Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MetaTrader5 VS Alpaca Data API

Compare MetaTrader5 VS Alpaca Data API and see what are their differences

MetaTrader5 logo MetaTrader5

World-leading multi-asset platform that allows trading Forex, Stocks, Futures and CFDs.

Alpaca Data API logo Alpaca Data API

Free real-time stock market data API
  • MetaTrader5 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-07
  • Alpaca Data API Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-15

MetaTrader5 features and specs

  • Multi-Asset Platform
    MetaTrader 5 allows you to trade a variety of asset classes including Forex, stocks, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.
  • Advanced Charting Tools
    The platform offers advanced charting tools with a wide range of technical indicators and graphical objects for detailed market analysis.
  • Automated Trading
    MetaTrader 5 supports algorithmic trading via Expert Advisors (EAs), which can automate trading tasks based on predefined strategies.
  • Market Depth
    The Market Depth feature provides an insightful view of available bids and offers, enhancing your market analysis.
  • Economic Calendar
    An integrated economic calendar allows traders to monitor market-moving events and news directly within the platform.

Possible disadvantages of MetaTrader5

  • Complexity
    The platform can be overwhelming for beginners due to its extensive features and advanced tools.
  • Limited Broker Support
    Not all brokers support MetaTrader 5, limiting its accessibility depending on your broker of choice.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a steep learning curve to fully leverage all the advanced features and customization options MetaTrader 5 offers.
  • Resource Intensive
    The platform can be resource-intensive, requiring a robust computer system for optimal performance, especially when multiple charts and indicators are used.
  • Transition from MT4
    Users transitioning from MetaTrader 4 to MetaTrader 5 may face compatibility issues, as not all scripts, indicators, and EAs are transferable.

Alpaca Data API features and specs

  • Comprehensive Market Data
    Alpaca Data API provides access to a wide range of financial market data, including historical and real-time information for stocks, ETFs, and other assets, which is beneficial for conducting detailed analysis and making informed decisions.
  • Integrated Trading Platform
    The data API is conveniently integrated with Alpaca's trading platform, allowing for seamless transition from data analysis to executing trades, which can increase efficiency for users.
  • User-Friendly Documentation
    Alpaca offers well-documented API resources that help developers easily understand and implement the service into their applications, facilitating a smoother development process.
  • Free Tier Access
    Alpaca provides a free tier for accessing its data API, which is attractive for individual traders and small startups who may have budget constraints.
  • Compliance with Various Regulations
    Alpaca is a registered broker-dealer, ensuring that the data provided adheres to essential compliance and regulatory standards, providing users with a reliable and legal data source.

Possible disadvantages of Alpaca Data API

  • Limited Asset Coverage
    While Alpaca offers substantial data for U.S. securities, its coverage outside the United States is limited, which may not be suitable for traders interested in global markets.
  • Rate Limits on API Calls
    The free and lower-tier subscriptions have rate limits on API calls, which can be restrictive for users requiring extensive data access or high-frequency data requests.
  • Potential Delays in Real-Time Data
    Depending on the subscription tier, there might be delays in receiving real-time data, which can be a disadvantage for high-frequency traders who rely on minimal latency.
  • Complex Pricing Structure
    The pricing model for accessing different levels of data and other features via the API can be complex, making it difficult for users to estimate costs effectively without a thorough understanding.
  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    As with any online API service, the reliability and performance of Alpaca's data feed depend on the user's Internet connectivity, which could be a concern in areas with unstable connections.

Analysis of MetaTrader5

Overall verdict

  • Overall, MetaTrader 5 is a highly versatile and robust trading platform that is well-suited to both beginner and experienced traders, especially those interested in utilizing automated trading solutions.

Why this product is good

  • MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is often considered a good trading platform due to its extensive range of features. It provides advanced charting tools, numerous indicators, and the ability to trade a wide variety of financial instruments including forex, stocks, futures, and CFDs. MT5 is also equipped with a user-friendly interface, supports algorithmic trading through the MQL5 programming language, and offers a community for sharing strategies and signals.

Recommended for

  • Traders looking for a comprehensive trading platform with advanced features.
  • Users interested in algorithmic trading and developing custom trading robots and indicators.
  • Individuals or firms trading in a variety of financial markets, including forex, stocks, and commodities.
  • Beginners seeking a user-friendly interface with access to educational resources and community support.

MetaTrader5 videos

Which Forex Trading Platform is BEST? (MetaTrader 4 vs cTrader)

More videos:

  • Review - Why I Switched From MetaTrader to TradingView - TradingView Review
  • Review - MetaTrader 5 - Forex Trading Platform Review and Introduction

Alpaca Data API videos

No Alpaca Data API videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MetaTrader5 and Alpaca Data API)
Finance
94 94%
6% 6
Fintech
0 0%
100% 100
Investing
91 91%
9% 9
Trading
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MetaTrader5 and Alpaca Data API

MetaTrader5 Reviews

TradingView Alternatives For Budget Conscious Traders
MetaTrader platforms are known for their many features including robust alert systems and the ability to “hijack” the visual backtester to perform full replays during backtesting. These platforms support algorithmic trading through Expert Advisors (EAs) and have a large library of custom indicators and trading tools. While MT4 and MT5 are very versatile they require a...
Source: medium.com
Top 8 Forex Tester Alternatives in 2024
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are widely-used trading platforms that include basic backtesting functionalities. These platforms are popular due to their availability and versatility, but they come with some limitations.
Source: forextester.com
5 MetaTrader alternatives for Apple devices (Jan 2023)
iOS devices with MetaTrader apps already installed can continue to use them, but they will not receive software updates, creating potential security risks. The problem does not affect Android mobile devices because MetaTrader platforms continue to be freely downloaded and installed from Google PlayStore. But this is not a solution for the millions of users who have no...
Source: smnweekly.com
Alternatives to MetaTrader
The brokers that support MetaTrader and other similar platforms purchase the rights to the software; the servers are run by the broker, and it’s just the software itself that is supplied by MetaQuotes, the company that developed MetaTrader.
What Are The Alternatives To MetaQuotes' MetaTrader MT4 And MT5 Platforms For Brokers?
It has been over 2 weeks since LiquidityFinder broke the story on Saturday 24th September that Apple had removed MetaQuotes' MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) apps from its App Store. This move by Apple, with still no official explanation from either Apple or MetaQuotes, has left a huge amount of uncertainty in the trading industry, both for brokers and end clients....

Alpaca Data API Reviews

We have no reviews of Alpaca Data API yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Alpaca Data API seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MetaTrader5 mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MetaTrader5 yet. Tracking of MetaTrader5 recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Alpaca Data API mentions (8)

  • Why is trading info so slow?
    Have you looked at Alpaca's Market Data API or Polygon.io. Both premium options are reasonably priced and give you access to both historical and real time trades. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Algo trading for dissertation
    I think https://alpaca.markets/data still offers free api keys for research purposes. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Costs for Algo Traders
    Https://alpaca.markets/data - As you see you get 100% market coverage for all US exchanges and unlimited API / WebSocket access. They also have 1min bar historical data (I do not know about the tick level). I can not speak to the quality of the API Access as I have a TotalView subscription. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • API for Fund Analysis
    Free tier for researchers, now $99/month for the algotrading access (link: https://alpaca.markets/data). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Question about (somewhat) live market volume data
    Https://alpaca.markets/data free plan has 200 calls/minute limit which is what you want anyway. Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing MetaTrader5 and Alpaca Data API, you can also consider the following products

TradingView - The best charting tool for crypto and stocks

Robinhood - Free stock trading service.

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SparkFin - Learn the markets for free, profit forever.

Trigger Finance - IFTTT for the stock market

AmiBroker - Professional tool for individual investor featuring: advanced formula language for writing indicators and trading systems; comprehensive back-testing reports; filtering by sectors; alerts and more...