much lower) initial value, instead of paying at each vesting event on the (potentially much higher) future value. The window is 30 days. Miss it and the tax bill can be brutal.

Filing window30 days from grant
Filing fee$0 (just mail to IRS)
Tax basis without 83(b)FMV at each vest
Tax basis with 83(b)FMV at grant

Not legal or tax advice — always consult a professional. Standard practice for almost all early-stage founders and employees.

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Planning equity? You're building something real.

Vesting conversations mean the company is real enough to plan for the future. I help early-stage founders build the actual product — startup MVPs and customer-facing apps in Next.js and TypeScript, typically from idea to launched product in 4–8 weeks.

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