Best tactical asset allocation tools: 7 compared

Written by the Tactfolio research teamPublished Updated 6 min read

Tactical asset allocation, or TAA, means changing what you hold by a written rule, such as moving to cash when stocks fall below their average. We compared seven tools that help you test or follow TAA strategies. AllocateSmartly is the largest library of published strategies to follow by hand. Tactfolio is the pick if you want to change the rules and have them trade for you. We make Tactfolio, so read our notes with that in mind. Every fact about the other tools comes from their own websites, checked on October 16, 2026.

How we tested#

On October 16, 2026, we ran one well-known TAA rule on two tools that can both run it: Portfolio Visualizer and Tactfolio. The rule is Mebane Faber’s 10-month timing model. It holds SPY while SPY is above its 10-month average, and BIL, a Treasury bill fund, when it is not. It checks once a month. We used January 2017 to December 2025, because Portfolio Visualizer’s free plan shows only 10 years.

YearPortfolio VisualizerTactfolio
201721.7%21.7%
2018-6.1%-6.4%
201910.6%10.3%
202014.7%14.5%
202128.8%28.7%
2022-20.1%-20.5%
20239.6%9.3%
202424.9%24.9%
202512.5%12.3%

The two agree within half a point every year. Tactfolio is a little lower in years when the rule switched, because it charges 0.05% on every trade. Portfolio Visualizer’s model has no cost setting. Over the nine years, Portfolio Visualizer shows 9.67% a year. Tactfolio’s yearly figures compound to about 9.5% a year.

What we did not test: AllocateSmartly and TuringTrader publish their own backtests, and members can’t change the rules. testfol.io’s tactical tool, Composer, and QuantMage need an account. For those, we read their own pages and help docs.

The 7 tools at a glance#

ToolBest forChange the rules?Trades for you?Price
AllocateSmartlyFollowing 100+ published strategies by handNoNo, email alertsFree for 3 strategies, $49 a month or $399 a year
TactfolioChanging classic rules and running themYesYes, in your Alpaca accountFree, Plus $12 a month ($99 a year), Pro $29 a month ($249 a year). Everything is free until billing opens. See pricing
Portfolio VisualizerTesting preset models on long dataSettings onlyNoFree plan with 10 years, paid from $30 a month, billed yearly
testfol.ioFree daily tests of your own signalsYesNoFree account, paid from $15 a month
TuringTraderReady-made portfolios with share countsNoNo, email alertsFree basic plan, paid from $49.95 a month
ComposerBuilding and trading in one app that is also your brokerYesYes, as your brokerFree for one strategy, paid from $10 a month
QuantMageComposer-style building with more indicatorsYesYes, through Alpaca on the $500 planFrom $10 a month

AllocateSmartly#

AllocateSmartly tracks published TAA strategies from books and papers. It says it tracks more than 100. You see each strategy’s backtest and current signal. You can combine whole strategies into a “Model Portfolio” and get email alerts when a trade is due. You can’t change a strategy’s rules, and you place every trade yourself. The free tier shows 3 strategies. Full access costs $49 a month or $399 a year. Read AllocateSmartly alternatives.

Tactfolio#

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. You can build by hand in a visual builder or by asking an AI assistant.

Its 60+ classic strategies include Faber’s GTAA, Antonacci’s dual momentum, and Keller’s BAA. Each one is built from its source and tested on daily prices every day. You can copy one, change a rule, and run it in a paper account or your own Alpaca account. Tactfolio runs long-only strategies on US-listed stocks and ETFs, and it can also backtest crypto perps on Hyperliquid.

Portfolio Visualizer#

Portfolio Visualizer has preset tactical models: moving averages, relative strength, dual momentum, adaptive allocation, target volatility, and more. You pick the funds and change the settings. Its tests run on monthly data, with asset classes back to 1972. Paid plans show the next trade signal. It does not trade. Read Tactfolio vs Portfolio Visualizer.

testfol.io#

testfol.io has a tactical allocation backtester that a free account can use. You set signals, such as a moving average, and choose what to hold based on them. It runs on daily data with long simulated histories. Paid plans add a tactical optimizer and email alerts. It does not trade.

TuringTrader#

TuringTrader publishes more than three dozen ready-made tactical portfolios. Its Basic portfolios come from books and papers and are free. Premium, at $49.95 a month, adds its own portfolios and rebalance alerts with exact share counts. You place the trades yourself. Its backtests aim to start in 2007 and include a commission per share.

Composer#

Composer is a no-code app for building and trading strategies. Its blocks can express most TAA rules, and its community shares more than 2,000 strategies. To trade, you open a Composer brokerage account, because Composer is also the broker. Its Starter plan automates one strategy for free. Read Tactfolio vs Composer.

QuantMage#

QuantMage is a no-code builder in the style of Composer, with many indicators. It can import Composer strategies. Building and backtesting cost $10 a month. Automated trading through Alpaca needs the Mage plan, at $500 a month or $400 a month billed yearly. Read QuantMage alternatives.

How to choose#

  • To follow many published strategies by hand, try AllocateSmartly.
  • To change classic rules and have them trade, try Tactfolio.
  • To test preset models on long monthly data, try Portfolio Visualizer.
  • For free daily tests of your own signals, try testfol.io. Our testfol.io alternatives page compares it with other tools.
  • To follow ready-made portfolios with share counts, try TuringTrader.
  • For one app that builds, trades, and holds your money, try Composer.

TAA rules can lag in fast markets and trail the market in long rallies. Why past results mislead explains what to watch for, and what rules-based asset allocation is covers the basics.

Common questions#

What is tactical asset allocation?#

It is a way of investing where a written rule decides what you hold. A common rule holds stocks while they are above their long-term average and moves to bonds or cash when they are not. Another holds whatever has risen most lately, which is a momentum strategy. The goal is to step aside during the worst of long declines. It will trail the market in some years.

Is there a free tactical asset allocation tool?#

Yes. Tactfolio has a Free plan that includes 1 automated strategy in your own Alpaca account, and every feature is free until billing opens. testfol.io’s tactical backtester is free with an account. TuringTrader’s Basic plan and AllocateSmartly’s free tier are free too, with fewer strategies.

Can I automate a TAA strategy?#

Yes. Tactfolio runs TAA strategies in your own Alpaca account. Composer trades them as your broker. QuantMage automates through Alpaca on its $500 a month plan. AllocateSmartly, TuringTrader, Portfolio Visualizer, and testfol.io send signals or alerts, and you place the trades.

Do different tools give the same results for the same TAA rule?#

Close, but not exactly. In our test, Portfolio Visualizer and Tactfolio agreed within half a point each year on Faber’s 10-month rule. The small gaps came from trading costs. Data, timing, and costs always differ a little between tools.

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