Indian investors, from those making their first global allocation to HNIs and family offices, are actively diversifying their wealth beyond India. To support this shift, two platforms are often discussed: Kristal and Paasa. Both are designed for Indian investors but are built on very different philosophies.
Kristal is an investment tool, ideal for those seeking a guided, curated experience with advisory support. For Indian residents, it is offered through a relationship manager-assisted advisory process. In contrast, Paasa operates as a complete investment ecosystem, enabling investors to either execute their own strategies or opt for advisory on its Apex plan, while also handling FEMA, tax reporting, and more.
Let’s explore how Kristal and Paasa compare, and how each aligns with different types of Indian global investors.
Table of Contents
Explore a side-by-side comparison of Paasa, Kristal, and Interactive Brokers (IBKR).
Feature Comparison
| Attribute | Kristal | Paasa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct trading | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Real-time execution | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Brokerage fee | USD 1 per order, plus a monthly advisory fee | 0.10% of trade value + $0.15 per trade (min $0.50), no platform fee on the Access plan | |
| Global Exchange Access | 100+ Exchanges | US, UK, Europe, China, Japan and more | |
| Product Universe | Stocks | ✅ | ✅ |
| ETFs | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Managed Portfolios | ✅ | ✅ (Apex plan) | |
| UCITS portfolios | ❌ | ✅ | |
| AIFs | ✅ | ❌ | |
| Auto-rebalanced UCITS portfolios | ❌ | ✅ (Apex plan) | |
| Interest on uninvested cash | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Custody of assets under client's name | ✅ | ✅ | |
Note: UCITS portfolios are preferred by many Indian investors for US estate tax protection and global diversification.
FEMA Compliance
| Attribute | Kristal | Paasa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital remittance under LRS | Self-declaration templates for Indian banks | ✅ | ✅ |
| Remittance support at low rates | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Bank formalities & Holding Declaration | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Tracking and Confirmation | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Compliance queries | ❌ | ✅ | |
Note: FEMA compliance is critical when sending money abroad under LRS. Many Indian investors unknowingly use incorrect purpose codes during remittance which can lead to reporting issues, delays, or tax scrutiny later.
Tax Reporting
| Attribute | Kristal | Paasa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Analytics | Dividend Tax Tracking | ❌ | ✅ |
| Capital Gains Tax Calculation (STCG/LTCG) | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Accumulating ETFs | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Tax Loss Harvesting | ❌ | ✅ (Apex plan) | |
| Year-End Tax Statement for Indian Investors | ✅ | ✅ | |
| UCITS portfolios for tax savings | ❌ | ✅ | |
Note: Global investing comes with added tax responsibilities for Indian investors, and platforms approach this differently. Paasa includes tools designed to support Indian tax reporting.
Technology Features
| Attribute | Kristal | Paasa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile App & Web View | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Market and Limit | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Stop loss, Trailing stop loss | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Withdraw funds to any bank account | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Mutual funds tracking & comparison | ❌ | ✅ | |
| XIRR calculation for position | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Benchmarking & Backtesting | ❌ | ✅ | |
| INR gain/loss computation (blended FX) | ❌ | ✅ | |
| Web dashboard for reporting | ✅ | ✅ | |
Note: While Kristal is known for its advisory-led experience, Paasa stands out for its robust, tech-driven platform built to support deeper visibility, control, and automation.
Client Support
| Attribute | Kristal | Paasa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated relationship manager | ✅ | ✅ (Apex plan) | |
| Expert concierge (FEMA, Tax) | ❌ | ✅ (Apex plan) | |
| Customize features on request | ❌ | ✅ | |
Conclusion
Kristal and Paasa are both designed to help Indian investors go global, but they serve different mindsets.
Kristal works well if you're looking for a guided, advisory-led experience with a defined set of investment options. It's a reliable tool to help you get started.
Paasa, on the other hand, is built as a complete ecosystem, one that supports not just what you invest in, but how you invest, track, manage compliance, and evolve over time.
The right choice depends on your investing style, comfort with complexity, and long-term needs.
Explore a side-by-side comparison of Paasa, Kristal, and Interactive Brokers (IBKR).
About Paasa
Paasa is a global investing platform for Indian investors, from those making their first global allocation to HNIs and family offices. It helps them invest across the US, UK, Europe, and China markets with tools that simplify LRS, remittance, tax reporting, and cross-border complexity.
Reach out at contact@paasa.com to learn more.
