Comparison
BestFolio vs AllocateSmartly
Both services answer the same question: what should a tactical asset allocation portfolio hold this month? Here is an honest side-by-side, including where AllocateSmartly is the better choice.
Facts about AllocateSmartly last reviewed June 2026 from their public website. If something is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Choose AllocateSmartly if
You want the longest-running service in the space, a deep archive of strategy research write-ups, and a decade of live signal history. It is the established reference, and it earned that.
Choose BestFolio if
You want walk-forward validation you can inspect, a blend builder, UCITS alternatives for European brokers, a real free tier, and a lower price. You can verify most of this without an account.
Feature by feature
| Dimension | BestFolio | AllocateSmartly |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly signals | Yes, exact ETF allocations at every month-end, email and Telegram | Yes, end-of-month signals with intra-month updates for members |
| Strategy library | 61+ published strategies plus leveraged and UCITS variants, about 5 new ones added monthly | Large library of published TAA strategies, built up since the mid-2010s |
| Walk-forward validation | Core methodology: parameters exposed, out-of-sample windows visible on every supported strategy | Publishes long backtests and combined model portfolios; validation internals are not the product focus |
| Portfolio blending | SmartBlend optimizer: combine any strategies with custom weights, see blended backtest, correlation, and drawdown | Model portfolios that combine member strategies |
| European investors (UCITS) | UCITS ETF alternatives with ISINs for every US ticker, EUR pricing, EU tax estimates | US-listed ETFs; no UCITS mapping as of our last review |
| Backtest depth | Proxy chains back to the 1970s for flagship strategies, with Treasury, gold, and bond series reaching the 1920s | Long multi-decade backtests on supported strategies |
| Free tier | 6 full strategies free forever, plus free tools (FactorLens, UCITS Finder, Drawdown Analyzer) with no account | Free articles and strategy write-ups; signals require membership |
| Price | $29/mo or $299/yr, 30-day money-back guarantee | $49/mo or about $399/yr as of our last review |
| Track record as a service | Launched 2026; every signal timestamped and archived from day one, live-vs-backtest marked on every chart | Operating since the mid-2010s with a long public track record |
Where AllocateSmartly is genuinely stronger
- A live track record since the mid-2010s. BestFolio launched in 2026, and no amount of backtesting substitutes for years of published out-of-sample signals.
- A larger archive of long-form strategy research and reviews, accumulated over many years.
- Intra-month signal updates on some strategies, where BestFolio focuses on month-end rebalancing.
Where BestFolio is stronger
- Walk-forward validation is the product, not a footnote: out-of-sample windows, parameter choices, and live-vs-backtest boundaries are visible on every supported strategy page.
- Portfolio blending with the SmartBlend optimizer: combine strategies, see the blended equity curve, correlations, and drawdowns before committing money.
- Built for Europe: UCITS ETF equivalents with ISINs on every strategy, EUR pricing, and EU tax estimates. We also publish a free UCITS Finder anyone can use.
- Radical transparency: a public rejection log of strategies we refused to list, and a methodology page covering every proxy chain and assumption.
- Price: $29/mo against $49/mo, with 6 strategies free forever to evaluate the product first.
“I have been on AllocateSmartly for years. BestFolio gives me walk-forward I can actually poke at, plus a few originals AS doesn’t track. I keep both. Different tools, different jobs.”
Mark T. · Austin TX, BestFolio Founder member
Frequently asked questions
Is BestFolio a replacement for AllocateSmartly?
For monthly TAA signals on published strategies, the core job is the same. BestFolio adds walk-forward validation detail, portfolio blending, and UCITS support; AllocateSmartly has a longer live track record and a larger archive of strategy write-ups. Some of our subscribers keep both.
Which is better for European investors?
BestFolio was built with European investors in mind: every strategy ships with UCITS-compliant ETF alternatives and ISINs, prices are available in EUR, and EU tax estimation is built in. AllocateSmartly tracks US-listed ETFs, so EU investors need to translate tickers themselves.
Can I try BestFolio before paying?
Yes. Six strategies, including GEM and Golden Butterfly, are free forever with full backtests and live monthly signals. No credit card is required, and paid plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Are the strategies the same on both services?
There is overlap on the well-known published strategies (Keller, Antonacci, Faber families). Each service also carries strategies the other does not. BestFolio additionally publishes a rejection log of strategies we evaluated and chose not to list, with reasons.
Verify it yourself, free
Six strategies with full backtests and live monthly signals, no credit card. Compare the methodology pages side by side and decide.
AllocateSmartly is a trademark of its owner. This page is an independent editorial comparison and is not affiliated with or endorsed by AllocateSmartly.