Alpaca vs Interactive Brokers on TradersPost

Alpaca and Interactive Brokers differ on 13 of 21 points TradersPost compares: stock options, crypto, short selling, fractional quantity and 9 more. Both support stocks, market orders, limit orders, stop limit orders and paper accounts.

Alpaca Interactive Brokers

  • Stock Options

    Supported

    Not supported

  • Crypto

    Supported

    Not supported

  • Short selling

    Partial

    All but Crypto

    Supported

  • Fractional quantity

    Partial

    All but Stock Options

    Not supported

  • Stop orders

    Limited

    Crypto: Stop-limit only. Plain stop orders are not offered.

    Supported

  • Trailing stops

    Partial

    All but Crypto and Stock Options

    Supported

  • Bracket orders

    Partial

    All but Crypto and Stock Options

    Supported

  • Day orders

    Partial

    All but Crypto

    Supported

  • Good till canceled orders

    Partial

    All but Stock Options

    Supported

  • Immediate or cancel orders

    Partial

    All but Stock Options

    Supported

  • Fill or kill orders

    Partial

    All but Crypto and Stock Options

    Not supported

  • Trailing stop attached to entry

    Not supported

    Supported

  • Modify open orders

    Supported

    Not supported

Alpaca: short selling and day orders aren't available on crypto.

Alpaca: fractional quantity, good till canceled orders and immediate or cancel orders aren't available on stock options.

Alpaca: trailing stops, bracket orders and fill or kill orders aren't available on crypto and stock options.

Same on both 6

  • Stocks
  • Market orders
  • Limit orders
  • Stop limit orders
  • Paper accounts
  • Authentication: OAuth

Neither supports 2

  • Index Options
  • Futures

Link to this comparison /compare/connections/alpaca-vs-ibkr

See order support for every connection

Brokers change their rules, so check their docs before you connect. TradersPost does not recommend a broker.

Worth knowing about each

Alpaca

  • Alpaca does not accept index-option orders through TradersPost. Use stock or ETF options, or a broker that lists index options.
  • Complex order classes (OCO, OTO, bracket) are not sent for Alpaca crypto or options.
  • Crypto on Alpaca is long-only through TradersPost. Trailing stops are not sent for Alpaca options.

View Alpaca connection View Alpaca docs

Interactive Brokers

  • Stocks only. IBKR futures, options, and crypto are not sent through this WebAPI integration, even when those products exist in TWS.
  • IBKR allows one active login session per username. Logging into TWS or the IBKR mobile app with the same username can interrupt automated orders.
  • The North America API reset window is 23:45–00:45 ET. Signals in that window can fail even with retries.

View Interactive Brokers connection View Interactive Brokers docs

More comparisons

TradersPost

TradersPost can automate stocks, crypto, options and futures trading strategies from TradingView or TrendSpider in popular brokers like Tradovate, TradeStation, Coinbase, Interactive Brokers and Alpaca.

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TradersPost operates as a non-custodial automated trading platform, enabling users to connect alerts from their preferred trading platforms to their selected brokerage or exchange accounts. It abstains from the transmission, custody, or management of customer funds, covering both traditional and cryptocurrency assets. Typically, registration requirements set by regulatory entities such as the SEC, FINRA, or FinCEN apply to entities that hold or transmit customer funds. To ensure ongoing compliance, TradersPost regularly engages with regulatory authorities to confirm its adherence to all relevant local and federal laws.

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