Employee equity
Stock options, RSUs, and restricted stock
Compare stock options, restricted stock units, and restricted stock, including vesting, exercise, settlement, and cap table treatment.
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Start with the instrument, not the quantity
An option gives its holder a right to purchase shares under specified terms. An RSU is an award whose settlement delivers the agreed value, often shares. Restricted stock is already-issued stock subject to restrictions such as vesting and repurchase rights.
Ten thousand of each instrument does not describe the same economics. Cooley’s stock and options explanation covers the distinction between issued ownership and an option to purchase it.
Compare the events on the cap table
| Instrument | Event that produces issued shares | Before that event |
|---|---|---|
| Option | Exercise with a linked share certificate | An award with a strike and exercise terms |
| RSU | Recorded settlement into a linked certificate | An award with vesting and settlement conditions |
| Restricted stock | Original stock issuance | The issued certificate itself carries any reverse vesting |
The app includes relevant unexercised options and unsettled RSUs in fully diluted ownership. Restricted stock can remain outstanding while unvested. The available plan reserve is separate from awards already granted.
Use a limited numerical comparison
Assume an option covers 10,000 shares at a $2 strike and is exercisable. Exercising all of it requires $20,000 before considering tax or fees. A 10,000-unit RSU settlement does not use that option strike-price purchase step.
This does not mean the awards have equal value or that RSUs produce a tax-free payment. Share value, restrictions, settlement timing, taxes, and liquidity all affect the outcome. This comparison is about instrument mechanics, not a recommendation of compensation terms.
Record the correct instrument and event
Choose the instrument described by the award agreement. Enter its actual holder, quantity, dates, plan, and vesting terms. Use the option exercise or RSU settlement action for later events, and inspect the resulting certificate.
Tax treatment varies by jurisdiction and arrangement. The app’s instrument labels and ownership percentages do not calculate an employee’s take-home value. Keep the award and any settlement or payment evidence with the records.