Choosing the right CRM for your financial advisory business isn’t easy, especially when most platforms aren’t built with Mutual Fund Distributors (MFDs) in mind.
A common path we see: many MFDs start with general-purpose tools like Zoho CRM, drawn in by its flexibility and integrations. But over time, some find it requires extensive customization to truly support their advisory workflows.
That’s where Sanchay CRM comes in — built specifically for the needs of Indian MFDs and Financial Advisors.
So, how do the two compare? Let’s take an honest, side-by-side look.
Who Are These CRMs Designed For?
| Sanchay CRM | Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Built For | Mutual Fund Distributors, RIAs, Financial Planners | Businesses across industries |
| Industry Fit | Tailored for the advisory & distribution space — aligned with MFD workflows | Requires customization to fit advisory workflows |
| Setup Style | Ready on Day 1, with pre-built modules and automations for MFDs | Starts as a blank slate |
If you’re a wealth manager or RM who wants to focus on clients and growing your AUM — not stuck handling service requests — Sanchay is ready to use from Day 1. But if you need flexibility for different industries, Zoho gives you that option.
Onboarding, Workflows & Automation
| Sanchay CRM | Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring Task Automation | Built-in for recurring reviews, SIP reminders, birthday wishes, acknowledgements, and follow-ups | Needs setup via Blueprints |
| Client Onboarding Flow | Pre-built journey stages | Needs to be built from scratch |
| Lead Capture & Assignment | RM mapping & funnel in-built, with direct website form integration, PMS integrations (e.g. Vijaya, Advisor Coach), and seamless allocation flows | Available, but generic sales-focused and requires third-party tools or custom API work |
| Setup Time | 3–6 weeks, guided by domain experts | Varies depending on partner, customization |
If you don’t mind building from scratch and enjoy customizing every detail, Zoho offers flexibility. But if you want to get started quickly with MFD-ready workflows — including lead capture from your website, seamless PMS integrations, and auto-RM assignment — Sanchay is the better fit. All of this is pre-wired into Sanchay without needing third-party developers or expensive middleware.
Reporting & Dashboards
| Sanchay CRM | Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Built Reports | RM Performance, Task Reviews, Client Categorization (e.g. clients with no recent meetings) | Reports must be manually configured |
| Client Segmentation | AUM-based tagging and segmentation | Not included as part of default setup |
| Client + Family View | Available by default | Needs additional setup |
| Daily Snapshot | One-click dashboards for leads, tasks, reviews | Customizable, but requires configuration |
Zoho offers powerful reporting tools — but they take time to set up and navigate. Sanchay helps you stay proactive — with ready-to-use reports that highlight neglected clients, overdue reviews, and segmentation by AUM, priority, or engagement history. You don’t have to set up filters manually — the insights are there, right from Day 1.
Documents & Compliance
| Sanchay CRM | Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Document Handling | PAN, Aadhaar, and Mandates — all linked to the client profile. | Generic upload fields |
| Compliance Data Mapping | KYC, Risk Profiles mapping available | Manual structuring required |
| Audit Readiness | Designed with SEBI, AMFI, AMC checks in mind | Customizations required |
For advisors managing compliance and documentation daily, Sanchay brings built-in readiness. Zoho can be adapted — with more effort.
Support, Training, & Implementation
| Sanchay CRM | Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Support Team | Support from our in-house CRM and domain experts. | Often through third-party implementation partners |
| Time to Value | Immediate value from Day 1 | Post-setup — often takes weeks or months |
| Training Required | Minimal, due to domain fit | Mandatory, especially for workflow customization |
| Understanding MFD Needs | Built-in financial domain familiarity | Requires business context to be explained |
Sanchay feels intuitive — even the field labels are designed the way advisors actually talk. It’s built after deep input from the industry. Zoho offers scale, but takes time to learn.
What Some Advisors Say After Switching
"Zoho was powerful, but not ready-made for us. We found ourselves explaining SIPs, AUM tracking, and onboarding to the partner we hired to set it up.With Sanchay, all of that was already there — saving us time and letting us focus on clients instead."
This isn’t a reflection on Zoho’s quality; it’s about relevance. MFDs who’ve tried both often say the key difference isn’t the features — it’s how well it suits their work.
Final Thoughts: Which CRM is Right for You?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
Choose Zoho CRM if:
- You have a technical team ready to build and maintain custom workflows
- You need a CRM that supports multiple business types beyond financial services
- You want broad integrations across a large tech stack — and are okay with setup time and third-party costs
Choose Sanchay CRM if:
- You’re an MFD, RIA, or Wealth Advisor in India looking for an industry-specific solution
- You want to start quickly with pre-built automations, reports, and dashboards tailored to your advisory business
- You need lead capture from your website, PMS integration, and client meeting hygiene insights — without extra setup
- You value financial-domain support and a platform that already speaks your language
Ready to see Sanchay CRM in action?
Book a free demo and see how India’s top MFDs run their advisory on autopilot.
