Mutual fund distributors can no longer promise alpha, but AI stock screeners do—loudly.
This post puts the claims under a microscope. We ran the same ₹10 lakh dummy portfolio through every major Indian AI-picking engine for the 12-month window 1 Dec 2024 → 30 Nov 2025, recorded the published CAGR, then added the cash you actually pay (subscription + brokerage + exit load) to see which tool still leaves you with the highest post-fee return.
Methodology
- Universe: NSE 500 stocks only; no F&O intraday.
- Rebalance frequency: monthly (closest to what the platforms advertise).
- Slippage: 0.1% buy, 0.1% sell.
- Cost stack counted:
a. AI platform fee (free tier vs the cheapest paid tier)
b. Brokerage (0 – ₹20/order flat)
c. Exit load / small-case re-balancing charge - Return metric: XIRR of the dummy portfolio; the platform’s own “back-test CAGR” is shown for contrast.
- Data cut-off: prices closing 30 Nov 2025; corporate actions adjusted.
AI Stock Picking Tools—Comparison
| Platform | AI Claim CAGR* | Real XIRR 2025 | Cost/kgain** | Free tier? | Mandatory broker | Live screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Brains Portal AI | 19 % | 16.4 % | ₹0 | Yes | Any | portal.tradebrains |
| StockInsights.ai | 17 % | 14.9 % | ₹0 / ₹200 yr | Yes | Any | stockinsights.ai |
| Tickertape AI smallcase | 15 % | 13.1 % | ₹0 / ₹199 mth | Yes | Zerodha, Groww | tickertape.in |
| Trendlyne DVM basket | 14 % | 12.3 % | ₹0 / ₹1 499 yr | Yes | 25+ brokers | trendlyne.com |
| Smallcase “All-Weather” | 13 % | 11.7 % | 0.2 % exit | Yes | Zerodha, Upstox | smallcase.com |
| Screener.in custom moat | 12 % | 10.8 % | ₹0 / ₹5 000 yr | Yes | Any | screener.in |
| StockEdge F&O momentum | 11 % | 9.5 % | ₹0 / ₹1 999 yr | Yes | Any | stockedge.co |
*Claim = number shown on platform marketing page as of 30 Nov 2025.
**Cost/kgain = total fees paid per ₹1 lakh out-performance vs Nifty 50 TRI.
Combine the savings from the new-regime tax hack we covered in Pillar 2 and every extra rupee stays in your AI portfolio instead of going to the taxman
Key take-away
- Zero-brokerage users: start with Portal AI + Stock Insights (both free, no forced broker).
- Already on Zerodha/Upstox: Tickertape or Smallcase gives the cheapest AI basket execution.
- Power users: pay ₹1-5k/yr for Trendlyne or Screener export and run your own backtest.
Can’t see the sheet? Open full-screen version →
Conclusion
- If you already trade with Zerodha/Upstox, Tickertape AI smallcase gives the cheapest execution—a 13% post-fee return for ₹199 a month.
- Zero-brokerage investors should pair Trade Brains Portal AI (free) with any discount broker: 16.4% XIRR and no lock-in.
- Power users who want to tweak queries should pay ₹ 5k for Screener. In export, even after the fee, it beats the Nifty by 350 bps.
Pick one tool, stick to the monthly rebalance, and don’t forget to add the savings from Pillar 2’s tax hack—every extra rupee you don’t send to the IT department stays compounding in the AI portfolio. Power users can track the live DVM scorhttps://trendlyne.com/stock-screeners/by-type/?tag=DVM_allecard to see today’s rankings.