The platform is great in terms of what they offer. Automation is outstanding compared to any else l have tried. Placing premarket orders are limited to LIMIT orders only which very standard to most brokers around. Alpaca is extremely friendly towards automation which is at the end what l was looking for.
Many thanks for your feedback here! We are so glad to hear that you are enjoying Alpaca's platform and APIs! If we can help you as you continue to build and trade with Alpaca, please do not hesitate to reach out to Alpaca Support.
Terrible broker, they locked my money for weeks because they needed documents that they haven't ask before I deposit. Also many day trades that I held to swing they moved the avg price up out of nothing. Do not use this broker. It should be illegal what they do.
We apologise for any frustration caused here. Please kindly reach out to support@alpaca.markets and we would be happy to look into this further.
"Algorithmic API-first" broker can't even implement option brackets due to technical challenges. Can't attach orders to existing positions.
On TV: you often can't replace orders, gives an error "order doesn't exist"; buying power isn't displayed; GTC orders for shares only; no GTC extended orders.
Lots of limitations that add up to a frustrating experience and possibly money lost.
Thank you for this detailed review. We apologize for the frustration these limitations have caused. Expanding our advanced order types and tightening our TradingView integration are top priorities for our team right now, and your feedback regarding GTC orders and buying power displays has been passed along. Please contact us at support@alpaca.markets with your account details so we can look into those specific platform errors.
It works seamlessly with Trading View, although there is a bit of a lag in timing (on paper trading practice) and it requires an even number of shares.
Thank you for the feedback! We're glad the TradingView integration is treating you well. The minor lag you're experiencing is typically a characteristic of the paper trading/simulation environment rather than live execution.
Don't waste your time with Alpaca.
You don't have to look hard, just check out their incident history: https://status.alpaca.markets/history. At the time of writing this, they have incidents all the time. I would not trust my money with a company like this.
Here's my situation that made me quit doing business with Alpaca:
I accidentally submitted a sell order for my position seconds after RTH closed that still had TIF set to day (no extended hours). My order became stuck in a pending state and I was unable to edit the order, cancel the order or liquidate the position. I was forced to hold overnight and lost thousands of dollars as the position ran away from me while I had no control.
I contacted Alpaca support shortely after RTH closed to try to resolve my issue. They did not respond for 7 hours! They proceded to tell me this behavior is expected in their system because my order reached the venue marked for RTH and there is no way for an order to be changed or a position to be liquidated while that order is pending in this scenario.
Poor response times. Questionable infrastructural integrity with the frequent incidents published to their status page. Stick with a big name instead of this company.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We sincerely apologize for the frustration caused here.
We would like the opportunity to review your specific case further. Please reach out to us directly at support@alpaca.markets.
I transferred $80k on Monday to fund a new account via domestic wire, still nothing in the account on Thursday. I contacted them via email at least 5 times at this stage, nothing back apart from an acknowledgement that they're busy. I went on their forum then, and posted a question about the hold up. I received a DM from a support staff member, who I shared my account number and email with, and who now looks likely to be a scammer pretending to be a staff member...yay!! Absolutely useless level of support and zero help on multiple fronts. I should have stayed with tradestation
Hello, thank you for reaching out. We apologize for the delay. Our support team is currently experiencing an unusually high volume of requests, but we will work to expedite your tickets on our end.
We will send you a private message to continue the conversation and assist further.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Alpaca – Where “Relationship Manager” Means “Your Account, Their Feelings”**
After three years and eight different brokers, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the… Alpaca. Let’s just say they didn’t exactly win the “Broker of the Year” award in my heart.
Sure, basic services are basic. But the real fun begins with the **fee structure** – a delightful treasure hunt for hidden costs! It’s like they took “transparency” and gently placed it in a shredder. Who doesn’t love a surprise fee? Keeps life spicy.
But the pièce de résistance is the **Relationship Manager™**. Oh, what power! One moment you’re trading, the next your account is frozen – not because of rules, not because of risk, but because someone’s *feelings got hurt*. That’s right. In a world of algorithms and compliance manuals, Alpaka gives you something truly special: **emotional banking**.
Did my daily $4 million trading volume protect me? Absolutely not. When the Relationship Manager is offended, the spreadsheet of your trading activity is no match for the spreadsheet of their grievances.
So, to **Daniel & Navad** – best of luck! That coveted 3.9-star rating is well within reach if you keep treating customers with this level of corporate arrogance. You’re almost there! 👏
**Final verdict:** If you enjoy mystery fees and accounts held hostage by mood-based decisions, Alpaca might just be your spirit animal. For the rest of us? There are seven other brokers. And counting.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet expectations. Account restrictions and reviews are never based on personal views or individual discretion, they are driven by regulatory, compliance, and risk requirements that we are obligated to follow consistently across all clients.
We aim to be transparent in our pricing and processes and your comments are helpful input on where our communication can be clearer. If you would like, we’re happy to review any specific fees or account actions with you and provide detailed explanations.
If you would like us to take another look at your case, please let us know. We value your time with Alpaca and are always available should you wish to reconnect or need assistance down the road.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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Frequently asked questions
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)
- 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
- 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.
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.
- 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.
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.