A free, daily-data alternative to Portfolio Visualizer
Last reviewed October 5, 2026
Portfolio Visualizer backtests use monthly data, while Investment Visual uses daily data.
According to Portfolio Visualizer's documentation, its portfolio backtests use monthly returns for their return and risk calculations, even on paid plans. Monthly sampling misses intra-month moves, which can materially affect metrics such as maximum drawdown, volatility, Sharpe, and Sortino. For example, consider the S&P 500's 2020 crash:
- Investment Visual
- −34%
- Maximum drawdown
Daily closes - Portfolio Visualizer
- −19%
- Maximum drawdown
Month-end observations
A monthly backtest misses much of the decline because the market recovered significantly before the month ended.
Portfolio Visualizer's Basic plan costs $360/year. Investment Visual provides full available history and daily data for free, without an account.
Investment Visual vs Portfolio Visualizer
| Feature | Investment VisualFree | Portfolio VisualizerFree / Basic · $360/year |
|---|---|---|
| Historical data | ||
| Data frequency | Ahead: Daily | Monthly |
| Backtest history | Ahead: Full available history | 10 years / longer for paid plan |
| Latest data | Ahead: Last market close | Current month |
| TSP funds | Ahead: 16 funds | No |
| Crypto | Ahead: 36 coins | 3 coins |
| Portfolio tools | ||
| Holdings per portfolio | 20 | Ahead: 150 |
| Shared backtests | Ahead: Full, for anyone | 10 years for free viewers |
| Rebalancing | Yes | Yes |
| Contributions & withdrawals | Yes | Yes |
| Leverage | Yes | Yes |
| Inflation adjustment | Yes | Yes |
| Analysis | ||
| Portfolio comparison | Ahead: 5 portfolios | 3 portfolios |
| Portfolio optimizer | Ahead: Full history | 10 years / full for paid plan |
| Monte Carlo | Yes | Yes |
| Safe withdrawal rates | Ahead: Since 1872 | Since 1972 |
| Fundamentals | ||
| Company financials | Ahead: 2,100+ companies | No |
| Exports | ||
| CSV | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Chart images | Ahead: Yes | No |
| Excel | No | Ahead: Yes |
Find the same tools in Investment Visual
| Portfolio Visualizer | Investment Visual |
|---|---|
| Backtest Portfolio | Portfolio backtester |
| Backtest Portfolio, several portfolios | Compare portfolios |
| Lazy Portfolios | Classic portfolios |
| Monte Carlo Simulation | The backtester's Monte Carlo tab |
| Asset Correlations | The backtester's Assets tab |
| Portfolio Optimization | Portfolio optimizer |
| Fund Performance | Compare funds |
| Safe and perpetual withdrawal rates | Withdrawal calculator |
Bring your portfolio over
Import portfolios by pasting tickers and weights, uploading a CSV, or importing positions from Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard. Portfolios can also be saved in your browser.
Start a backtestDecision FAQ
Is Investment Visual a good Portfolio Visualizer alternative?
Yes. Investment Visual is a free portfolio backtesting and investment analysis tool with daily market data, long historical backtests, and no account required. It is designed for investors who want a fast, straightforward way to analyze portfolios. Portfolio Visualizer has been around longer and includes a wider range of specialized research features.
What is the biggest difference between Investment Visual and Portfolio Visualizer?
Data frequency. Investment Visual uses daily data for portfolio backtesting, while Portfolio Visualizer uses monthly observations. Daily data captures intra-month price movements that monthly data can miss, which can materially affect metrics such as maximum drawdown and volatility.
What can I use Investment Visual to backtest?
You can backtest portfolios containing supported stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, cryptocurrencies, and other available assets. You can also analyze rebalancing, contributions and withdrawals, leverage, inflation adjustments, portfolio risk, and performance.
Does Investment Visual offer long-term portfolio backtesting for free?
Yes. Investment Visual provides the full available history for supported securities for free, without requiring an account. Historical coverage depends on the available data for each security.
Is Investment Visual free?
Yes. Investment Visual's portfolio backtester is free to use with no account required.
Does Investment Visual require an account?
No. You can run and share portfolio backtests without creating an account.
Why does Investment Visual show a different 2020 S&P 500 drawdown?
Investment Visual uses daily observations, capturing the S&P 500's intra-month low during the 2020 crash. Monthly observations can miss part of a decline when the market recovers before month-end, resulting in a substantially smaller measured drawdown.