Alpaca alternatives: 3 broker APIs for trading bots and AI agents
Brokerage APIs like Alpaca's let a bot or an AI agent place real orders. Here is how the other broker APIs in our directory compare with Alpaca on markets, pricing, paper trading, rate limits and AI connectors. Every value is copied from each broker's listing, checked 2026‑10‑31 to 2026‑11‑01.
Alpaca and the alternatives, side by side
| Broker API | Markets | Pricing | Paper trading | Rate limits | MCP server for AI agents | Safety score | Checked (source) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpaca | US stocks, ETFs, options, crypto | free Basic data plan (real-time IEX; SIP history older than 15 min); Algo Trader Plus $99/mo (all US exchanges + OPRA); no separate ~$9 unlimited SIP-style plan for new Trading API subscribers | live and paper | market data API: 200 calls/min (Basic), 10,000 calls/min (Algo Trader Plus) | Alpaca MCP Server (official) | 50% | 2026‑11‑01 |
| Interactive Brokers | global stocks, options, futures, forex | IBKR Pro required for Web API; per-exchange data subscriptions | live and paper | TWS: market-data lines/2 req/sec (50 by default); historical pacing 60 per 10 min | Interactive Brokers AI Integration (MCP) (official) | 41% (partial) | 2026‑11‑01 |
| Tradier | US stocks, options | Lite $0/mo ($0.35 per stock trade, $0.35 per option contract); Pro $10/mo ($0 stocks and equity options); Pro Plus $35/mo; index options $0.35/contract ($0.10 on Pro Plus) | live and paper (sandbox) | per access token: 120 req/min account and market data, 60 req/min trading (sandbox 60 req/min), per docs.tradier.com | Tradier MCP Server (official) | 41% (partial) | 2026‑11‑01 |
| Schwab | US stocks, options | Schwab lists no separate API fee; online stock/ETF trades $0, options $0.65 per contract | live | unknown | None in our directory | 17% (partial) | 2026‑10‑31 |
Which one for what you need
| You need | Look at |
|---|---|
| Stocks, futures and forex outside the US | Interactive Brokers: global stocks, futures, forex; IBKR Pro required for Web API. Live or paper: live and paper. |
| Options with a flat monthly fee | Tradier: Pro $10/mo ($0 stocks and equity options); or Lite $0/mo ($0.35 per stock trade, $0.35 per option contract). Live or paper: live and paper (sandbox). |
| A big US broker with no separate API fee | Schwab: Schwab lists no separate API fee; online stock/ETF trades $0, options $0.65 per contract. No paper trading is listed. For AI agents: Schwab's Fall Business Update (Oct 15) lists a Model Context Protocol solution for AI-powered trading. |
| Market data bundled with the trading API | Alpaca: free Basic data plan (real-time IEX; SIP history older than 15 min); Algo Trader Plus $99/mo (all US exchanges + OPRA). For data on its own, see market data API pricing. |
| The most API calls per minute | Alpaca: market data API: 200 calls/min (Basic), 10,000 calls/min (Algo Trader Plus). Tradier: per access token: 120 req/min account and market data, 60 req/min trading (sandbox 60 req/min), per docs.tradier.com. Interactive Brokers: TWS: market-data lines/2 req/sec (50 by default); historical pacing 60 per 10 min. |
| An AI agent that trades through the broker | Each broker's MCP server is in the table above. Who places the order differs a lot: see best broker for AI agents and broker MCP safety controls. |
FAQ
What are the best Alpaca alternatives for a trading API?
The broker APIs in our directory besides Alpaca are Interactive Brokers, Tradier, Schwab. Interactive Brokers covers global stocks, futures, forex; Tradier is built around US stocks and options (Pro $10/mo ($0 stocks and equity options)); Schwab lists no separate API fee (online stock/ETF trades $0, options $0.65 per contract).
Which Alpaca alternatives have paper trading?
Alpaca, Interactive Brokers, Tradier, per each broker's listing: Alpaca: live and paper; Interactive Brokers: live and paper; Tradier: live and paper (sandbox).
Which of them have an MCP server for AI agents?
Alpaca, Interactive Brokers, Tradier: Alpaca: Alpaca MCP Server; Interactive Brokers: Interactive Brokers AI Integration (MCP); Tradier: Tradier MCP Server. Schwab: Schwab's Fall Business Update (Oct 15) lists a Model Context Protocol solution for AI-powered trading.
Is the Interactive Brokers API free?
Per our listing: IBKR Pro required for Web API; per-exchange data subscriptions. That fact comes from a third-party comparison, not IBKR's own pricing page.