The complete software stack for a growing financial advisory firm
Here's the exact, integrated 4-pillar stack we'd architect for an 18-person independent ria (~$500m aum) — no SaaS sprawl, no overlapping tools, every piece chosen for how well it fits your size and how cleanly it plugs into the rest.
The example below is for an 18-person independent ria (~$500m aum). Your blueprint will be tailored to your actual size and spend.
Estimated difference: $68,772/yr
Arithmetic: ($9,500 current input − $3,769 catalog stack) × 12. This is an illustrative catalog scenario, not a quote, observed customer spend, or guaranteed savings.
Your 4-pillar stack blueprint
This software stack provides a robust, integrated solution designed to streamline operations for your 18-person firm. Redtail and Snappy Kraken will enhance client acquisition and engagement, while Orion and RightCapital offer sophisticated tools for portfolio management and financial planning, crucial for delivering high-value advice. The inclusion of QuickBooks Online, Gusto, and AdvicePay ensures efficient back-office functions, payroll, and fee management, directly supporting your firm's financial health. Furthermore, essential tools like Google Workspace, Calendly, DocuSign, and 1Password will boost daily productivity and client interactions, while Smarsh, MyRIACompliance, and Huntress provide critical layers of security and regulatory compliance, safeguarding your firm and client data.
Sales & Marketing
CRM for Financial Advisors
Consolidates: spreadsheet client tracking, generic small-business CRM, paper client files
$99/moMarketing Automation for Financial Advisors
Consolidates: ad-hoc newsletter emails, generic email marketing tools without compliance review, manual social media posting
$600/moScheduling & Booking
Consolidates: back-and-forth scheduling emails, phone-tag meeting booking
$50/mo
Core Operations
Portfolio Management & Performance Reporting
Consolidates: manual portfolio spreadsheets, custodian-only reporting, manual quarterly fee billing calculations
$1,500/moFinancial Planning Software
Consolidates: spreadsheet-based financial plans, eMoney Advisor (as a substitute, not an add-on), manual retirement projections
$150/moCustody & Trade Execution
Consolidates: self-custody arrangements, manual trade execution
$0/mo
Finance
Core accounting & bookkeeping
Consolidates: manual/spreadsheet bookkeeping, separate expense tracking
$90/mo- $200/mo
Advisory Fee Billing & Collection
Consolidates: manual invoicing for planning fees, personal check collection
$100/mo
Administration & Security
Google Workspace (Business Standard)
Business email hosting & productivity suite
Consolidates: on-premise Exchange/email server, personal email accounts for business use
$170/moPassword manager
Consolidates: passwords in a shared spreadsheet, browser-saved/reused passwords
$95/moE-signature & document workflow
Consolidates: printing and scanning paper agreements, emailing PDFs back and forth for signature
$80/moCompliance Archiving & Communication Surveillance
Consolidates: manual email retention/PST files, no communication surveillance
$300/moCompliance Management & Regulatory Filing
Consolidates: manual compliance calendar tracking, outside compliance consultant retainer for routine filings
$250/moEndpoint detection & response / managed security
Consolidates: free/consumer antivirus, unmanaged, unmonitored endpoints
$85/mo
Our picks, and why
Redtail CRM
Fits teams of 2-100 employees, consolidates spreadsheet client tracking, generic small-business CRM, paper client files — chosen over 1 other crm for financial advisors option in our catalog.
Runner-up: Wealthbox CRM
Snappy Kraken
Fits teams of 3-100 employees, consolidates ad-hoc newsletter emails, generic email marketing tools without compliance review, manual social media posting.
Calendly
Fits teams of 1-200 employees, consolidates back-and-forth scheduling emails, phone-tag meeting booking.
Orion Advisor Solutions
Fits teams of 5-200 employees, consolidates manual portfolio spreadsheets, custodian-only reporting, manual quarterly fee billing calculations — chosen over 1 other portfolio management & performance reporting option in our catalog.
Runner-up: Black Diamond Wealth Platform
RightCapital
Fits teams of 1-100 employees, consolidates spreadsheet-based financial plans, eMoney Advisor (as a substitute, not an add-on), manual retirement projections — chosen over 1 other financial planning software option in our catalog.
Runner-up: eMoney Advisor
Schwab Advisor Services
Fits teams of 1-500 employees, consolidates self-custody arrangements, manual trade execution.
QuickBooks Online
Fits teams of 1-50 employees, consolidates manual/spreadsheet bookkeeping, separate expense tracking.
Gusto
Fits teams of 2-100 employees, consolidates manual payroll processing, legacy ADP/Paychex contracts.
AdvicePay
Fits teams of 1-100 employees, consolidates manual invoicing for planning fees, personal check collection.
Google Workspace (Business Standard)
Fits teams of 3-100 employees, consolidates on-premise Exchange/email server, personal email accounts for business use.
1Password Business
Fits teams of 3-100 employees, consolidates passwords in a shared spreadsheet, browser-saved/reused passwords.
DocuSign
Fits teams of 2-100 employees, consolidates printing and scanning paper agreements, emailing PDFs back and forth for signature.
Smarsh
Fits teams of 2-200 employees, consolidates manual email retention/PST files, no communication surveillance.
MyRIACompliance
Fits teams of 1-200 employees, consolidates manual compliance calendar tracking, outside compliance consultant retainer for routine filings.
Huntress Managed EDR
Fits teams of 5-200 employees, consolidates free/consumer antivirus, unmanaged, unmonitored endpoints.
Every tool we evaluated for a financial advisory firm
Our engine picks one winner per category based on your size — here's the full shortlist it chose from, including the runners-up and who they're actually built for.
Sales & Marketing
| Tool | Category | Best fit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redtail CRMOur pick for this size | CRM for Financial Advisors | 2-100 employees | $99/mo |
| Wealthbox CRM | CRM for Financial Advisors | 2-100 employees | $150/mo |
| Snappy KrakenOur pick for this size | Marketing Automation for Financial Advisors | 3-100 employees | $600/mo |
| CalendlyOur pick for this size | Scheduling & Booking | 1-200 employees | $50/mo |
Core Operations
| Tool | Category | Best fit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orion Advisor SolutionsOur pick for this size | Portfolio Management & Performance Reporting | 5-200 employees | $1,500/mo |
| Black Diamond Wealth Platform | Portfolio Management & Performance Reporting | 5-300 employees | $1,600/mo |
| eMoney Advisor | Financial Planning Software | 2-200 employees | $400/mo |
| RightCapitalOur pick for this size | Financial Planning Software | 1-100 employees | $150/mo |
| Schwab Advisor ServicesOur pick for this size | Custody & Trade Execution | 1-500 employees | $0/mo |
Finance
| Tool | Category | Best fit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks OnlineOur pick for this size | Core accounting & bookkeeping | 1-50 employees | $90/mo |
| GustoOur pick for this size | Payroll & HR | 2-100 employees | $200/mo |
| AdvicePayOur pick for this size | Advisory Fee Billing & Collection | 1-100 employees | $100/mo |
Administration & Security
| Tool | Category | Best fit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace (Business Standard)Our pick for this size | Business email hosting & productivity suite | 3-100 employees | $170/mo |
| 1Password BusinessOur pick for this size | Password manager | 3-100 employees | $95/mo |
| DocuSignOur pick for this size | E-signature & document workflow | 2-100 employees | $80/mo |
| SmarshOur pick for this size | Compliance Archiving & Communication Surveillance | 2-200 employees | $300/mo |
| MyRIAComplianceOur pick for this size | Compliance Management & Regulatory Filing | 1-200 employees | $250/mo |
| Huntress Managed EDROur pick for this size | Endpoint detection & response / managed security | 5-200 employees | $85/mo |
- What Should an 18-Person Financial Advisory Firm Actually Pay for Software?
- Redtail vs. Wealthbox: Which Advisor CRM Actually Fits Your RIA?
- Orion vs. Black Diamond: Which Portfolio Management Platform Fits Your RIA?
- Signs Your Financial Advisory Firm Has SaaS Sprawl (And What It's Costing You)
- Redtail + Orion + eMoney: The RIA Tech Stack That Actually Works
Trades and businesses that share tools with financial advisory firm.
Frequently asked questions
How much does software cost for a small business in this industry?
It depends on your team size, but a genuinely optimized stack for a 10-15 person business typically runs $2,000-4,000/mo across all four pillars (sales & marketing, operations, finance, admin & security). We regularly see businesses paying 50-100% more than that because of overlapping tools, enterprise-tier subscriptions sized for larger teams, or never renegotiated pricing. Run the free audit to see your exact number.
What's the biggest source of software overspend in this industry?
The most common pattern is paying for two tools that do the same job — a legacy platform and a newer one that was added during a transition but never replaced the old one. The second most common is running an enterprise-tier platform sized for a much larger operation when a lighter alternative covers 95% of the functionality at a third of the cost.
How is BusinessAdvisor.Guide's recommendation different from a 'best software' list?
Most 'best software' lists rank tools by affiliate commission, not fit. Our engine is structurally blind to who pays us — the ranking code and the commission data live in separate, non-importing parts of our codebase. The engine ranks purely on your team-size fit and integration density, not on which vendor pays the biggest bounty.
Do I have to buy through BusinessAdvisor.Guide to use the blueprint?
No. The blueprint tells you exactly which tools to run and why. Adopting through our link just attaches your account so the rebate gets credited to you instead of going unclaimed. The recommendation is the same either way.
Get your own financial advisory firm blueprint
Three questions, tailored to your actual size and spend — not the example above.