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Alpaca

Commission-free brokerage API for stocks, options, and crypto — build trading apps in days, not years

4.6(1,850 reviews)
Finance & Accounting

About

Alpaca is a developer-first brokerage that exposes the entire trading stack — equities, options, crypto, and fractional shares — behind a clean REST and WebSocket API. Fintechs, robo-advisors, and indie quant builders use Alpaca to launch real-money trading products without becoming a broker-dealer themselves: the Broker API handles KYC, account opening, custody, clearing, and regulatory reporting, while the Trading API lets individual developers run live and paper-trading strategies against US markets. Real-time and historical market data, OAuth for third-party apps, and a fully-featured paper-trading sandbox are included out of the box.

Key Features

Commission-free US stock, ETF, and options trading via REST API
Crypto trading API with 20+ coins and 24/7 execution
Fractional shares from $1 — ideal for round-ups and micro-investing apps
Free paper-trading sandbox with full order lifecycle parity
Real-time and historical market data (IEX free tier, SIP paid)
Broker API: embed full brokerage with KYC, custody, clearing, and reporting
OAuth 2.0 for building third-party trading apps on user accounts
WebSocket streaming for trades, quotes, bars, and account updates
SDKs for Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, C#, and Ruby
SOC 2 Type II, FINRA/SIPC member, SEC-registered broker-dealer

Integrations

PythonJavaScriptTypeScriptGoC#RubyTradingViewQuantConnectBacktraderZapierWebhooksREST APIWebSocket

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Free paper + live trading / Broker API from custom
freemium plan
Visit WebsiteNeed help implementing?Compare with other apps
CategoryFinance & Accounting
Pricingfreemium
Rating4.6/5
Reviews1,850
StatusVerified

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