Tactfolio vs Portfolio123: stock picking vs fund rules

Written by the Tactfolio research teamPublished Updated 7 min read

Portfolio123 and Tactfolio both let you build rules-based strategies without code, backtest them, and send trades to a broker. They are built for different ideas. Portfolio123 is for picking single stocks by company data, such as earnings, value, and growth. Tactfolio is for portfolio rules that decide which funds to hold, such as trend following and momentum. Pick Portfolio123 to rank stocks by their numbers. Pick Tactfolio to rotate between funds by price rules.

Key points#

  • Portfolio123 ranks stocks by more than 4,300 company data factors. Tactfolio’s rules read prices, indicators, and US economic data.
  • Portfolio123 covers US, Canadian, and European stocks. Tactfolio covers US-listed stocks and ETFs, plus crypto perps on Hyperliquid.
  • Portfolio123 sends orders to Interactive Brokers or Tradier. Tactfolio trades through Alpaca.
  • Portfolio123’s paid plans cost $35 to $278 a month, and backtest depth grows with the plan. 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 works with your AI assistant through MCP. We found no MCP server at Portfolio123.

Tactfolio vs Portfolio123 at a glance#

Portfolio123 facts were checked on its own website and help center on October 16, 2026. Links are in the sources at the end.

TactfolioPortfolio123
Main jobPortfolio rules across fundsPicking stocks by company data
How you buildVisual blocks, or your own AI assistantScreens and ranking formulas
What rules can readPrices, indicators, VIX, and US economic data4,300+ company data factors and prices
MarketsUS-listed stocks and ETFs, plus crypto perps on HyperliquidUS, Canadian, and European stocks and ETFs
Backtest historyEach fund’s real history, plus labeled simulated history5 to 20 years for stocks, by plan, and ETFs from 1999
Trading cost in backtests0.05% per trade, plus a next-day-open lineSlippage and commissions you set
BrokersAlpacaInteractive Brokers (PRO accounts) and Tradier
Strategy marketplaceFree member strategies in DiscoverPaid Designer Models, priced by each designer
AI assistantMCP server, free with your accountAPI and a Python library, no MCP server found
PriceFree, Plus $12 a month ($99 a year), Pro $29 a month ($249 a year). Everything is free until billing opens. See pricingFree tier, paid plans $35 to $278 a month

What is Portfolio123?#

Portfolio123 is a platform for building stock strategies from company data. You write screens that filter stocks and ranking systems that sort them, using spreadsheet-like formulas. Then you backtest and run them. It also offers AI Factor, a no-code way to train machine learning models on company data, for an extra fee.

Portfolio123 is run by Prism Research Inc. in Chicago. Its founder and CEO is Marco Salerno. Its terms say it is not a broker or a financial adviser. Its about page says users have run more than 50 million simulations.

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 mix of funds 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.

Stock picking vs fund rotation#

This is the main difference. Portfolio123 asks “which stocks look best by their numbers?” A ranking system might score every US stock on value, quality, and earnings growth, then buy the top 20. That needs company data for thousands of stocks, which Portfolio123 has and Tactfolio does not.

Tactfolio asks “what should my whole portfolio hold right now?” A strategy might rank a few funds by momentum, or step aside to bonds when stocks fall below their average. Its rules read prices, the VIX, and US economic data such as unemployment and Treasury yields.

Backtests and data#

Portfolio123 uses point-in-time data, so a backtest only sees numbers that were public on each date. Its company data comes from FactSet and its prices from ICE. Its own help center notes that FactSet sometimes fills in old data later, but says its tests found little effect. Stock backtests reach back 5, 10, 15, or 20 years, depending on your plan. You can add slippage and commissions.

Tactfolio backtests on daily prices with dividends reinvested. Every trade pays 0.05%, and a second line trades at the next day’s open. Economic data counts only from the day it was published. What a backtest simulates lists every assumption.

Trading and brokers#

Portfolio123 is not a broker. When you rebalance a live strategy, it can send the orders to Interactive Brokers or Tradier. For Interactive Brokers, it needs an IB PRO account.

Tactfolio connects to Alpaca, paper or live, with your own API keys. Each strategy trades only the starting balance you give it. It decides once a day, at 3:45 PM Eastern time. You can also run a strategy in a Tactfolio paper account with pretend money.

Pricing#

Portfolio123 has a free tier with 30 days of screening and backtesting, then basic tools. Paid plans for individuals cost, as of October 16, 2026:

PlanMonthlyYearlyStock backtest history
Screener$35$3005 years
Backtest$116$1,00010 years
Portfolio$174$1,50015 years
Ultimate$278$2,40020 years

A second data region, such as Europe, adds 40%. AI Factor training is billed by the hour on top. Professional plans cost more.

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. Portfolio123 is built for stock factor research, and Tactfolio is built for rules that rotate between funds.

What are the best Portfolio123 alternatives?#

The right Portfolio123 alternative depends on whether you pick single stocks or build portfolios of funds. Facts were checked on each tool’s own pages on October 16, 2026.

  • For coded stock picking: QuantConnect. You write Python or C#, and its data market includes company fundamentals. It connects to about 20 brokers. See Tactfolio vs QuantConnect.
  • For fund rotation without code: Tactfolio, Composer or QuantMage. All three build long-only stock and ETF rules from blocks. Tactfolio runs in your own Alpaca account and has a Free plan. See the best algo trading platforms.
  • For portfolio analysis without trading: Portfolio Visualizer. It backtests and analyzes mixes of funds on monthly data. See Tactfolio vs Portfolio Visualizer.

Where Portfolio123 is the better pick#

  • You want to pick single stocks by earnings, value, or other company data.
  • You invest in Canadian or European stocks.
  • You want machine learning on company data without writing code.
  • You use Interactive Brokers or Tradier.
  • You want to sell your strategy to subscribers as a Designer Model.

Where Tactfolio is the better pick#

  • You want rules that rotate between funds, like trend following or momentum.
  • You want rules that read the VIX or the economy.
  • You use Alpaca, or want to try with pretend money first.
  • You want your own AI assistant to build and test strategies.
  • You want to start from 60+ classic strategies with sources, at no cost.

Who should pick which#

If you think in company numbers and want to rank stocks, Portfolio123 is built for that. If you think in funds and want a rule that decides what to hold, Tactfolio fits better. Some people use both: Portfolio123 for a stock-picking 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#

How much does Portfolio123 cost?#

As of October 16, 2026, Portfolio123’s plans for individuals cost $35 to $278 a month, or $300 to $2,400 a year. Longer stock backtests need higher plans. The free tier includes 30 days of screening and backtesting.

Does Portfolio123 trade automatically?#

It sends orders to Interactive Brokers or Tradier when you rebalance a strategy. Tactfolio runs a strategy in your own Alpaca account on its schedule.

Can Tactfolio rank stocks by earnings or value?#

No. Tactfolio has no company data such as earnings or book value. Its rules read prices, indicators, the VIX, and US economic data. For stock picking by company data, Portfolio123 is the better tool.

Is there a Portfolio123 alternative for ETF strategies?#

Yes. Tactfolio is built for rules that rotate between ETFs, such as trend following and momentum. It has a Free plan, and it runs strategies in your own Alpaca account.

Sources