Online brokers compared for fees, trading platforms, safety and more. See how Alpaca Trading stacks up against Firstrade!
Last update of data—Dec 2022
Alpaca Securities LLC is US-based broker providing commission-free API stock trading. The company is regulated by the top-tier SEC and FINRA:
Firstrade is a US discount broker regulated by the top-tier SEC and FINRA.
Recommended for traders interested in algorithmic stock trading.
Recommended for beginners and investors looking for zero-commission trading, focusing on the US market.
Alpaca Trading
Alpaca Securities LLC is US-based broker providing commission-free API stock trading. The company is regulated by the top-tier SEC and FINRA:
Recommended for traders interested in algorithmic stock trading.
Firstrade
Firstrade is a US discount broker regulated by the top-tier SEC and FINRA.
Recommended for beginners and investors looking for zero-commission trading, focusing on the US market.
Alpaca Trading's service is on par with Firstrade's and a comparison of their fees shows that Alpaca Trading's fees are similar to Firstrade's.
Account opening takes somewhat less effort at Alpaca Trading compared to Firstrade, deposit and withdrawal processes are somewhat more complicated at Alpaca Trading, while customer service quality is much better than Firstrade's.
Our experts rated the trading platform of Alpaca Trading as being of the same quality as the platform of Firstrade, found that clients have access to slightly less markets and products with Alpaca Trading, while Firstrade provides just about the same quality of research and education.
Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.
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