What does RIA software cost? How to add up your real tech stack (October 2026)
A small RIA's software cost is the sum of every subscription it pays, priced per user, per firm or by quote, plus the time spent keeping those tools in step. Some vendors publish prices: as of 18 October 2026, Wealthbox lists CRM plans from $59 to $99 per user per month and Redtail lists plans from $39 to $65 per user per month, while platforms such as Orion quote on request. To compare fairly, list every tool, its pricing basis, what it covers, and the hours your team spends moving data between them.
Ask a small firm what its software costs and you'll usually hear the CRM subscription. The real number is bigger: a CRM, a portfolio or billing tool, document storage, an archiving service, maybe a planning tool, plus the hours someone spends copying the same household between them. This guide shows how to add it up honestly.
How is RIA software priced?
| Pricing basis | How it works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Per user per month | A set price for each person with a login | Grows with every hire, including part-time staff |
| Per firm | One price for the firm, often with a user limit per plan | Check what happens when you pass the user limit |
| By quote | Priced individually, often by firm size, assets or modules | Ask for a written quote with your assumptions stated |
| Add-ons | Extra modules priced separately | Features shown in a demo may sit in a higher plan or an add-on |
What do some advisor CRMs publish?
Prices below are as listed on each vendor's pricing page when we checked on 18 October 2026. They change, so check the current page.
| Vendor | Published pricing | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Wealthbox | Basic $59, Pro $75, Premier $99 per user per month; Enterprise custom. AI Notetaker add-on listed at $49 per user per month as an introductory rate (source) | Per user |
| Redtail CRM | Launch $39 a month billed annually or $45 monthly (up to 5 users); Growth $59 annually or $65 monthly; Enterprise custom (source) | Per user |
| Orion | Not published; consultation offered (source) | By quote |
A CRM usually doesn't include fee billing, IPS documents or portfolio accounting, so it's one line in the stack, not the whole stack. For a fuller comparison of these three, see Wealthbox, Redtail or Orion?
What costs don't appear on a price page?
- Re-keying. The same household entered in the CRM, the billing sheet, the IPS and the portfolio tool.
- Reconciling. Checking that the tools still agree with each other and with the custodian.
- Setup and migration. One-time fees, and the hours to move data in.
- Training. Each tool a new hire has to learn.
- Price changes and plan limits. A user cap, a storage limit, a feature moved to a higher plan.
A worked example
Take a hypothetical three-person RIA. To keep the arithmetic simple, assume one CRM priced at $75 per user per month, and leave other tools as "your figure".
| Line | Basis | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | 3 users × $75 | $225 |
| Billing or portfolio tool | Your quote | Your figure |
| Document storage and archiving | Your plans | Your figures |
| Time keeping tools in step | Hours a month × an hourly cost you choose | Your figure |
| Total | Sum of the above |
The CRM line is the easy one. The time line is often the one that changes the decision, because it's the cost of having the same record in several places.
How should you compare options fairly?
- List every tool you pay for and what it actually does for you.
- Write down each one's pricing basis and plan limits.
- Estimate the monthly hours spent moving or checking data between tools.
- Ask each vendor you're considering for a written quote using the same team size and assumptions.
- Compare the whole stack, before and after, not one subscription against another.
When is this overkill?
A solo adviser with one CRM and a spreadsheet can do this on the back of an envelope. It's worth doing properly once you have three or more tools, or when you're about to hire.
How Advorra fits
Advorra is priced per firm, not per account and never on assets, so the price follows your team size rather than your book. It keeps clients and households, versioned models, IPS documents, quarterly billing and compliance records in one place, so it may replace several lines in the table above rather than adding one. Pricing is shared on request. See the product page, or read billing spreadsheet or software.
One thing to do this week: list every tool your firm pays for, with its monthly cost and what it does. Most firms find at least one they'd forgotten.
Vendor prices are as published on 18 October 2026 and may have changed. Product names are the property of their owners. Not financial advice.
Questions advisors ask
Why do some vendors not publish prices?
Broader platforms often price by firm size, assets or modules, so they quote individually. That makes comparison harder, so ask for a written quote with the same assumptions for each vendor.
Is per-user or per-firm pricing better?
Neither is better in general. Per-user pricing grows with headcount; per-firm pricing stays flatter as you add people. Model both against your own team plan.
Should I count my own time?
Yes. If two tools hold the same household, someone spends time keeping them in step. That time is a real cost even though no one invoices it.
How often do prices change?
Vendors update pricing and plans over time. Every price on this page is dated; check the vendor's current page before deciding.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a practical way to add up costs. Choose software on fit, not price alone.
See it on a demo firm
Advorra is practice software for independent RIAs: clients, models, IPS, billing and compliance records in one place, on top of the custodian you already use. Built by The CollabHub.
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