# Tactfolio vs Composer: features, pricing, and fit

> Tactfolio and Composer both automate rules-based portfolios. Compare their builders, backtests, AI tools, brokers, and pricing, with sources.

Written by [Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy.md), published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-17.

Composer and Tactfolio both let you build rules-based stock and ETF strategies without code, backtest them, and [trade them automatically](https://tactfolio.com/automated-trading.md). The biggest difference is where your money sits. Composer is a broker, so your money is held in a Composer account. Tactfolio is software that trades your own Alpaca account with your own API keys.

## Key points

- Both use no-code visual builders and backtest on daily closing prices.
- Composer, now part of SoFi, holds your account. Tactfolio never holds your money.
- Composer has a built-in AI chat. Tactfolio works with the AI assistant you already use, through MCP.
- Composer's free Starter plan automates one strategy, and so does Tactfolio's Free plan. Tactfolio Plus runs 10 for $12 a month, and every feature is free until billing opens.
- You can bring a Composer strategy into Tactfolio by pasting its JSON.

## Tactfolio vs Composer at a glance

Composer facts were checked on its own website and help center on October 16, 2026. Links are in the sources at the end.

| | Tactfolio | Composer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | Research and automation software | A broker-dealer with a strategy app |
| Who holds your money | Alpaca, in your own account | Composer, carried by Alpaca or Apex |
| How you build | Visual blocks, or your own AI assistant | Visual editor, or Composer's AI chat |
| Markets in strategies | US-listed stocks and ETFs, plus crypto perps on Hyperliquid, long only | US-listed stocks and ETFs |
| Backtest data | Daily prices, plus labeled simulated history | Daily adjusted closes, up to 30 years in the editor |
| Default trading cost in backtests | 0.05% per trade, same for every strategy | 0.01% slippage, which you can change |
| When trades happen | Once a day, near the close | Once a day, 3:45 to 4:00 PM ET |
| Ready-made strategies | 60+ classic strategies with sources, and Discover | 2,000+ community symphonies |
| Retirement accounts | Depends on the Alpaca account you connect | Traditional and Roth IRA |
| Who can trade live | Anyone Alpaca accepts | US residents |
| Price | Free, Plus $12 a month ($99 a year), Pro $29 a month ($249 a year). Everything is free until billing opens. [See pricing](https://tactfolio.com/pricing.md) | Starter $0, Advanced $10 a month, Pro $40 a month |

## What is Composer?

Composer is an app for building trading strategies, called symphonies, and running them automatically. You build with a no-code editor or by chatting with its AI. Composer says its AI uses Claude and GPT models. SoFi bought Composer's broker-dealer and relaunched it as "Composer by SoFi" in June 2026.

Composer Securities LLC is a registered broker-dealer and a FINRA and SIPC member. Your account is carried by Alpaca or Apex Clearing. You cannot connect a broker from outside Composer.

## What is 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](https://tactfolio.com/alpaca-trading.md). You can build by hand in a visual builder or by asking an [AI assistant](https://tactfolio.com/ai-trading.md).

Tactfolio is not a broker. Your money stays in your Alpaca account. A Tactfolio strategy trades only the starting balance you give it. It never touches the other things you hold there.

## How you build a strategy

The two builders are close cousins. Both use blocks for tickers, weights, if/else conditions, and picking the top few assets by a score. Composer calls that last block "filter". Tactfolio calls it "rank". The [builder guide](https://tactfolio.com/docs/builder.md) lists every Tactfolio block.

The AI works in different ways. Composer's AI lives inside its app. Its usage is capped by a weekly allowance that grows with your plan. Tactfolio has no built-in chat. Instead, you connect an assistant you already use, such as Claude Code or Codex, through MCP. MCP is a standard way for AI assistants to use other apps. Your assistant then builds the strategy, runs backtests, and saves a draft for you to check. See [Use Tactfolio from your AI assistant](https://tactfolio.com/docs/mcp.md).

## Backtests

Both tools test rules on daily closing prices, with dividends reinvested. A [backtest](https://tactfolio.com/learn/backtesting-explained.md) is a test of rules on past prices. For stocks and ETFs, neither tests intraday trading.

Tactfolio charges 0.05% on every trade in every backtest, so results compare fairly. Composer's default slippage is 0.01%, and you can change it. Tactfolio also draws a second line that trades at the next day's open. It adds "reality checks" at higher costs too. These show how much a result depends on perfect timing and cheap trades. [What a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) lists every assumption.

Composer's editor reaches back up to 30 years. Tactfolio uses each fund's real history. For young funds, it can add a clearly labeled simulated history that reaches further back. Read [why past results mislead](https://tactfolio.com/docs/concepts/why-past-results-mislead.md) before you trust any backtest, on either site.

## Live trading

Both tools trade once a day, near the close. Composer trades between 3:45 and 4:00 PM Eastern time. Tactfolio makes its trading decision at 3:45 PM Eastern time and sends market orders.

With Composer, you open a Composer brokerage account. It needs a $50 deposit and at least $50 per symphony. Composer suggests $2,500 or more. Some funds can't be bought in fractions, and a small account may leave cash idle. Live trading is for US residents.

With Tactfolio, you connect an Alpaca account you already have, paper or live, with your own API keys. You can also run a strategy in a Tactfolio [paper account](https://tactfolio.com/paper-trading.md) with pretend money.

## Community strategies

Composer has a library of more than 2,000 community symphonies you can copy and edit. Tactfolio has 60+ [classic strategies](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/classics.md), each built from its author's paper or book and tested every day. Members also publish their own strategies to [Discover](https://tactfolio.com/strategies), ranked by the Tactfolio Score. That score tries to discount what a backtest owes to luck and hindsight. See [how the Tactfolio Score works](https://tactfolio.com/docs/concepts/tactfolio-score.md).

## Pricing

Composer has four plans, as of October 16, 2026:

| Plan | Price | Automated strategies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $0 | 1 |
| Advanced | $10 a month | Up to 5 |
| Pro | $40 a month, or $384 a year | Up to 500 |
| Business | Contact sales | Not stated |

Building and backtesting are free on every Composer plan. Composer has no free trial of Advanced or Pro.

Tactfolio has three plans. Free costs $0. It includes unlimited building and backtests and 1 live strategy in your own Alpaca account. Plus costs $12 a month or $99 a year and runs 10 live strategies. Pro costs $29 a month or $249 a year and runs up to 100 at once. Paid plans are not open yet, so every feature is free until billing opens. See [Tactfolio pricing](https://tactfolio.com/pricing.md).

On yearly billing, Tactfolio's paid plans cost less than Composer's. Tactfolio Plus works out to $8.25 a month and runs 10 live strategies. Composer Advanced costs $10 a month for 5. Tactfolio Pro works out to $20.75 a month, against $32 a month for Composer Pro billed yearly. On monthly billing, Composer Advanced costs less than Plus.

## Moving from Composer to Tactfolio

You can bring a symphony with you. In Composer, use **Copy Symphony JSON**. In the Tactfolio builder, paste it under **Import a strategy**. It opens as a private draft with its backtest ready.

An import either reads the same as the original or tells you what is different. If a symphony uses something Tactfolio can't express yet, nothing is saved, and every such part is listed. Tactfolio never fetches anything from Composer. It reads only the JSON you paste. [Import and export strategies](https://tactfolio.com/docs/import.md) has the details.

## Is Composer worth it?

Composer is worth it if you live in the US and want one app that builds, tests and trades stock and ETF strategies for you. The free Starter plan lets you build, backtest without limits and automate one symphony. So you can try it before you pay. The $40 Pro plan makes sense once you run many symphonies or want its API.

It is less worth it if you want your money at your own broker, live outside the US, or need options or crypto. Composer holds your money in its own brokerage. Its options are closed to new users, and it ended crypto on January 31, 2026. SoFi bought Composer in June 2026 and says Composer will join the SoFi platform over time, so terms may change.

To see how Composer compares with other tools, read [Composer vs Option Alpha](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/composer-vs-option-alpha.md) and [the best algo trading platforms](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/best-algo-trading-platforms.md).

## Where Composer is the better pick

- You want one app that holds your account and trades for you.
- You want to automate a Traditional or Roth [IRA](https://tactfolio.com/learn/ira-vs-401k.md).
- You want an AI chat built into the app, with nothing to set up.
- You don't have, or don't want, an Alpaca account.

## Where Tactfolio is the better pick

- You want to keep your money in your own Alpaca account.
- You already use an AI assistant like Claude Code and want it to build strategies for you.
- You want stricter backtests: a fixed 0.05% cost, a next-day-open line, and reality checks.
- You want to start from classic strategies with their sources, such as [dual momentum](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/dual-momentum.md).
- You want to test a Composer symphony somewhere else before you trust it.

## Who should pick which

If you are a US investor who wants a simple, all-in-one app, including for an IRA, Composer fits well. Tactfolio fits better if you want your money to stay with your own broker. It also fits if you want your own AI assistant to do the building. Since Tactfolio imports Composer JSON, you can check one tool against the other at no cost. For more options, see our list of [Composer alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/composer-alternatives.md), or read [Composer vs QuantConnect](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/composer-vs-quantconnect.md).

## Try it on Tactfolio

Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder) and look at the starter patterns. You can see their backtests without an account. If you use Composer today, paste one of your symphonies and compare the two backtests.

## Common questions

### Is Composer a broker?

Yes. Composer Securities LLC is a registered broker-dealer and a member of FINRA and SIPC. Accounts are carried by Alpaca or Apex Clearing. Tactfolio is not a broker. It trades your own Alpaca account with your API keys.

### How much does Composer cost?

As of October 16, 2026, Composer's Starter plan is free and automates one symphony. Advanced costs $10 a month for up to five. Pro costs $40 a month, or $384 a year, for up to 500. Composer used to sell a single Trading Pass at $40 a month.

### Can I import my Composer symphonies into Tactfolio?

Yes. Copy the symphony's JSON in Composer and paste it into Tactfolio's builder. It opens as a private draft. Any part Tactfolio can't express yet is listed, and nothing is saved in that case.

### Does Composer support crypto or options?

Not for new users. Composer ended crypto support on January 31, 2026. Its September 2026 Form CRS says it is not onboarding new customers for options. Tactfolio has no options. It can backtest crypto perpetual futures on Hyperliquid, but those don't trade real money yet.

### Is there a Composer alternative that keeps my own broker?

Yes. Tactfolio is one. It runs your strategy in your own Alpaca account, with your own API keys. It only trades the balance you give it. Alpaca is the only broker Tactfolio supports today.

## Sources

- [Composer homepage](https://www.composer.trade/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer pricing](https://www.composer.trade/pricing), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer AI page](https://www.composer.trade/ai), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer disclosures](https://www.composer.trade/disclosures), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer what’s new](https://www.composer.trade/whats-new), accessed 2026-10-16
- [SoFi press release, June 23, 2026](https://s27.q4cdn.com/749715820/files/doc_news/Introducing-Composer-by-SoFi-AI-Powered-Investing-From-Idea-to-Execution-2026.pdf), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer Form CRS, September 2026](https://storage.googleapis.com/www.investcomposer.com/docs/form-crs.pdf), accessed 2026-10-16
- [FINRA BrokerCheck: Composer Securities LLC](https://brokercheck.finra.org/firm/summary/325118), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: plans and billing](https://help.composer.trade/article/226-manage-your-trading-pass), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: trade with AI](https://help.composer.trade/article/254-what-is-trade-with-ai), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: backtest basics](https://help.composer.trade/article/67-backtest-basics), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: data sources](https://help.composer.trade/article/29-what-data-sources-does-composer-use), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: slippage and fees](https://help.composer.trade/article/78-slippage-and-fees), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: trading period](https://help.composer.trade/article/63-trading-period), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: how Composer uses Alpaca](https://help.composer.trade/article/79-how-we-use-alpaca), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: other apps](https://help.composer.trade/article/184-can-i-connect-my-composer-account-to-other-apps), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: international users](https://help.composer.trade/article/62-international-users), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: minimum to invest](https://help.composer.trade/article/74-minimum-to-invest), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer retirement accounts](https://www.composer.trade/retirement), accessed 2026-10-16