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Broker Comparison

Alpaca Trading vs Plum

Compare Alpaca Trading and Plum side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Alpaca Trading

Alpaca Trading

API-driven and algorithmic traders

Alpaca Trading is a US API-first broker offering commission-free stocks, ETFs, options and crypto trading wit…

VS
Plum

Plum

Automated savings and beginner investors

Plum is a UK savings and investment app that automates saving, offers ISA, SIPP, mutual funds, and 3,000+ ind…

Head-to-head comparison

Alpaca Trading vs Plum
Feature Alpaca Trading Plum
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee Commission: Free for self-directed retail API accounts; SEC fee and FINRA TAF pass-through on sell transactions 2 free lifetime trades then: £0.50/trade (Basic), £0.15/trade (Plus), £0.05/trade (Boost), £0.00/trade (Max); FX fee 0.60% (Basic), 0.45% (Plus), 0.30% (Boost), 0.15% (Max) per trade
Regulators FINRA, SIPC, FinCEN FCA
Best for API-driven and algorithmic traders Automated savings and beginner investors
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
-
Crypto
-
Options
-
Fractional Shares
Margin
-
Demo Account
-
Funds
-
Investment Plans
-
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Money Market Funds
-
Isa
-
Sipp
-
Savings Vaults
-

Pros & cons

Alpaca Trading

Alpaca Trading

Pros

  • Commission-free stocks, ETFs and options for self-directed retail API accounts
  • Paper trading environment available at no cost
  • Fractional shares supported
  • 24/5 extended trading hours on 100+ US stocks
  • Multi-leg options strategies supported
  • FINRA/SIPC member with up to $500,000 SIPC protection
  • Margin available at 4x intraday and 2x overnight
  • Securities lending program with potential income for shareholders

Cons

  • Platform is primarily API-driven; web and mobile apps are available but offer fewer features than conventional retail brokerage interfaces
  • Crypto accounts are not protected by FDIC or SIPC
  • Domestic wire withdrawals cost $25; international wires cost $50
  • Outbound ACATS transfer costs $100
  • Not suited for investors who prefer a full-featured retail brokerage app
  • Commission-free status may not apply to accounts opened through business partners
Plum

Plum

Pros

  • Free Basic plan with automated savings and stock access
  • Stocks and Shares ISA and SIPP available on paid tiers
  • Fractional stock investing from £1
  • 3,000+ individual US company stocks available
  • 26 curated mutual funds from Vanguard and BlackRock
  • FCA-regulated with FSCS protection up to £85,000 on investments
  • Automated savings powered by spending analysis
  • Multiple savings account types including Cash ISA and Lifetime ISA

Cons

  • Individual stocks cannot be held inside the Stocks and Shares ISA - only mutual funds are ISA-eligible, leaving stock gains potentially subject to capital gains tax
  • Only 26 mutual funds available, a narrower range than dedicated investment platforms
  • Stacked fees on paid tiers: subscription fee plus platform fee plus fund manager fee
  • Two free lifetime trades then a per-trade charge on Basic and Plus plans
  • Crypto available only for EU/Cyprus users via Bitpanda; not available to UK customers
  • No demo or practice account
  • Fund access requires a paid subscription; Basic plan is limited
Alpaca Trading

Alpaca Trading

Alpaca Trading is a US API-first broker offering commission-free stocks, ETFs, options and crypto trading with a paper trading environment and margin accounts.

Visit Alpaca Trading Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Plum

Plum

Plum is a UK savings and investment app that automates saving, offers ISA, SIPP, mutual funds, and 3,000+ individual stocks via a tiered subscription model.

Visit Plum Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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