Tradier

What Tradier Is

Tradier is an API-first brokerage that approaches the trading business differently from traditional brokers. While most brokers build their own trading platform and treat the API as a secondary feature, Tradier built the API first and treats the brokerage as infrastructure that third-party platforms plug into. The result is a broker that powers over 100 third-party trading applications, platforms, and fintech products through its API — while also offering its own web and mobile trading interface for individual traders.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tradier is a FINRA member broker-dealer. The company serves two audiences: individual traders who use Tradier's own platform or one of its partner platforms, and developers/fintechs who integrate Tradier's brokerage API into their own products.

The API — Tradier's Core Product

Tradier's REST API provides:

- Market data — real-time and historical quotes, options chains, time & sales
- Trading — order placement, modification, and cancellation across equities and options
- Account management — positions, balances, history, P&L
- Options-specific — full options chain data, Greeks, multi-leg order support
- Streaming — real-time WebSocket data feeds

The API is used by platforms like OptionStrat, Option Alpha, and dozens of other trading tools. For developers building trading applications, Tradier provides the brokerage backbone so they don't need to become a broker-dealer themselves.

Individual Trading

For individual traders, Tradier offers:

- Commission-free stock and ETF trading
- $0.35/contract options on the subscription plan ($10/month flat fee)
- No per-trade options commission on subscription plan — just $0.35/contract
- Web trading dashboard — functional but basic compared to dedicated platforms
- Mobile app — iOS and Android for basic trading and monitoring
- Options trading — multi-leg strategies, spread orders

The subscription pricing model ($10/month for $0.35/contract options) is attractive for active options traders — it's cheaper than most brokers for traders who execute more than a few options trades per month.

Pricing

- Free Account — $0 stock/ETF commissions, $0.35/contract options (standard)
- Subscription ($10/month) — $0 stock/ETF commissions, $0.35/contract options with no per-trade fee
- API access — included with brokerage account, no additional API fees
- No account minimum — open an account with any amount

Who Tradier Is For

Good fit:
- Developers and fintech builders who need a brokerage API to power their trading application
- Active options traders who want cheap per-contract pricing ($0.35/contract)
- Users of Tradier-integrated platforms (OptionStrat, Option Alpha, etc.) who need a brokerage connection
- Traders who want to use multiple front-end platforms with a single brokerage account

Not the right fit:
- Traders who want advanced charting or a feature-rich trading platform — Tradier's own platform is basic
- Futures, forex, or crypto traders — US equities and options only
- Traders who want research, news, and education integrated into their broker platform

Bottom Line

Tradier is the best broker for developers and the cheapest option for active options traders who use third-party platforms. The API-first approach means you're not locked into Tradier's own (basic) platform — you can trade through any of 100+ integrated applications. If you use OptionStrat, Option Alpha, or any other Tradier-connected platform, this is the brokerage that makes the connection work.