Most advisory firms we talk to ask the same question: Is Archive Intel enough to handle our compliance needs, or do we need something built for marketing review? After dozens of conversations and many requests for a clear comparison, we have put together a detailed Archive Intel review. The short version: Archive Intel is a strong communications archiving and supervision tool. If your biggest compliance bottleneck is advisor text/email archiving, Archive Intel fits that need. If your primary challenge is preventing SEC/FINRA violations before campaigns go live, you need a marketing review tool like Luthor.
TLDR:
- Archive Intel archives advisor-client emails, texts (iMessage/WhatsApp), and social content starting at $99/month.
- Archive Intel flags risky messages after they’ve been sent.
- Luthor scans marketing content before publication for SEC/FINRA violations.
- Archive Intel does not support video, audio, or multi-language content analysis.
- Luthor reviews webpages, videos, podcasts, PDFs, email campaigns, and social posts using AI trained by compliance professionals.
- Luthor combines AI scanning with fractional CCO support to speed reviews and strengthen exam readiness.
What is Archive Intel?
Archive Intel is a communications archiving and supervision platform used by RIAs, broker-dealers, and wealth management firms. The system captures, stores, and supervises client-facing communications to satisfy SEC and FINRA recordkeeping requirements.
The product covers email, text messaging (iMessage and WhatsApp), social media posts, websites, and chat applications. All captured content is stored in a centralized archive that firms can search and retrieve during regulatory exams or internal audits.
Archive Intel uses AI to flag potentially risky communications and reduce false positives in surveillance workflows. The system also automates random sampling of archived messages, helping compliance teams meet FINRA's requirements for periodic review.
What is Luthor?
Luthor reviews marketing content for financial services firms before publication. The tool checks web pages, emails, social posts, PDFs, video, and audio against SEC Marketing Rule and FINRA Rule 2210 requirements.
The AI scans for compliance risks, including problematic claims, missing disclosures, testimonials, and performance advertising violations. When it flags content, it cites the specific rule and suggests compliant rewording.
Luthor’s AI is trained by compliance professionals, and complex questions can be escalated to:
- Former CCOs
- Former SEC/FINRA examiners
- Experienced marketing compliance reviewers
The system pre-screens submissions and routes complex cases to compliance reviewers, reducing review time from days to hours. After content goes live, Luthor monitors for unapproved changes across channels, helping firms stay audit-ready between review cycles.
AI-Powered Compliance: Upstream vs. Downstream
Archive Intel reviews content downstream. Messages go out. The system archives them. AI flags risks afterward.
Luthor works upstream. It reviews content before publication, catching issues before regulators, or prospects, ever see it.
And once content is live, Luthor monitors it for unapproved edits. If a page drifts out of compliance between quarterly reviews, it gets routed back for approval immediately.
Communications Archiving and Recordkeeping
Archive Intel consolidates communications archiving across iMessage, Android, WhatsApp, social media, web, email, and chat channels. The system captures advisor-client communications from personal devices, with text whitelisting to separate business from personal messages. All archived content is stored in a SOC 2 Type II certified environment and can be searched during exams.
Pricing starts at $99 monthly for three email connectors, with additional email addresses at $10 each. Mobile text archiving (iMessage and WhatsApp) costs $35 per number monthly.
Luthor archives marketing materials, not day-to-day client communications. Every marketing submission, edit, approval decision, and published version is stored in tamper-evident, WORM-style records that meet SEC and FINRA expectations for marketing content retention.
General communications archiving must capture every client text and email. Marketing archiving must preserve approval workflows, version histories, and the evidence trail showing how each piece of content was vetted before publication.
If your primary compliance challenge is capturing text messages and emails between advisors and clients, Archive Intel answers that need. If marketing review bottlenecks and advertising rule violations are your bigger risk, Luthor's marketing-specific recordkeeping gives you the audit trail regulators expect.
AI-Powered Compliance Monitoring
Archive Intel serves more than 500 firms and 7,000 users who rely on its AI to reduce manual review by up to 85% and cut false compliance flags by 99%. The system scans archived communications for keyword violations and automates the random sampling reviews that regulators require.
The limitation is timing. Archive Intel analyzes content after it's been captured or distributed. If an advisor sends a non-compliant email or posts problematic content, the system flags it during post-capture review versus preventing publication.
Upstream vs. Downstream Monitoring
Luthor's AI catches issues before they go live. The system scans marketing submissions against SEC Marketing Rule requirements and FINRA advertising standards during the drafting process, not after distribution.
After publication, Luthor monitors live websites and social channels for unapproved edits. If content drifts out of compliance between review cycles, the system automatically routes it back through approval.
Pricing and Implementation
Archive Intel's connector-based pricing works for small teams with basic archiving needs. Three email accounts and social media coverage at the base tier suit solo advisors or small RIAs starting to formalize communications oversight.
At scale, a firm with 20 advisors texting clients from personal devices pays $700 monthly for text archiving alone before adding email connectors. Implementation is straightforward with no separate onboarding fees or data export charges.
Luthor's pricing is based on marketing compliance scope, not individual connectors or user seats. Cloud delivery and pre-configured SEC/FINRA rule sets let you start reviewing content within days. The hybrid model delivers AI automation and expert review access without adding full-time headcount. Firms publishing dozens of marketing pieces monthly get faster approvals and consistent oversight at lower total cost than hiring compliance staff or licensing multiple point solutions.
Why Luthor is the Better Choice
Archive Intel provides communications archiving for firms that need to capture and store advisor communications across multiple channels. If your primary compliance challenge is meeting recordkeeping obligations for day-to-day client interactions, their connector-based approach delivers that functionality.
Luthor is the better choice when marketing compliance is your strategic priority. We built our AI for financial marketing content review, training it on proprietary datasets created by expert compliance professionals. That investment produces superior regulatory understanding with minimal false positives compared to generic surveillance tools adapted for marketing use.
Final thoughts on Archive Intel and marketing compliance software
If you're looking at Archive Intel alternatives for your firm, start by identifying your primary compliance gap. Archive Intel archives communications after they're sent, which works for recordkeeping requirements but doesn't prevent marketing violations. Luthor catches issues during the review process and monitors live content for changes, giving you control before regulators see problems.
FAQ
What's the main difference between Archive Intel and Luthor?
Archive Intel captures and stores day-to-day advisor-client communications (emails, texts, social posts) after they're sent, while Luthor reviews marketing content before publication to catch compliance issues upstream. If you need text message archiving, Archive Intel fits that need; if marketing approval bottlenecks are your bigger problem, Luthor answers that gap.
How does Archive Intel's pricing scale for growing firms?
Archive Intel starts at $99 monthly for three email connectors, with additional emails at $10 each and mobile text archiving at $35 per number. A 20-advisor firm archiving texts from personal devices would pay around $700 monthly for text coverage alone before adding email connectors.
Can Archive Intel review video and audio marketing content?
No, Archive Intel doesn't support video or audio content review. Luthor scans video, audio, PDFs, web pages, emails, and social posts against SEC and FINRA marketing rules, making it better suited for firms producing multimedia marketing materials.
When should I choose a marketing review tool over a communications archive?
Choose marketing review when your compliance risk focuses on advertising violations, slow approval cycles, or publishing content across multiple channels. Choose communications archiving when your primary need is capturing and storing advisor-client conversations for recordkeeping obligations.
Does Luthor replace my compliance team?
No. Luthor's AI pre-screens routine marketing submissions and flags issues, while human compliance experts handle edge cases, complex interpretations, and high-risk campaigns. The system reduces manual review time so your team can focus on judgment calls versus repetitive checks.
