What you can trade on Alpaca
- Asset classes
- Stocks, options, crypto
- Extended hours
- YesStocks (limit orders)
- Option spreads
- Yes
Order types, time in force and shorting
- Order types
- Market, limit, stop, stop-limit, trailing ($ or %)Crypto: no stop
- Time in force
- Stocks: Day, GTC, OPG, CLS, IOC, FOKOptions: Day, GTCCrypto: GTC, IOC (Day sent as GTC)
- Bracket / OCO exits
- YesStocks, long and short
- Stock shorting
- Yes
When a broker forces a change (for example crypto Day → GTC), the app tells you on the order.
How sign-in works and what you renew
- Sign-in
- API key and secretNothing to renew
Your broker keys stay on your PC, encrypted. ByteTrader's servers never hold your broker keys.
How fills reach the app
- Fills
- Live stream + 30 s safety check
Each agent follows only its own orders: manual trades and other agents in the same account are never mistaken for its own.
GET CONNECTED
Connect Alpaca in 3 steps
-
Install ByteTrader
Download the desktop app for Windows and sign in with your free ByteTrader account.
-
Add Alpaca
In the app, open Brokers, click Add Broker and choose Alpaca. Sign-in: API key and secret. Nothing to renew.
-
Paper first, then live
Run your strategy on the built-in paper broker. Live trading needs a paid plan and the Live trading switch on the PC that trades. How live trading is turned on
SAFETY
The safety checks on every order
They apply to Alpaca orders the same as every other broker. More on safety
Live trading switch
Off by default on each PC. Nothing trades real money until you turn it on.
Live trading in your plan
Free is paper-only. Starter runs up to 2 live agents. PRO, Founder and Lifetime have no limit.
Per-order cap on live accounts
Order Ticket and AI orders on live accounts are capped per order at $25,000 by default, or your own cap (never unlimited). Market orders that can't be priced are refused. Closing orders are never blocked by the cap.
Per-agent risk limits
Orders per minute (120 by default, against runaway loops), duplicate-order window, price band, max order size, order value, position value, and a daily loss limit that halts the agent's new trades until the next day.
Kill switch
Halts new orders for every agent and order source, and stays on after a restart. Exits are always allowed, so you can get out.
Each agent follows only its own orders
Manual trades and other agents in the same account are never mistaken for its own.
AI control (MCP)
The AI works through the same checks. Live orders need the switch, and AI-written code can't be swapped into a live agent while live trading is off.
Your keys stay on your PC, encrypted
ByteTrader's servers never hold your broker keys.