Finding the perfect brokerage is one of the best things you can do for yourself in today’s fast paced trading ecosystem. The platform you choose must be easy to use, have low fees, provide you with the necessary tools and most importantly must be a trustable one. Today, I’ll talk about two of the most popular brokers currently available: Alpaca Trading and Interactive Brokers. I’ll try to provide you with a nice, understandable comparison that can hopefully help you choose the best one among these two. If you are ready, let’s get started. Shall we?
Alpaca Trading: More Than Just a Trading Platform
I repeat, Alpaca Trading is more than a trading platform. It is both a brokerage and an API that allows people to trade using Alpaca Trading. As a brokerage, as you might have guessed, it offers people to access exchange-based products. Currently, it only offers products that are traded on NYSE and NASDAQ.
One of the best things about Alpaca Trading is that it offers no-fee trading. “But how do they earn money?” you might ask. Well, they make money off interest on your uninvested balances. One thing you should be aware of is that some third-party platforms that use Alpaca Trading’s API can demand money from you. Alpaca Trading has a minimum margin requirement of 50% for marginable securities and 100% for non-marginable securities. I can say that the trades that I do on Alpaca Trading were smooth and fast. I rarely see a price difference between the time of order and the time of execution.
On the other hand, Alpaca Trading lacks in forex, options, futures and crypto compartments as it solely focuses on stocks and ETFs. Also, you cannot trade in international markets as well. Another thing that might be a problem for many traders is the lack of historical data offered. You have to rely on third parties to get that data.
Interactive Brokers: One of the Most Popular Brokers
With over 2.1 million client accounts and nearly $2 million in daily trades, Interactive Brokers is one of the most popular brokers on the market right now. The broad market access it provides, the ability to trade with low costs and amazing trade execution made this broker a popular one in no time.
The first thing that I like about Interactive Brokers is the HUGE amount of available investment assets. I mean, there are stocks, ETFs, futures, spot currency pairs, options, cryptos, bonds, mutual funds… You name it, they have it. And you’ll be surprised when you learn that they have the lowest margin rates on the market. They are nearly %50 lower than the rest of the brokers and this makes them the best for large trades.
Also their large library of technical and fundamental trading tools are a huge help in trading. They provide one of the most interactive and customizable charts that you can find, easy access to live quotes, comprehensive technical research and analysis tools. As it is built for global traders, you can access 150 markets, more than 30 countries and around 20 currencies.
It is nearly perfect but not exactly perfect. Unfortunately, the huge amount of services that they offer sometimes make things more confusing for newer traders. I know, making all of these easy to use is not an easy feat but it is Interactive Brokers’ job as a broker to make it accessible. Last I heard, they were planning improvements to solve this situation though.
Let Me Give You a TL;DR Part As Well:
Alpaca Trading:
- Pros:
- Offers a no-fee trading model, making it cost-effective for investors.
- Smooth and fast trade execution with minimal price differences.
- Access to exchange-based products traded on NYSE and NASDAQ.
- Provides a well-documented API for developers to build trading applications.
- Cons:
- Limited asset offerings, focusing primarily on stocks and ETFs.
- Does not support forex, options, futures, or crypto trading.
- No access to international markets.
- Lack of historical data, requiring reliance on third-party sources.
Suitable for: I think if you’re mainly interested in trading stocks and ETFs on U.S. exchanges and would prefer a no-fee trading approach, Alpaca Trading may be a good fit for you. It’s also a great fit for programmers searching for an API-driven platform on which to create their own trading apps.
Interactive Brokers:
- Pros:
- Wide range of investment assets available, including stocks, ETFs, futures, options, cryptos, bonds, and mutual funds.
- Lowest margin rates in the market, making it favorable for larger trades.
- Comprehensive technical and fundamental trading tools.
- Access to 150 markets, 30 countries, and 20 currencies.
- Cons:
- The abundance of services may be overwhelming for newer traders.
- Complexity in navigating the platform, although improvements are being planned.
Suitable for: Truth be told, Interactive Brokers is a little bit better suited for seasoned traders and investors who need exposure to several markets and a wide variety of financial products. Active traders who place a premium on personalization and in-depth study will like the platform’s extensive trading tools and cheap margin rates.
Final Remarks
Both Alpaca trade and Interactive Brokers have their own benefits and serve different trade needs. Alpaca Trading stands out because its commission-free model, smooth trade completion and developer-friendly API make it a good choice for people who want to trade stocks and ETFs for free, especially developers who want to build their own trading apps. Interactive Brokers, on the other hand, stands out with its wide range of financial assets, low credit rates and a full set of trading tools. This makes it a good choice for experienced traders who need access to many markets and advanced research tools. You should carefully consider all of your priorities and preferences before choosing a platform.