What does email archiving and marketing review software cost a small RIA?

The records come first. For email, Rule 204-2 paragraph (a)(7) says:

(7) Originals of all written communications received and copies of all written communications sent by such investment adviser relating to: […]

17 CFR 275.204-2(a)(7), lead-in; eCFR.

For advertisements, paragraph (a)(11)(i)(A):

(11) (i) A copy of each (A) Advertisement (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(1) of this chapter) that the investment adviser disseminates, directly or indirectly, except: […]

17 CFR 275.204-2(a)(11)(i)(A), opening; eCFR.

Neither names a price or a vendor. On method, the SEC's adopting release says: “The final rule does not prescribe or prohibit any particular method of maintaining records.” (Release IA-5653, p. 245.)

This page prices the tools that hold those records and, for marketing, the approval step in front of them. It leaves out consulting and full compliance-program platforms, except where a published tier bundles advertising support. A missing price below means none on the vendor pages we opened on October 27, 2026. Rule text and third-party estimates are on the email archiving cost page.

On the vendor pages we checked, XYPN publishes archive prices and an hourly review rate for members only, and Turret publishes all of its plans. Smarsh, Global Relay and RIA in a Box (now Comply for RIA) direct buyers to sales.

Every price we found published:

Competitor details are from each vendor's public pages as of October 27, 2026 and may have changed. Confirm pricing and terms with the vendor.

Turret has no setup fee, its prices exclude tax, and annual billing charges 10 months for 12. XYPN membership covers Archive Basic; Archive+ and hourly review are separate. Google and Microsoft set and change their own prices (each company's pricing page, opened October 27, 2026); re-check before you buy.

Smarsh, Global Relay and RIA in a Box publish no price for archiving or marketing review on the pages we opened, and XYPN tells non-members to ask. Each vendor's own wording:

Competitor details are from each vendor's public pages as of October 27, 2026 and may have changed. Confirm pricing and terms with the vendor.

Smarsh's adviser and SMB pages neither list a setup fee nor say there is none. Third-party sites list estimates for Smarsh and Global Relay; the email archiving cost page shows them with their caveats. For side-by-side facts, see Turret vs Smarsh, Turret vs Global Relay and Turret vs XYPN Archive.

At Turret, yes: Marketing is its own plan, and Complete bundles both. XYPN bills review of marketing materials by the hour. RIA in a Box (now Comply for RIA) charts list a review tool in every tier, no price stated. Smarsh and Global Relay name no separate product on the pages we checked.

It shows up four ways:

• A software plan with a published price. Turret Marketing: $99 a month, 5 submitters, approvers free, with an AI pre-screen that flags each piece for your approver (a firm admin can switch it off).
• A person, billed by the hour. XYPN reviews marketing materials and compliance documents as hourly consulting, $360 an hour, members only.
• A tool in a tier chart. Comply's 2024 and 2025 tier charts tick a marketing review tool in all four software tiers and state no price for it. Its current product pages do not mention the tool.
• Capabilities without a named product. Smarsh's Marketing Rule page lists “Review and supervise testimonials, performance claims, and ratings” and names no approval workflow or price. Global Relay's finance page names the SEC Marketing Rule once, in a table of regulations.

These are different kinds of things, so price alone does not compare them. The guide to marketing review software for small RIAs sets out what each one does.

Turret Email is $99 a month for 5 mailboxes, Marketing is $99 a month for 5 submitters, and Complete is $178 a month for both, with no setup fee. A Google or Microsoft license is a separate cost.

Assumes five people, each with a mailbox and able to submit marketing pieces.

Annual billing charges 10 months for 12. A sixth mailbox adds $25 a month; a sixth submitter adds $15 on Marketing alone and $10 on Complete. Complete costs less than Email and Marketing bought separately.

A Google or Microsoft license stays on top: five users at $22 a month come to $110 a month on either (both are annual-plan prices; arithmetic ours). For what those tools' retention does under Rule 204-2, see the Google Vault page and the Microsoft 365 page.

XYPN is left out: it needs membership and prices by source. For Smarsh, Global Relay and RIA in a Box, no price appears on the pages we opened; ask for a written quote.

Start with the five questions on the email archiving cost page. For marketing review, add:

• Is marketing review a separate plan, a module or a tier feature, and what does it cost?
• Who is counted: submitters, approvers, or every user?
• Does each upload keep its own version, with the approver's name and decision, and can you export that record?
• Is website archiving included, or a separate line?
• Does the vendor supply a person to review, or do your own staff use a tool? The price and the service differ.

If you are choosing rather than pricing, the two buyer's guides compare more than price: best email archiving for small RIAs and best marketing review software for small RIAs.