Guides
How Autopilot works with Alpaca
How Autopilot works with Alpaca.
I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Alpaca is the brokerage people connect when they've been building their own trading tooling and want to stop maintaining it. Here's how the connection works and what changes when you use it.
One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.
Where Alpaca fits
As of September 16, 2026 the help center lists Alpaca as fully supported. You keep your Alpaca account, connect it, and allocate an amount. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to the account you already have. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put.
Alpaca holds the assets, fills the orders and reports them. We aren't a broker-dealer and we don't hold client assets. The connection mechanics are the same across brokerages and are described in How Autopilot connects to your brokerage and what it can see and do.
What this replaces, if you've built your own
A lot of Alpaca users got there through the API, writing their own rebalancing logic against it. If that's you, what a Portfolio replaces isn't the execution, it's the deciding and the maintaining: somebody else's stated method, kept current, without you owning the code.
That's a trade, not an upgrade. You give up control over the logic and you stop maintaining it. Whether that's a good deal depends on whether you enjoyed the maintaining.
What to check
Whether your specific Alpaca account type is supported on the connect screen, since availability can vary by account type. Whether you'll keep trading by hand in the same account, and if so consider a separate one, for the reasons in Selling by hand while you follow.
And whether the subscription makes sense at your balance, which is What Autopilot's fee actually means at your balance.
What it costs
A flat cash subscription, not a percentage of your balance. Per our Form CRS dated February 2026, Basic Tier has no Base Advisory and Licensing Fee, and Premium Tier is $29.99 to $199.99 a quarter or $99.99 to $699.99 a year. Pilot subscriptions are separate and add on if you follow more than one Portfolio. Because it's a flat dollar amount, it's a bigger share of a small account than a big one, so do the math at your balance.
Frequently asked questions
Does Autopilot work with Alpaca?
As of September 16, 2026 the help center lists Alpaca as fully supported. The connect screen in the app is the accurate source for your specific account.
Autopilot Alpaca
You connect the Alpaca account you already have and allocate an amount. Alpaca keeps custody and fills the orders; Autopilot Advisers sends them.
Can I automate my Alpaca account by following a portfolio?
Yes. Pick a Portfolio, connect Alpaca, allocate money. When the Portfolio changes we send the orders and Alpaca fills them. Nothing transfers out.
How do I connect Alpaca to Autopilot?
Choose Alpaca on the connect screen and complete their login flow. Use the same name and identity details as your brokerage profile, since mismatches are a leading cause of failed connections.
Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.
Disclosures
© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.
This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.
Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.
Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.
Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.
This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.
Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.
Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.
Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.
Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.
For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.
Alpaca is not affiliated with Autopilot except as a supported brokerage connection and has not endorsed it. Brokerage support is as described in Autopilot's help center as of September 16, 2026 and may change. Autopilot does not hold client assets.