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Alpaca

Broker
Traders
18.8 K
Trade
Overview
Reviews Publications

Reviews


braydencooke1

I’ve been using Alpaca since 2022, and they have been exceptional every step of the way. The Tradingview integration is seamless, offering commission-free trades and platform stability that has only improved over the years. Any minor issues I've encountered were handled flawlessly by their team. Unlike IBKR, which I used previously, Alpaca offers fast execution and a modern, developer-first approach that fits my trading style perfectly. Alpaca is my top recommendation for dependable, cost-effective trading.

AlpacaBroker

Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re thrilled to hear that Alpaca’s TradingView integration, fast execution, and developer-first approach have supported your trading so well. We truly appreciate you being with us on our journey as we continue to grow and improve the platform, and we’re grateful for your support and recommendation!

epuon

Alpaca Markets is an API-first broker designed primarily for algorithmic traders and developers. Its strongest advantage is its robust, well-documented APIs and official SDKs (Python, Go, among others), which make it easy to build, test, and deploy automated trading strategies. The main drawback is the user experience (UX). The web interface feels minimal and sometimes unintuitive, especially when compared to retail-focused brokers with rich visual dashboards and advanced charting tools. That said, for quantitative traders, engineers, and anyone running systematic strategies, Alpaca offers exceptional value. In that sense, Alpaca is like a Costco of brokers: not designed for aesthetics, but optimized for scale, efficiency, and low costs.

AlpacaBroker

Thank you for the detailed review! We’re glad to hear you value Alpaca’s robust APIs and SDKs for building and deploying automated strategies. We also appreciate your feedback on the web interface: we will be reviewing the interface and making updates soon to improve the user experience. Thank you for your continued support!

spiffytech

Alpaca is pretty great. I love that they have an API and encourage bot trading.

AlpacaBroker

We appreciate your feedback and are excited to support you as you explore all the possibilities and continue your trading journey!

magic_trades

Solid brokerage, the best if you’re looking to automate. Manual trading interface with tradingview also works seamlessly

AlpacaBroker

We appreciate your feedback and are excited to support you as you explore all the possibilities and continue your trading journey!

hazelnut3000

Trading now with Alpaca connected for over 3 months and have to say it's the best combo. Trade execution is super fast which reduces slippage. This adds up with 100+ trades a day. I'm also using Alpaca API for training ML models for suggesting stocks to trade. Review in TradingView and off the trade it goes. Just make sure you have access to Algo Trader Plus. Unlocks more markets and real-time.

AlpacaBroker

Thanks for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear Alpaca is supporting your high frequency trading and multi leg workflows, and that execution speed is making a difference. We appreciate your continued support!

pudgypaw

The system is responsive and useful. I specifically picked this one up for it's stated strengths as I considered API and WebSocket interfaces in my automation stack.

AlpacaBroker

We appreciate your feedback and are excited to support you as you explore all the possibilities and continue your trading journey!

minddetergent

Alpaca has been an excellent API-first brokerage for equities trading. Order placement is straightforward, documentation is clear, and the platform has been reliable for automation workflows. It’s a strong choice for anyone building systematic or programmatic trading—highly recommended.

AlpacaBroker

Thank you for the great feedback! We’re glad to hear Alpaca’s API first approach, clear documentation, and reliability have supported your automation workflows. We appreciate the recommendation and your support!

rockpicker

I really like the way it integrates with Tradingview. So much easier to place orders. Also customer service responded to my request in a very timely fashion. I have only been using it for a month or so. It works for me!!..... It's been a few years now and trading with Alpaca on Tradingview has only gotten better! Keep up the great work. Happy New Year

AlpacaBroker

Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We’re happy to hear the TradingView integration continues to make trading easier and that our support team has been helpful along the way. We really appreciate your continued trust in Alpaca!

schmuckerjustin86

Alpaca has been an excellent broker to use with TradingView. The integration is seamless, allowing me to place and manage trades directly from TradingView charts with ease. Order execution is fast and reliable, and the overall platform feels very stable during live trading. I really appreciate how clean and intuitive the interface is, which makes trading efficient and straightforward. Alpaca’s documentation is clear and helpful, and it’s obvious the platform is built with active traders and developers in mind. Overall, Alpaca has been a solid and dependable broker, and my experience using it with TradingView has been very positive. I would definitely recommend it to others.

AlpacaBroker

Thank you for the great feedback! We’re glad to hear the TradingView integration has been seamless and that Alpaca has been reliable and intuitive for your trading. We appreciate the recommendation and your support!

ty4671

Alpaca is ideal for algo traders with AI oversight due to their powerful MCP server. Honestly, they've come a loooong way since they started.

AlpacaBroker

Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We’re glad to hear Alpaca has been a strong fit for your algo trading needs. It’s been exciting to see how far the platform has come, we appreciate your support!

JeanPaul81

Great platform where it aligns perfectly with different strategies of trading and most importantly user friendly

AlpacaBroker

Thank you for the great feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that the platform supports your trading strategies while remaining intuitive and easy to use!

Terms and fees


Tradable assets
Stocks, Crypto, ETFs, Options
Min deposit
0.00 USD
Max leverage
4:1
Account opening
It is subject to review process
Deposit fee
Fees vary by type. See Broker Fee Schedule at Alpaca's website.
Withdrawal fee
Fees vary by type. See Broker Fee Schedule at Alpaca's website.
Inactivity fee
Fees vary by type. See Broker Fee Schedule at Alpaca's website.

About Alpaca


Founded
2018
Headquarters
United States of America
Documents
Disclosures
Regulators
FINRA
+2
Website
alpaca.markets
Community
AlpacaHQ
Support and feedback
support@alpaca.markets
Address
20 N San Mateo Dr, Ste #10, San Mateo CA, 94401, USA
Alpaca is a US-headquartered self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure for stocks, ETFs, options, crypto and 24/5 trading – raising over USD170 million in funding. Alpaca is backed by top-tier investors globally, including Portage Ventures, Spark Capital, Tribe Capital, Social Leverage, Horizons Ventures, Unbound, SBI Group, Derayah Financial, Elefund, and Y Combinator.

Important Documents

Tools and features


Order types
Market orders
Orders to buy or sell at the current market price. Executed instantly.
Limit orders
Orders to buy or sell at a specified price or better. Executed only when the specified price is reached.
Stop orders
Orders that activates when the price reaches a certain level, after which it is executed as a market order.
Stop limit orders
A combination of a stop order and a limit order. Activates when the stop price is reached but is executed only at the specified limit price.
Order features
Order history
Access to a list of previously placed orders with details of their execution.
Execution history on the chart
Display of executed orders directly on the chart for convenient analysis.
Position features
Partial position close
The ability to close only a portion of an open position, rather than the entire position.
Reverse position
Quickly closes the current position and opens an opposing position (e.g., from long to short).
Brackets
Order brackets
The ability to attach take-profit and stop-loss orders to an order.
Order brackets modification
The ability to modify take-profit and stop-loss levels after placing an order.
Add brackets to existing order
The ability to add take-profit and stop-loss brackets to existing order.
Position brackets
Take profit and stop loss brackets support for the position.
Position brackets modification
Modifying take-profit and stop-loss levels for an open position.
Add brackets to existing position
Adding take-profit and stop-loss levels to an already open position.
Trailing stop
A dynamic stop loss that automatically follows the price of an asset by a set distance. It is used to limit possible losses and manage risks.
Other
Demo account
A virtual account for practicing trading without the risk of losing real funds.
Level 2 data
Market depth (order book), showing buy and sell orders with volume details.
AD-free trading on chart for basic plan
A clean chart without distracting ads for convenient analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions


Alpaca allows to trade the following assets:
- Stocks
- Cryptocurrencies
- ETFs
- Options
Alpaca is regulated by the following organisations:
- FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.)
- SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)
- SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation )
To trade with Alpaca on TradingView, you’ll need an account. If you already have one, simply connect to Alpaca on the Trading Panel. If not, click Open account in the broker's profile, and you’ll be redirected to their website to complete the registration. Once your account is set up, return to our Superchart, find the broker’s icon on the trading panel, and log in with your credentials.

Note that different brokers have different terms, and Alpaca has its own account opening time — It is subject to review process.
No, Alpaca doesn't provide a demo account.
Alpaca requires a minimum deposit of 0 USD.

Brokers usually require deposits to manage risk, cover trading costs, and comply with regulations. Deposits act as collateral for leveraged trades, ensuring brokers don’t face losses if a trade goes against a trader. They also help cover fees, prevent fraud, and ensure serious trading activity.
No, Alpaca doesn't offer Level 2 data to its clients.

Level 2 is a subscription-based service that offers real-time access to the exchange’s order book. It gives traders and investors a detailed view of market depth and momentum, helping them make more informed and strategic trading decisions.
Yes, Alpaca applies the fee for accounts that remain inactive for some time: Fees vary by type. See Broker Fee Schedule at Alpaca's website..

Brokers impose inactivity fees to cover maintenance costs, comply with regulations, and encourage active trading. These fees help offset expenses for managing inactive accounts and prevent account abandonment.
Yes, Alpaca charges the withdrawal fee of Fees vary by type. See Broker Fee Schedule at Alpaca's website..
Alpaca allows leverage of up to 4:1.
Yes, Alpaca requires the deposit fee of Fees vary by type. See Broker Fee Schedule at Alpaca's website..
Alpaca allows the following order types:
- Stop orders
- Stop limit orders
- Market orders
- Limit orders
Yes, you can place bracket orders with Alpaca.
Yes, Alpaca requires 25.00% as a margin.
Brokers provide access to financial markets and execute trades. They act as intermediaries between traders and exchanges, providing the necessary infrastructure and tools to place buy and sell orders. They offer services such as order execution, market access, research, analysis, and customer support. Additionally, brokers facilitate the use of leverage, margin trading, and help ensure regulatory compliance, providing traders with a secure environment to trade effectively. Without brokers, individual traders would struggle to access markets and execute trades efficiently.
An order is an instruction for a broker to execute a trade - buy or sell an asset on behalf of a trader. Depending on your strategy, risk tolerance, and market condition, different kinds of orders can be more or less effective, let's see the basic ones.
- Market order. It's a basic type designed to buy or sell an asset immediately at the next price available
- Limit order. Specifies the maximum (for buying) or minimum (for selling) price at which a trader is willing to execute a trade. It's only executed if the price reaches the preset level. There are buy and sell limit orders - they're set to buy/sell an asset at or below/above a certain price
- Stop order. Triggered when an asset moves above or below a certain price level, always executed in the direction that the price is moving. There are stop-loss orders (automatically closes a position at a certain level if the market moves against you) and (initiates a trade when the price breaks a certain level)
Successful trading requires thorough preparation, ensuring every decision is well-informed and carefully considered. To develop a winning strategy, follow these key steps:
- Find the right asset using our screeners and heatmaps. Explore the stock market with the Stock Screener, track cryptocurrencies on the Crypto Coins Heatmap, and more tools to find in the main menu
- Analyze price movements on our Supercharts. Utilize multiple drawing tools, built-in indicators, and advanced features to gain deeper market insights
- Stay on top of market changes with the Economic Calendar and the latest news, helping you quickly adapt to shifting conditions
- Test your strategy in a risk-free environment with a Paper Trading account to see how it performs before committing real capital
- Choose a broker and start your trading journey with confidence once you have a clear strategy in place
A broker's rating on TradingView is based on its clients' reviews. We ensure broker ratings reflect real user experiences by allowing reviews only from verified TradingView users with active linked accounts. Recent ratings carry more weight, providing up-to-date insights for informed decisions. This approach promotes transparency and prevents manipulation. Make sure to rate your broker to help it improve its service and assits other users in their choice.
Leverage is a mechanism that allows traders to open larger positions with a smaller amount of capital. It basically means borrowing funds from a broker, often multiplying your position size by 5x, 10x, or more. For example, with 5x leverage, a $100 deposit could open a $500 trade with your broker lending you $400 you don't have. It's a popular technique, but remember that while leverage increases potential profits, it also magnifies losses, which is why it's essential to learn how to manage risks.

It's always worth preparing for trades before actually executing them. On TradingView, you can do this with our Paper Trading functionality.
Margin trading means an investor buying an asset by borrowing the balance from a broker. It allows traders to increase their buying power, enabling larger positions with less upfront capital. While it can provide greater market exposure with less capital and amplify potential gains, it also comes with increased risks:
- Increased risk of losses, including exceeding initial investment
- Interest costs on borrowed funds
- Potential for margin calls requiring additional deposits
Make sure to analyze an asset thoroughly and test your strategy on a Paper Trading account to ensure you're ready to navigate these risks.
Commissions in trading are fees that brokers charge for executing trades on behalf of traders. These costs help brokers maintain their platforms, provide essential services, and ensure smooth access to financial markets.

Understanding commission structures is essential for traders, as fees can impact overall profitability. Choosing a broker with competitive rates and transparent pricing ensures cost-effective trading.