Alpaca
Commission-free stock, crypto, and options trading API with paper trading, real-time market data, and algorithmic trading support. Developers use Alpaca to build trading apps, embed investing features into services, and execute algorithmic strategies.
Overview
| Category | Finance |
| Ecosystem | alpaca |
| Compliance | SOC2, FINRA, SEC |
| Data Residency | US |
| Self-Hostable | No |
| On-Prem | No |
| Best For | hobby, startup, growth |
| Last Verified | 2026-02-13 |
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths:- cost
- dx
- reliability
- US-only
- limited international support despite partnerships
When to Use
Best when:- algorithmic trading
- building trading apps
- paper trading
- multi-leg options strategies
- tokenized equities trading
- need international market access
- require non-US regulatory support