# Tactfolio vs TuringTrader: follow signals or run rules

> TuringTrader sends rebalance signals for ready-made tactical portfolios. Tactfolio lets you change the rules and trades them for you. Compare both.

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

TuringTrader publishes ready-made tactical portfolios and tells you when to [rebalance](https://tactfolio.com/learn/portfolio-rebalancing.md) them. You place the trades yourself. Tactfolio is a builder where you write or copy rules, test them on past prices, and run them in your own Alpaca account. Pick TuringTrader to follow tested portfolios by hand. Pick Tactfolio to change the rules and have them trade for you.

## Key points

- TuringTrader gives you more than three dozen ready-made portfolios. Tactfolio gives you 60+ classic strategies you can open, change, and run.
- You can't change TuringTrader's rules on its site. On Tactfolio, every rule can be edited.
- TuringTrader sends alerts with exact share counts, and you trade at your own broker. Tactfolio trades for you in Alpaca.
- TuringTrader's backtests start in 2007 and charge a commission per share. Tactfolio uses each fund's full history and charges 0.05% a trade.
- TuringTrader's Basic plan is free, and Premium costs $49.95 a month. 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 vs TuringTrader at a glance

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

| | Tactfolio | TuringTrader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Main job | Build, test, and run your own rules | Follow ready-made tactical portfolios |
| Strategies | 60+ classic strategies, plus your own | More than three dozen portfolios |
| Can you change the rules? | Yes | No, not on the site |
| Trades for you? | Yes, in your Alpaca account | No, you place the trades |
| Brokers | Alpaca | Any, since you trade by hand |
| Backtests | Each fund's history, daily prices, 0.05% a trade | From 2007, $0.015 a share, filled at the next open |
| Markets | US-listed stocks and ETFs, plus crypto perps on Hyperliquid | US stocks and ETFs, including leveraged and Bitcoin ETFs |
| AI assistant | MCP server, free with your account | None found |
| 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) | Basic free, Premium $49.95 a month, Infinite $79.95 a month |

## What is TuringTrader?

TuringTrader is a [signal](https://tactfolio.com/learn/trading-signals.md) service for do-it-yourself investors. It runs tactical portfolios built from [momentum](https://tactfolio.com/learn/momentum-strategy.md), [mean reversion](https://tactfolio.com/learn/mean-reversion.md), and volatility rules. Each night it posts new allocations, and its rebalancing tool turns them into exact share counts for your account. You then place the orders at your broker.

Its Basic portfolios come from published books and papers. Premium portfolios are its own research, and "All-Stars" portfolios combine several of them. It is run by Bertram Enterprises LLC in Kirkland, Washington. It says it never holds your money and cannot trade for you.

## What is Tactfolio?

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, [backtest](https://tactfolio.com/learn/backtesting-explained.md) 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).

Its [classic strategies](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/classics.md) include Faber's [GTAA](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/global-tactical-asset-allocation.md), Antonacci's [dual momentum](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/dual-momentum.md), and Keller's [BAA](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/bold-asset-allocation.md). Each is built from its source and tested on daily prices.

## Following vs building

This is the main difference. TuringTrader is built for following. You pick a portfolio, often with its Portfolio Wizard, and copy its trades. You can read how its Basic portfolios work, since their code is open source. But you can't change a rule on the site.

Tactfolio is built for changing things. You can copy a classic strategy, swap a fund, change a lookback, and see the new backtest at once. Or you can build from blocks, or ask your AI assistant to build it through MCP. See [Use Tactfolio from your AI assistant](https://tactfolio.com/docs/mcp.md).

## Backtests

TuringTrader's backtests aim to start in January 2007. They use Norgate data, include stocks that were later delisted, and extend young ETFs with stand-ins. They charge $0.015 a share and fill at the next day's open. They don't model slippage.

[Tactfolio backtests](https://tactfolio.com/backtesting.md) on daily prices with dividends reinvested, using each fund's real history. Every trade pays 0.05%. A second line trades at the next day's open, so you see how much timing matters. Young funds can get a clearly labeled [simulated history](https://tactfolio.com/docs/simulated-history.md). [What a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) lists every assumption.

## Trading

TuringTrader posts its final allocations around 4 AM New York time. Its results assume you trade at the 9:30 AM open. It works with any broker, but it suggests a [margin account](https://tactfolio.com/learn/margin-trading.md) so sales settle in time for buys. Its Infinite plan has an API you can wire to your own broker code.

Tactfolio trades for you. It decides at 3:45 PM Eastern time and sends orders to your Alpaca account, paper or live. Each strategy trades only the starting balance you give it.

## Pricing

TuringTrader has three plans, as of October 16, 2026:

| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Basic | Free | Free | Portfolios from books and papers |
| Premium | $49.95 | $498 | Adds its own portfolios and email rebalance alerts |
| Infinite | $79.95 | $798 | Adds account grouping and API access |

Premium has a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Some portfolios need large accounts. All-Stars XL lists a $180,000 minimum.

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).

## Is TuringTrader any good?

TuringTrader is a good fit if you want ready-made tactical portfolios and are happy to place the trades yourself. It publishes signals for more than three dozen portfolios. The Basic portfolios, taken from books and papers, are free. Its founder built an open-source backtesting engine, and the site shows how each portfolio did. It is less useful if you want to change the rules or have trades placed for you.

## What are the best TuringTrader alternatives?

Facts were checked on each tool's own pages on October 16, 2026.

- **AllocateSmartly** tracks 87 published tactical strategies and emails their signals, for $49 a month or $399 a year. You trade by hand. See [AllocateSmartly alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/allocatesmartly-alternatives.md).
- **Portfolio Visualizer** backtests tactical models, and its paid plan shows forward trade signals, from $30 a month billed yearly. You trade by hand.
- **Tactfolio** lets you open a classic strategy, change its rules, and run it in your own Alpaca account. It has a Free plan.

For a side-by-side table, see [the best tactical asset allocation tools](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/best-tactical-asset-allocation-tools.md).

## Where TuringTrader is the better pick

- You want ready-made portfolios and don't want to build anything.
- You want strategies beyond [trend following](https://tactfolio.com/learn/trend-following.md), such as mean reversion and volatility targeting.
- You want to trade at your own broker, whichever it is.
- You code in C# and want to read or extend its open-source engine.

## Where Tactfolio is the better pick

- You want to change the rules, or build your own.
- You want trades placed for you, without waking up for a 4 AM signal.
- You use Alpaca, or want to try with [pretend money](https://tactfolio.com/paper-trading.md) first.
- You want your own AI assistant to build and test strategies.
- You want to start at no cost.

## Who should pick which

If you want a menu of tested portfolios and don't mind placing trades, TuringTrader fits. If you want to edit the rules and let them run, Tactfolio fits better. For more options, see our list of the [best tactical asset allocation tools](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/best-tactical-asset-allocation-tools.md).

## Try it on Tactfolio

Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder) and look at the starter patterns and their backtests. No account is needed to look. Or browse 60+ [classic strategies](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/classics.md), each with its rules and sources.

## Common questions

### How much does TuringTrader cost?

As of October 16, 2026, TuringTrader's Basic plan is free. Premium costs $49.95 a month or $498 a year. Infinite costs $79.95 a month or $798 a year.

### Can TuringTrader trade for me?

No. TuringTrader sends signals and share counts, and you place the trades. Its Infinite plan has an API you can connect to your own broker code. Tactfolio places the trades for you in your Alpaca account.

### Can I change a TuringTrader portfolio's rules?

Not on its website. Its Basic portfolios are open source, so a C# coder can change them in its engine. On Tactfolio, you can edit any rule in the visual builder.

### Is there a TuringTrader alternative that trades automatically?

Yes. Tactfolio runs tactical strategies in your own Alpaca account, with rules you can read and change. It has a Free plan, and every feature is free until billing opens.

## Sources

- [TuringTrader homepage](https://www.turingtrader.com/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader plans](https://www.turingtrader.com/sign-up/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader portfolios](https://www.turingtrader.com/portfolios/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader All-Stars XL](https://www.turingtrader.com/portfolios/tt-all-stars-xl/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader: backtesting](https://www.turingtrader.com/2020/06/backtesting/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader contact](https://www.turingtrader.com/company/contact/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader: our selection of portfolios](http://help.turingtrader.com/support/kb/articles/7maRwKQE/our-selection-of-portfolios), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader: can you trade for me?](http://help.turingtrader.com/support/kb/articles/NmddK1m0/can-you-trade-for-me), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader: when do I rebalance?](http://help.turingtrader.com/support/kb/articles/amRyxZWJ/when-do-i-rebalance), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader: brokerage accounts](http://help.turingtrader.com/support/kb/articles/DQ2vlnQV/brokerage-accounts), accessed 2026-10-16
- [TuringTrader: API access](http://help.turingtrader.com/support/kb/articles/L9nxEOmZ/api-access), accessed 2026-10-16