COMPARE PORTFOLIOS / FIVE DECISION LENSES

Compare portfolios across return, drawdown, and risk.

Change one allocation or rule to see what improved, what worsened, and when the difference appeared.

See the comparison lenses →View a real example ↓
COMPARISON / VTI ALLOCATION TEST3 VARIANTS
B
Base portfolio100% VTI · $10,000 INITIAL
01
10% VTI → GLDONE CHANGE · TEST Gold mix
02
30% VTI → BNDONE CHANGE · TEST Drawdown
MEASURED TRADE-OFFDepends on the objectiveGold changed ending value · bonds softened drawdown

FIVE WAYS TO READ A COMPARISON

Different questions reveal different winners.

No portfolio is better in the abstract. The answer depends on the outcome and risk the user is trying to improve.

01Outcome

How much did each portfolio finish with?

Ending value, annualized return, and money-weighted return reveal the result after contributions.

02Downside

What did the investor have to endure?

Maximum drawdown, recovery time, and the worst periods make the cost of the return visible.

03Path

Was one portfolio easier to hold?

Volatility and rolling results show whether the experience was consistently different or only different at the end.

04Consistency

Would another start date change the answer?

Nearby parameters, start dates, and market conditions reveal whether the result remains consistent or changes easily.

05Cause

Where did the difference come from?

A period-by-period and asset-by-asset breakdown separates a broad advantage from one unusually favorable episode.

SIDE-BY-SIDE BACKTESTS

See the trade-off, not only the winning number.

A stronger configuration depends on the criteria you select. PortfolioCompare keeps return, risk, and result consistency visible at the same time.

VARIANTALLOCATIONENDING VALUEANNUALIZED RETURNMAX DRAWDOWNINITIAL CAPITAL
Base100% VTI$23,61515.0%-26.2%$10,000
Add gold90% VTI / 10% GLD$23,89115.2%-24.6%$10,000
Add bonds70% VTI / 30% BND$17,6759.7%-23.6%$10,000
BASE 10% TO GLD
FULL WINDOW+1.7 ptsshallower maximum drawdownPrimary driver · GLD allocation
2020-062026-07

DIFFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Understand when and why two backtests diverged.

Trace a difference to specific market periods and asset contributions. Avoid treating a summary return as the whole explanation.

  • Identify periods that created the advantage
  • Separate asset contribution from allocation effects
  • Measure what was gained and what was sacrificed

WHAT COMPARISON CAN REVEAL

A higher return can hide a weaker decision.

The useful conclusion is not a ranking. It is a clear explanation of the return premium, downside cost, timing dependence, and assumptions behind the difference.

RETURN PREMIUMHow much additional return was earned?
RISK PRICEHow much additional drawdown or volatility paid for it?
DEPENDENCEDid the conclusion rely on one start date or market episode?
IMPLEMENTATIONWould costs, taxes, or rebalancing materially change it?

COMPARE A PORTFOLIO IDEA

Find the configuration that best fits the criteria you choose.

Generate controlled variants and compare the trade-offs without writing code or building separate spreadsheets.

Start with an investment idea