Alpaca

Alpaca is a commission-free brokerage with an API-first approach, supporting stocks and cryptocurrency.

Supported Equity Types

• ✅ Stocks
• ✅ Options (single legs and spreads up to 4 legs)
• ❌ Futures
• ✅ Cryptocurrency (Spot)

Account Types

• Paper Trading - Simulated trading environment
• Live Trading - Real money trading

Connecting Alpaca

1. Navigate to Integrations tab
2. Click Add Integration
3. Select Alpaca
4. Choose Paper or Live
5. Paste your Alpaca API key and secret (generated in the Alpaca dashboard)
6. Your Alpaca account will appear in integrations

Features

Commission-Free Trading

• $0 commissions on stocks and ETFs
• $0 commissions on crypto
• No account minimums

Stocks & ETFs

• Full support for US equities
• Fractional shares supported
• Extended hours trading available

Crypto Spot

• Direct cryptocurrency ownership
• Fractional quantities supported
• Major pairs: BTC/USD, ETH/USD, etc.

Order Types

• Market orders
• Limit orders
• Stop orders
• Stop-limit orders

Position Sizing

• Stocks - Fractional shares supported
• Crypto - Fractional quantities supported

Margin Requirements

Alpaca offers both margin and cash accounts:

• Cash Account - 100% of purchase price required
• Margin Account - Reg T margin (50% initial, 25% maintenance)

Limitations

• Options spreads capped at 4 legs (use tastytrade for up to 10)
• No futures
• US equities only (no international stocks)
• Crypto spot only (no perpetuals)

Troubleshooting

"Insufficient buying power"

Check your available cash or margin. Ensure you have sufficient funds for the order size.

"Symbol not found"

Verify the stock symbol is correct and available on Alpaca. Some OTC stocks may not be supported.

"Market closed"

Alpaca restricts certain order types outside market hours. Use limit orders for extended hours.

"Pattern Day Trader restriction"

If you have less than $25,000 and make 4+ day trades in 5 days, PDT restrictions apply.

Next Steps

• Create a Strategy
• Understanding Stocks