Global Shares vs Empower Stock Plan Services

Global Shares8.7Visit ESEmpower Stock Plan Services8.5Visit

Higher score Global Shares #6 in Equity Compensation Management Software 8.7/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Global Shares

vs

ES Empower Stock Plan Services #8 in Equity Compensation Management Software 8.5/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Empower

• Global Shares fits best

  Global companies needing mobile share-plan administration

• Empower Stock Plan Services fits best

  Employers needing managed plan and filing services

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Side by side

Feature	Global Shares 8.7/10 Visit ↗	ESEmpower Stock Plan Services 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.5
Ranking	#6 in Equity Compensation Management Software	#8 in Equity Compensation Management Software
Best for	Global companies needing mobile share-plan administration	Employers needing managed plan and filing services
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Support	Docs	Phone
Integrations	180+ integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Global Shares 3/3 · Empower Stock Plan Services 3/3
Employee portal	✓	✓
Tax reporting	✓	✓
Valuation support	✓	✓
Specs
Award types	Stock options, restricted stock, phantom shares, tax-advantaged share plans	Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), Nonqualified Stock Options (NSOs), Incentive Stock Options (ISOs), Performance Stock Units (PSUs), Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs), Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPPs), restricted stock, warrants
Vesting rule support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Recipient limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports options, restricted stock, phantom shares, and tax-advantaged plans Combines employee portals, mobile transactions, trading, and tax reporting Connects with HRIS, payroll, and tax systems through integrations and APIs	Supports options, RSUs, PSUs, SARs, ESPPs, restricted stock, and warrants Combines participant access, exercises, document management, and reporting Adds 409A valuation, 6039 filings, and 10b5-1 plan support
Cons	Pricing requires contacting sales Its broad global scope may exceed simple local-plan needs Cross-jurisdiction administration can require more operational coordination	Pricing requires a demo or contact-sales conversation The listed platform is web only Broker integrations are described around captive brokers
Our verdict	Global Shares, now operating under the J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions brand, provides software and services for administering employee equity plans. It is designed for private and public companies managing stock options, restricted stock,… Read the review →	Empower Stock Plan Services is a digital equity compensation administration platform for public and private companies. It is designed for employers managing stock options, restricted stock units, restricted stock, warrants, employee stock… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Global Shares — where it wins

  • Supports options, restricted stock, phantom shares, and tax-advantaged plans
  • Combines employee portals, mobile transactions, trading, and tax reporting
  • Connects with HRIS, payroll, and tax systems through integrations and APIs

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contacting sales
  • Its broad global scope may exceed simple local-plan needs
  • Cross-jurisdiction administration can require more operational coordination

• Empower Stock Plan Services — where it wins

  • Supports options, RSUs, PSUs, SARs, ESPPs, restricted stock, and warrants
  • Combines participant access, exercises, document management, and reporting
  • Adds 409A valuation, 6039 filings, and 10b5-1 plan support

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires a demo or contact-sales conversation
  • The listed platform is web only
  • Broker integrations are described around captive brokers

• Global Shares8.7/10 · Pricing on request

  A global equity platform with employee transactions, mobile access, reporting, and API connectivity.

  Visit Global SharesFull verdict →
• ESEmpower Stock Plan Services8.5/10 · Pricing on request

  A managed equity platform covering awards, participant access, reporting, valuation, and filings.

  Visit EmpowerFull verdict →