Alpaca AI

Alpaca is a commission-free trading API platform that enables developers and quantitative traders to build, test, and deploy algorithmic trading strategies programmatically. It provides the brokerage infrastructure for automated trading.

• Trading API — Clean REST and WebSocket APIs for placing orders, managing positions, and streaming real-time market data
• Paper trading — Full-featured simulated trading environment for testing strategies without risking real money
• Commission-free — Zero commission on US stock and ETF trades through Alpaca's brokerage
• Crypto trading — Trade cryptocurrencies alongside equities through the same API
• Market data — Real-time and historical stock data, bars, quotes, and trades via API
• Broker API — White-label brokerage infrastructure for fintech companies building trading apps

Quantitative traders use Alpaca to deploy Python-based trading algorithms. Fintech startups build investment apps on top of Alpaca's Broker API. Data scientists backtest strategies using historical data and deploy them with the same codebase.

Alpaca lowers the barrier to algorithmic trading with institutional-grade APIs. Visit alpaca.markets.

1. Sign up at alpaca.markets for a free account
2. Get API keys — Generate your API key and secret from the dashboard. Paper trading keys are available immediately
3. Install the SDK:

   pip install alpaca-trade-api

4. Start with paper trading:

   import alpaca_trade_api as tradeapi
   api = tradeapi.REST(key_id, secret_key, base_url='https://paper-api.alpaca.markets')
   api.submit_order(symbol='AAPL', qty=1, side='buy', type='market', time_in_force='day')

5. Pricing:
   • Free — Paper trading, basic market data, community support
   • Unlimited ($99/mo) — Real-time data, extended hours trading, priority support
   • Live trading — Requires identity verification and a funded brokerage account ($0 minimum)