Tactfolio vs Option Alpha: which automation tool fits?

Written by the Tactfolio research teamPublished Updated 7 min read

Option Alpha and Tactfolio both run automated trading bots in your own broker account, with no code. They automate very different things. Option Alpha is built for options trades, such as credit spreads and iron condors, that it opens and manages during the day. Tactfolio is built for long-only stock and ETF portfolios that rebalance once a day.

Key points#

  • Option Alpha is options first. Tactfolio does not trade options at all.
  • Option Alpha bots can check the market every minute. Tactfolio’s stock and ETF strategies decide once a day, near the close.
  • Option Alpha works with Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade, and Schwab. Tactfolio works with Alpaca.
  • Option Alpha Pro costs $99 to $149 a month, or $0 with a qualifying broker account. Tactfolio has a Free plan. Plus costs $12 a month and Pro costs $29 a month, and every feature is free until billing opens.
  • Tactfolio lets an AI assistant build and test strategies through MCP. We found no AI builder or MCP server at Option Alpha.

Tactfolio vs Option Alpha at a glance#

Option Alpha facts were checked on its own website and docs on October 16, 2026. Links are in the sources at the end.

TactfolioOption Alpha
What it automatesLong-only stock and ETF portfoliosOptions spreads and long stock
How you buildVisual blocks, or your own AI assistantVisual bot editor with decision recipes
How often it actsOnce a day for stocks and ETFs, near the closeAs often as every minute
Backtest dataDaily prices for US-listed stocks and ETFs1-minute options data, mainly SPX, SPY, QQQ, IWM, and XSP
BrokersAlpacaTradier, TradeStation, tastytrade, Schwab
Paper tradingYesYes
Community60+ classic strategies and DiscoverShared bot templates and leaderboards
AI assistantMCP server for Claude Code, Codex, and othersCopy and paste backtests into an AI tool
PriceFree, Plus $12 a month ($99 a year), Pro $29 a month ($249 a year). Everything is free until billing opens. See pricingPro $149 a month, $99 a month yearly, or $0 with some brokers

What is Option Alpha?#

Option Alpha is a no-code platform for finding options trades, backtesting them, and running them with bots. A bot scans for trades, opens positions, and closes them by your rules, such as a profit target or a stop loss. On October 16, 2026, its site said it had more than 10,000 traders and over 100,000 active bots.

Option Alpha, LLC is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, and was founded in 2010. It says it is not a broker or a registered investment adviser. Your money stays at your broker.

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. You can build by hand in a visual builder or by asking an AI assistant.

A Tactfolio strategy decides what to hold. Here is one: “Hold the S&P 500 while it is above its 10-month average. Else, hold Treasury bills.” It is Faber’s timing model, one of the classics you can open and copy.

What each one trades#

This is the main difference. Option Alpha trades options on about 350 liquid US stocks and ETFs. It supports long stock, debit spreads, credit spreads, iron condors, and iron butterflies. Its FAQ says calendars, diagonals, straddles, and strangles are not supported.

An option is a contract that gives the right to buy or sell a stock at a set price before a set date. Options can expire worthless. Selling options can lose far more than the premium you collect.

Tactfolio strategies hold US-listed stocks, ETFs, and cash. They can’t trade options, sell short, or borrow. They can hold leveraged and inverse ETFs like any other fund. Those funds reset daily, so held for longer their returns can differ a lot from the multiple in their name. Tactfolio can also backtest crypto perpetual futures on Hyperliquid, but those don’t trade real money yet.

How you build#

Both are no-code. Option Alpha bots are lists of steps, called automations. They run on a schedule, on a button click, or when a webhook from a tool like TradingView fires.

A Tactfolio strategy is a tree of blocks: tickers, weights, if/else conditions, and rank. The backtest runs again each time you change a rule. You can also ask an AI assistant to build it for you through MCP, a standard way for AI assistants to use other apps. See Use Tactfolio from your AI assistant.

Backtests#

Option Alpha’s backtester uses 1-minute options data. Since June 2026 it reaches back to 2013 and tests trades up to 45 days to expiration. Its FAQ lists SPX, SPY, QQQ, IWM, and XSP. You set slippage yourself, and assignment is not modelled. Bots can’t be backtested directly. Only the strategy types the backtester supports can.

Tactfolio backtests whole strategies on daily prices with dividends reinvested. Every trade pays 0.05%. A second line trades at the next day’s open, so you see how much timing matters. What a backtest simulates lists every assumption.

Brokers and live trading#

Option Alpha connects to Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade, and Charles Schwab. Its docs say Schwab needs you to sign in again every 7 days. Interactive Brokers, Fidelity, E*TRADE, and Robinhood are not supported. Live trading is not available in Canada.

Tactfolio connects to Alpaca, paper or live, with your own API keys. Each strategy trades only the starting balance you give it. You can also use a Tactfolio paper account with pretend money.

Pricing#

Option Alpha has one paid plan, Pro, as of October 16, 2026:

OptionPriceCatch
Pro, monthly$149 a monthAny supported broker
Pro, yearly$99 a month ($1,188 a year)Any supported broker
Pro through TradeStation$0$10,000 minimum balance, TradeStation only
Pro through Tradier$0Fund $5,000 and keep $3,000, Tradier only
Pro through tastytrade$0$5,000 minimum balance, tastytrade only

Option Alpha offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card.

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.

Price is not the main reason to pick one over the other. Option Alpha is built for options, and Tactfolio does not trade options.

What are the best Option Alpha alternatives?#

The best Option Alpha alternative depends on whether you want to keep trading options. Facts were checked on each tool’s own pages on October 16, 2026.

  • For options research and backtests: ORATS. ORATS sells options backtesters, scanners and an AI agent called Otto, from $99 a month. You send orders to Interactive Brokers, TradeStation or Tradier yourself. It does not run hands-off bots. See Tactfolio vs ORATS.
  • For coded options strategies: QuantConnect. You write Python or C#. It has US equity options data from 2010 and connects to about 20 brokers. See Tactfolio vs QuantConnect.
  • For stock and ETF strategies instead: Composer or Tactfolio. Both build without code. Composer holds your money in its own brokerage. Tactfolio runs in your own Alpaca account and has a Free plan. See Composer vs Option Alpha.

Where Option Alpha is the better pick#

  • You trade options and want bots to open and manage spreads.
  • You want trades during the day, including same-day (0DTE) options.
  • You use Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade, or Schwab.
  • You want options lessons and a community of options traders.

Where Tactfolio is the better pick#

  • You invest in stocks and ETFs and don’t want options risk.
  • You want a portfolio rule that runs once a day, such as trend following or momentum.
  • You want to start from published research, with 60+ classic strategies.
  • You want an AI assistant to build and backtest strategies for you.
  • You use Alpaca.

Who should pick which#

If you trade options, pick Option Alpha. Tactfolio can’t place an options trade. If you want an automated stock and ETF portfolio that you can read, test, and leave alone, pick Tactfolio. A few people use both: Option Alpha for an options sleeve, Tactfolio for the core portfolio.

Try it on Tactfolio#

Open the builder and look at the starter patterns and their backtests. No account is needed to look. New to this? Start with what rules-based asset allocation is.

Common questions#

Is Option Alpha free?#

Option Alpha Pro is free if you trade through a qualifying TradeStation, Tradier, or tastytrade account, with that broker’s minimum balance. Otherwise it costs $149 a month, or $99 a month billed yearly. It has a 30-day free trial. Prices were checked on October 16, 2026.

Can Tactfolio trade options like Option Alpha?#

No. Tactfolio has no options. Its strategies hold stocks, ETFs, cash, or crypto perps, long only. If you want to automate options, Option Alpha is built for that.

Which brokers work with Option Alpha?#

Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade, and Charles Schwab, as of October 16, 2026. Webull and Public are listed as coming soon. Tactfolio works with Alpaca only.

Does Option Alpha have an AI strategy builder?#

We found none on its site on October 16, 2026. Its June 2026 update lets you copy backtest results into an AI tool. Tactfolio has an MCP server, so assistants like Claude Code or Codex can build, backtest, and save strategies in your account.

Is there an Option Alpha alternative for stocks and ETFs?#

Yes. Tactfolio automates long-only stock and ETF strategies in your own Alpaca account, with a no-code builder. It does not trade options.

Sources