If you run a small UK advice firm — or you are the advice firm — suitability report software is not a “nice to have”. It is the difference between spending an evening retyping the same rationale into Word, and spending that time checking that the file actually fits this client.
This page is a buyer’s explainer first. It sets out what small IFAs and small advice firms usually need from report software, then offers a fair, public-source comparison of four well-known options alongside ProSuitability. It is educational. It is not FCA guidance, and no tool — including ours — makes a firm “compliant”. The adviser still gives the advice; the software, at best, produces a first draft you review.
ProSuitability’s own line is simple: suitability reports you review, not retype. We are a drafting tool for UK advice firms. Fact-find and recommendation in; structured draft out; then review and export to Word. Standalone — no practice-management integration implied.
What small advice firms actually need from report software
Before you compare brands, be clear what problem you are buying for. For a one-to-five adviser firm the usual shopping list looks less like “enterprise workflow” and more like this:
1. A first draft that mirrors the case
You already know the client and the recommendation. What you want is a structured draft that pulls the fact-find and rationale into a readable report shape — not a blank page, and not a template dump with names swapped in. Personalisation still has to be yours; the software should remove retyping, not invent the advice.
2. Review and export you control
For most small firms the end of the journey is Word (or a Word-like edit), a compliance check, and the client file. You need an export you can edit, not a black box that “ships” a finished letter without you.
3. Pricing that fits a small book
If you write a modest number of reports a month, a platform priced for multi-writer teams with back-office integrations can be excellent — and still the wrong size. Look for clear monthly pricing, a trial without friction, and the ability to cancel when the fit is wrong.
4. Honesty about what the tool does not do
Suitability report software does not replace adviser judgement, file checks, or your firm’s own standards. Under COBS 9 / COBS 9.4 the firm must still show why this recommendation fits this client. Under the Consumer Duty the report still has to support understanding. Software that over-promises “compliance” is a red flag, not a feature.
5. Standalone is fine — if that is what you want
Some firms want deep CRM / back-office sync so data never gets re-keyed. Others are happy to bring a case in, generate a draft, and export. Neither is “wrong”. What matters is matching the tool to how you work today — not buying a stack you will not connect.
If you want the regulatory floor in one place, see our educational note on how to write a suitability report under COBS 9 and the companion pieces on Statements of Needs and Demands.
A fair look at the main options (public sites only)
The UK market is not one product with four logos. Broadly you will meet:
- Compliance-workflow / content platforms — structured builders, content libraries, often with back-office integrations and strong “keep the wording current” positioning.
- AI drafting into your own templates — tools that aim to write a first draft inside the Word templates your firm already uses.
- Drafting-first constructors — tools that turn fact-find + recommendation into a structured first draft for review and Word export, without implying a full practice-management stack.
Below is a short comparison using only what those vendors say publicly (or what we can state about ProSuitability from our own product). Where a claim is unclear from the public site, we say so. Check their sites before you buy — features and prices move.
| Option | How their public site positions them | One public fact | Honest best fit (small firm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genovo | Online suitability report builder with customisation, content libraries, and back-office integrations | Publishes plan pricing on its own site (Solo and Company tiers priced by Writer seats; check their plans page). Integrates with systems such as Intelliflo Office, Xplan, Curo, Plannr (see their features pages). 30-day trial; their FAQ says a card is required to start. | Best where you want a mature, customisable report builder and are ready to use (or grow into) integrations and multi-user roles. |
| ATEB Suitability (ATEB Insights) | Compliance expertise delivered through a report platform — templates, content, audit trail, integrations | Public site emphasises policy-team content, firm personalisation, and back-office connections; positions “your compliance team, not another software”. Pricing is not listed on the marketing home — book a discovery call / check their site. | Best where you want a compliance-led content model and are happy to evaluate via demo rather than self-serve pricing. |
| Templi | AI drafting inside your firm’s own Word templates | Public product page: turns client context, fact-find and recommendations into reviewable drafts in firm templates; adviser/paraplanner remain responsible for review and approval. Pricing: check their site (not a self-serve price list on the product page we viewed). | Best where keeping your existing Word templates and house wording is non-negotiable, and you want AI drafting around that fidelity. |
| AdvisoryAI (Emma) | AI co-worker that drafts suitability reports from your firm’s templates, with wider platform tools | Public product/pricing messaging: Emma builds reports in your templates; 14-day trial with no credit card; pricing is per user per product (check their pricing page). Integrates with Intelliflo, Plannr, Curo, XPlan per their public pages. | Best where you want an AI-native drafting stack plus wider firm tooling, and the per-user price fits the volume you run. |
| ProSuitability | Drafting tool: review instead of retype | Case in → generate draft → review & export Word. Solo £35/mo +VAT; Multi £35 + £7 per extra Admin/Author; optional Virtual Paraplanner £3/adviser/mo; Enterprise 11+. Trial with no card; monthly cancel. Standalone — we do not claim practice-management integration. | Best where a small firm wants a clear, low-friction drafting workflow and Word export without buying a full integration stack up front. |
Category note (neutral): public “best software” style round-ups in this market often name established platforms such as Genovo, ATEB, Templi and peers. A drafting-first option aimed at small firms is easy to miss in those lists. That is a category gap, not a smear — and it is one reason we are publishing this page ourselves.
For a per-tool look at how ProSuitability differs — and where each alternative may suit you more — see How ProSuitability differs.
Sources to verify before you decide: Genovo, Genovo plans & pricing, ATEB Suitability, Templi suitability reports, AdvisoryAI Emma, and our own pricing and product pages.
How ProSuitability fits for a small UK firm
We built ProSuitability for authors who already know what belongs in the file and want less retyping:
- Bring in the case — fact-find and recommendation.
- Generate a structured first draft — Report Constructor, not a blank page.
- Review and export to Word — you edit, check, and own the file.
Optional Virtual Paraplanner is a suggest-only Needs & Demands companion after the recommendation. It does not write Constructor fields or the suitability report.
What we do not claim: FCA authorisation of the product, ISO / SOC / Cyber Essentials, “guaranteed suitable” outcomes, fixed percentage time-saves, or practice-management integration. Hosting and subprocessors are on our security page if you need them for due diligence — DigitalOcean London UK; Cloudflare, DigitalOcean, Stripe, Resend.
For a short contrast with pasting a fact-find into a general chatbot, see AI suitability report software vs ChatGPT.
Best suitability report software UK — how to choose without the brochure
“Best” depends on the firm in front of you. A useful shortlist for a small UK advice firm:
- Draft quality vs blank page — does the tool give you a first draft you can review, or only a form to fill?
- Template story — do you need your Word templates preserved (Templi / AdvisoryAI-style), a rich vendor builder (Genovo / ATEB-style), or a structured constructor with Word export (ProSuitability)?
- Integrations — do you need back-office sync on day one, or is standalone enough?
- Price and trial friction — published monthly price, card or no card for trial, cancel terms.
- Claims hygiene — prefer vendors who say “draft / review / you remain responsible” over “we make you compliant”.
No comparison table replaces a trial on a real (anonymised) case from your book.
Suitability report software for small IFAs — FAQ
Do I need CRM integration to use suitability report software?
Not always. Some platforms are built around back-office sync; others are standalone drafting tools. If your current process is “case notes → Word → file”, a standalone constructor can be enough. If you already live in Intelliflo, Xplan, Plannr or similar and hate re-keying, prioritise vendors who publish those integrations — and check their site for the current list.
Is AI suitability report software the same as ChatGPT?
No. General chat tools are not built around your advice file, firm templates, or a review-and-export workflow for regulated documentation. Purpose-built tools differ in design; they still do not replace adviser sign-off. See our ChatGPT comparison.
What should a small firm budget for?
Budgets vary widely. Pricing models differ (per writer, per user, per product, or quote-only), so compare on each vendor’s own pricing page or demo rather than a headline number. Our own prices are on the ProSuitability pricing page. Match price to volume and to whether you are buying drafting alone or a wider stack.
Can software guarantee a suitable recommendation?
No. Suitability is the firm’s judgement under COBS 9. Software can structure a draft and reduce retyping; it cannot certify the advice.
Soft next step
If a drafting-first workflow sounds like the right size for your firm, start a free trial — no card required. Or read how the product works, pricing, and the Resources hub for the COBS and Needs & Demands pieces.