Guide
Schwab vs tastytrade vs Tradier vs Alpaca
Schwab, Tradier, tastytrade and Alpaca are the four live brokers on Nyria. All four trade stocks and options up to 4 legs. They differ on fees, paper accounts, crypto and sign-in.
Side by side
| Feature | Schwab | Tradier | tastytrade | Alpaca |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks and ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options, up to 4 legs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto spot | No | No | No, off in its API | Yes |
| Paper account | Nyria Paper only | Tradier Sandbox | Nyria Paper only | Alpaca paper keys, separate from live |
| How it connects | Schwab sign-in, renewed every 7 days | Tradier sign-in | tastytrade sign-in | API key and secret |
| Stock commission | $0 | $0 on Pro, $0.35 a trade on Lite | $0 | $0 |
| Equity option commission | $0.65 a contract | $0 on Pro, $0.35 a contract on Lite | $1 to open, $0 to close, $10 cap a leg | $0 |
| Fill or kill, stocks | Yes | Sent as Day | Sent as Day | Yes |
Which broker fits
- Choose Schwab for an account you already hold. Sign in again every 7 days.
- Choose Tradier for a Sandbox paper account beside live. Lite costs $0.35 a trade.
- Choose tastytrade for options. Closing is free. Crypto is off, and paper runs on Nyria Paper.
- Choose Alpaca for crypto, stocks and options together. You manage an API key and secret.
- Start on Nyria Paper to test without a brokerage account. Paper bots are free.
Coming soon: Webull, TradeStation, Binance, Binance US, Coinbase, Coinbase US and Tradovate.
Questions
- Which one is cheapest for options?
- Alpaca lists $0, and Tradier Pro lists $0 for $10 a month. tastytrade is $1 to open. Schwab is $0.65.
- Which one trades crypto?
- Alpaca, for spot pairs. tastytrade has crypto switched off in its API.
- Which ones offer paper accounts?
- Tradier and Alpaca. Nyria Paper covers all four, free, with no brokerage account.
- How does each one connect?
- Schwab, Tradier and tastytrade use the broker's own sign-in. Alpaca uses an API key and secret.
- Can I switch brokers later?
- Yes. Connect the new broker and deploy your bots to it.
Guides
Charles Schwab trading from alerts, no API keys
Schwab's own sign-in, no API keys; what trades there, a worked example, and the paper run first.
Tradier automated trading from alerts
Live sign-in or a sandbox token, stocks and options up to 4 legs, and a worked example on paper then live.
Alpaca automated trading from alerts
An API key, no code: TradingView, Discord or Telegram alerts become stock, option and crypto orders at Alpaca.
tastytrade automated trading from alerts
tastytrade's own sign-in, no code: alerts become stock and option orders, spreads up to 4 legs. Paper first.
Brokers for automated trading compared (2026)
Schwab, Tradier, tastytrade and Alpaca: fees, paper accounts, crypto and how each connects.
Brokers for automated options trading (2026)
All four live brokers trade options up to 4 legs. Fees and order handling compared.
Test on paper first
Paper is free. Live trading from $15 a month.