VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON
Tool details checked September 24, 2026
Tool Comparison
MesoSim vs Portfolio123
Pick MesoSim if
MesoSim
Free • From $1000/yr · Web · API
- You want options, paper trading, and AI chat.
- You trade often and need tooling built for speed
Pick Portfolio123 if
Portfolio123
Free • From $300/yr · Web · API · Desktop
- You want the cheaper way in: plans start at $25/mo instead of $83.33/mo
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You want screeners, quant, and stock ideas.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
MesoSim and Portfolio123 cover a lot of the same ground (4 shared categories, including backtesting, data visualizations, and APIs & data feeds), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. Portfolio123 simply does more: 19 categories to MesoSim's 7, including screeners, quant, and stock ideas. MesoSim counters by keeping things simpler.
What readers say
MesoSim
No votes yet. Cast the first one.
Portfolio123
No votes yet. Cast the first one.
Key differences at a glance
- Cheaper paid plan
- Portfolio123$25/mo vs $83.33/mo
- Broader coverage
- Portfolio12319 vs 7 categories
- Desktop app
- Portfolio123
- Real-time data
- Portfolio123
- Global coverage
- Portfolio123
- Beginner friendly
- Portfolio123
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • From $1000/yr | Free • From $300/yr |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 6 limits: Free: active backtesting: Not disclosed for Basic, Standard: backtests: Unlimited +4 more | 25 limits: Free Screener & Backtesting Access: duration days: 30, Screener (Annual): backtest history years: 5 +23 more |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Desktop app | No | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | — | Yes |
Integrations | MesoLive | Interactive Brokers and Tradier |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Pro Retail, Algo Traders +4 more | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +5 more |
Categories covered | 7 | 19 |
Regions | North America | North America, Europe |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Granularity: Minute | 5 signals: Latency: Real-time and End of Day, Granularity: EOD +3 more |
Data partners | Cboe and Deribit | 4 partners: FactSet, S&P Global Market Intelligence +2 more |
Capabilities | 4 signals: Multi-leg options, Greeks +2 more | 6 signals: Custom formulas, Ranking backtests +4 more |
Security | Status page | — |
| Try it | Visit MesoSim | Visit Portfolio123 |
Where each one shines
What MesoSim and Portfolio123 each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What MesoSim does best
- Backtest options strategies through a low-code Strategy Definition workflow covering entries, exits, adjustments, fills, commissions, slippage, margin, and monitoring.
- Simulate SPX options on Standard; Advanced adds RUT, VIX, and GLD options.
- Review 2D and 3D risk graphs, PnL, Greeks, and trace collection from the Position Monitor.
- Tools for exploring implied volatility surfaces with overlays such as open interest, volume, bid-ask spread, and Greeks where available.
- Black-Scholes-Merton valuation functions and solver tools inside strategy logic for projecting future Greeks, PnL, roots, and optimization points.
What Portfolio123 does best
- Build multifactor ranking systems, stock screens, ETF screens, and rules-based strategies.
- Run simulations with custom universes, buy and sell rules, position sizing, hedging, rebalancing, slippage, and commissions.
- Point-in-time data designed to avoid survivorship and look-ahead bias, with fundamentals, estimates, corporate actions, sector and industry classifications, and historical issues.
- Create ranking systems from fundamental, technical, sentiment, and macro factors, including public factor documentation and FRED-linked economic series.
- AI Factor to train machine-learning predictors for expected returns and feed those predictions into rankings, simulations, and asset-level analysis.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for MesoSim and Portfolio123, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | OptionsCryptos | StocksETFsClosed-End Funds |
Experience | IntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Pro RetailAlgo TradersDay TradersSwing TradersQuants/DevelopersInstitutional Investors | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersFinancial AdvisorsStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North America | North AmericaEurope |
Coverage details | Identifiers: Ticker | Countries: US and CAIdentifiers: Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Not specified | Real-timeEnd of Day |
Data granularity | Minute | EOD |
Data partners | CboeDeribit | FactSetS&P Global Market IntelligenceICE Data ServicesFRED |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKeyDocs | Auth: APIKeyDocs |
Import methods | Not specified | BrokerOAuthCSV |
Integrations | MesoLive | Interactive BrokersTradier |
Export formats | JSON | CSVJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status page | Not specified |
Capability signals | Multi-leg optionsGreeksIV surfaceStrategy backtests: Vertical and IronCondor | Custom formulasRanking backtestsUniverse builderBroker syncRebalancingCorrelation |
Vendor & support | Deltaray Research Ltd.Support: Email and Chat | Portfolio123Support: Forum |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freeactive backtesting: Not disclosed for Basic | Free“Manage (Free)” |
| Entry paid plan | $1000/yr≈ $83.33/mo“Standard”backtests: Unlimited · paper trading accounts: 1 | $300/yr≈ $25/mo“Screener (Annual)”backtest history years: 5 · resource units: 400 · +1 more |
| Tier 2 | $1250/yr≈ $104.17/mo“Advanced”backtests: Unlimited · paper trading accounts: 2 | $35/mo“Screener (Monthly)”backtest history years: 5 · resource units: 400 · +1 more |
| Tier 3 | — | $1000/yr≈ $83.33/mo“Backtest (Annual)”backtest history years: 10 · resource units: 1,000 · +1 more |
| Tier 4 | — | $116/mo“Backtest (Monthly)”backtest history years: 10 · resource units: 1,000 · +1 more |
| Tier 5 | — | $1500/yr≈ $125/mo“Portfolio (Annual)”backtest history years: 15 · resource units: 5,000 · +1 more |
| Tier 6 | — | $174/mo“Portfolio (Monthly)”backtest history years: 15 · resource units: 5,000 · +1 more |
| Tier 7 | — | $2400/yr≈ $200/mo“Ultimate (Annual)”backtest history years: 20 · resource units: 10,000 · +1 more |
| Top plan | — | $278/mo“Ultimate (Monthly)”backtest history years: 20 · resource units: 10,000 · +1 more |
| Custom / enterprise | Contact sales“FundPro”starting price per month usd: 1,500 | Contact sales“Professional / API & Data Licenses” |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between MesoSim and Portfolio123?
MesoSim leans toward backtesting, options, and data visualizations, while Portfolio123 puts more weight on screeners, data visualizations, and quant. They overlap in 4 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do MesoSim and Portfolio123 cost?
Good news: both MesoSim and Portfolio123 have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Which is better for beginners: MesoSim or Portfolio123?
Portfolio123 is the friendlier place to start; its interface takes less getting used to. Both work fine once you're past the basics.
Do MesoSim and Portfolio123 have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose MesoSim or Portfolio123?
It depends on what you're after. Pick MesoSim if options and paper trading matter to you; go with Portfolio123 if you'd rather have screeners and quant. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do MesoSim and Portfolio123 cover?
MesoSim covers options and cryptos. Portfolio123 covers stocks, ETFs, and closed-end funds.
Does MesoSim or Portfolio123 have real-time data?
Portfolio123 offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. MesoSim runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Which covers international markets: MesoSim or Portfolio123?
Portfolio123 has documented international coverage (North America and Europe), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. MesoSim is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from MesoSim and Portfolio123?
Portfolio123 exports to CSV. MesoSim is stingier about getting data out.
Is MesoSim or Portfolio123 better for day trading?
MesoSim is the one positioned more for active traders. Portfolio123 is the better fit if you care less about fast trading workflows and more about a calmer research process.
Which has a better stock screener: MesoSim or Portfolio123?
Portfolio123 has a stock screener for surfacing ideas; MesoSim doesn't, and focuses its energy elsewhere.
Can I track my portfolio with MesoSim or Portfolio123?
Portfolio123 handles portfolio tracking. MesoSim is really a research tool; you'd track your portfolio elsewhere.
Keep researching
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Curation & Accuracy
This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).
Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.