Lead services and directories, compared
What advisors pay SmartAsset, Zoe, NAPFA, Wealthtender and the rest, what you get, and where each one is the better choice.
Pricing compared · October 31, 2026 Financial advisor lead generation companies compared Lead companies charge in one of three ways: per lead, per appointment or event, or a share of the client's fees. The cheapest per lead is rarely the cheapest per client, so compare them on what a signed client costs. Sophia Carrington · 4 min read
- Pricing compared How much SmartAsset leads cost in 2026 SmartAsset doesn't publish a rate card. Reported prices run from about $150 to $300 or more per lead, with monthly budgets of $3,000 to $5,000 or more, and each lead is shared with about three advisors. What matters is the cost per client, which depends on your close rate. October 31, 2026 · 4 min read
- Pricing compared SmartAsset alternatives for fee-only advisors The main alternatives to buying SmartAsset leads are fee-only directories, matching networks that take a share of fees, and flat memberships. Kitces' 2026 study found online directories were the cheapest way to win new revenue of any tactic it measured. October 31, 2026 · 4 min read
- Pricing compared The best financial advisor directories, compared honestly Directories were the cheapest way to win new revenue of any tactic in Kitces' 2026 study, at $0.28 per $1. The right one depends on how you're paid, whether you hold the CFP, and where your clients look. October 31, 2026 · 4 min read
- Pricing compared Wellspent vs NAPFA Find an Advisor NAPFA is the best-known fee-only association, and its Find an Advisor search carries real brand trust, for $695 a year plus a one-time $150. Wellspent does a different job: a verified record AI assistants and search read, with introductions, an AI visibility report and press. Most fee-only advisors are better off with both. October 31, 2026 · 4 min read
- Pricing compared Wellspent vs SmartAsset SmartAsset sells leads, priced per lead and usually shared with other advisors. Wellspent is a flat membership with no lead fees: your verified record is where AI assistants and search look, and prospects write to you directly. October 31, 2026 · 5 min read
- Pricing compared Wellspent vs Wealthtender Wealthtender is a directory built around compliant client reviews and content written for AI search, from $59 to $99 a month, open to any advisor. Wellspent is a verified, fee-only record in the public graph AI assistants read, with introductions, an AI visibility report and press placement, for $89 a month. October 31, 2026 · 4 min read
- Pricing compared Wellspent vs Zoe Financial Zoe Financial charges nothing up front and takes 15% to 35% of a referred client's advisory fees for as long as the client stays. Wellspent is a flat $89 a month with no share of your fees, ever. October 31, 2026 · 4 min read
- Pricing compared Zoe vs SmartAsset vs Wellspent: one $1M client, three costs On one $1 million client at 1%, Zoe's share costs $1,500 to $3,500 every year the client stays, SmartAsset's leads cost roughly $3,000 to $6,000 once, and Wellspent costs $890 a year for every client you get, or none. October 31, 2026 · 4 min read