shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use TLDR Options?

Free calculator to ballpark the value of startup stock options - tldroptions.io

Worth it. Use it if you are weighing a startup offer and want a free, quick ballpark of what your options could be worth. Do not rely on it for final negotiations, taxes, or cap-table work, and verify the site is still live.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~14 public sources, mostly third-party recommendations from Reddit, HN, and tool directories; the product's own pages were only partially readable. Confidence tempered by a 2025 report of the site being unavailable.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources.
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Startup job candidates weighing offers
  • Negotiating equity vs cash tradeoffs
  • Employees estimating option exercise outcomes
  • Quick ballpark before talking to a tax pro

Not for

  • Public-company employees — the math differs and this won't help
  • Founders needing real cap-table management — use dedicated equity software
  • Anyone wanting tax or legal advice — outputs are ballparks only
  • HR teams choosing equity management platforms

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

No support or SLA — a free side project; one user reports downtime

medium

Ballpark output only — wrong tool for final negotiation or tax decisions

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free; no paid tier found
  • Widely recommended on Reddit and Hacker News for offer math
  • Ballparks startup option value in minutes
  • Built by LTSE Equity; maker publicly credited
  • Cited by equity-compensation guides and career advisers

Cons

  • Estimates are rough, not offer-grade numbers
  • One 2025 user says the site is no longer available
  • Most visible discussion dates to 2017-2019; update cadence unclear

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/27/2026 - 9 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x5news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 9

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free; no paid tier found anywhere.
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Described as an easy ballpark tool.
  • Feature depth: 2/5. Rough single-purpose estimator only.
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources.
  • Security posture: 3/5. Publishes security page; no known issues.
  • Free Starting price Listed free in Tools of the Trade
  • 2017 Launched HN debut, June 2017
  • 492 points HN launch traction June 2017 launch thread

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Startup options value estimator
  • No paid tiers found in sources

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

A long-standing Reddit and Hacker News go-to for ballparking startup equity, consistently described as a rough estimator rather than a precise model.

“I usually use this as a rough estimation”
Reddit, r/startups
“There used to be tldroptions.io a couple years ago”
Reddit, r/indianstartups
“An easy tool to ballpark the value of startup options”
Histre public note
Full analysis

Based on ~14 public sources, mostly third-party recommendations from Reddit, HN, and tool directories; the product's own pages were only partially readable. Confidence tempered by a 2025 report of the site being unavailable.

Free, no-frills calculator to ballpark startup option value — great first stop for offer math, useless as tax advice or a cap table.

Methodology

Based on ~14 public sources, mostly third-party recommendations from Reddit, HN, and tool directories; the product's own pages were only partially readable. Confidence tempered by a 2025 report of the site being unavailable.

Sources

  1. TLDR Stock Options (HN launch, 2017)news.ycombinator.com
    news
  2. TLDR Stock Options (HN, 2019)news.ycombinator.com
    news
  3. Tools of the Trade listing — TLDROptions, Freegithub.com
    review
  4. Reddit, r/startups — real examples of option outcomesreddit.com
    review
  5. Reddit, r/indianstartups — availability commentreddit.com
    review
  6. Histre note — 'easy tool to ballpark'histre.com
    review
  7. LTSE Equity on X — maker creditx.com
    official
  8. TLDR Options security pagetldroptions.io
    official
  9. og-equity-compensation review notes issuegithub.com
    review

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