Comparison · 2026 edition
Alpaca vs Upvest: wealth infrastructure compared 2026.
Alpaca and Upvest side by side in the Wealth and Brokerage Infrastructure Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
Alpaca and Upvest side by side in the Wealth and Brokerage Infrastructure Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Wealth and Brokerage Infrastructure Index, Alpaca scores higher overall: 4.2 out of 5 (83 out of 100) against 3.1 (63), ranking 2 and 4 of 11. Alpaca also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Alpaca | Upvest |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Score out of 100 | 83 | 63 |
| Overall rank | 2 of 11 | 4 of 11 |
| For fintech apps and neobanks (out of 100) | 80, rank 2 | 62, rank 5 |
| For banks and wealth managers (out of 100) | 88, rank 1 | 65, rank 6 |
| For brokers expanding abroad (out of 100) | 82, rank 2 | 62, rank 4 |
| Type | Brokerage API and self-clearing broker | Investment API and custodian |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Alpaca | Upvest |
|---|---|---|
| Asset range | 5/5 Fractional shares, options, bonds, crypto and cash products published. | 5/5 Fractional shares, ETFs, funds and bonds published. |
| Published pricing | 0/5 Not published. | 0/5 Not published. |
| Regulatory standing | 5/5 Regulators and registration numbers published for the US and the Bahamas. | 3/5 BaFin and FCA named; licence numbers not on the pages read. |
| Market reach | 5/5 Partners in 40+ countries published. | 4/5 20+ countries published. |
| Integration and launch | 4/5 API, test environment and KYC service published; no stated launch time. | 3/5 API and a stated launch time of weeks; no sandbox or white-label app on the pages read. |
| Asset protection and security | 5/5 SIPC limit, self-clearing custody and ISO 27001 with SOC 2 Type II published. | 3/5 Custodian status and ISO 27001:2022 published; compensation scheme not stated. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Wealth and Brokerage Infrastructure Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Alpaca | Upvest |
|---|---|---|
| Assets | "Embed fractional stocks, options, fixed income, crypto, high-yield cash"; US Treasury bills and corporate bonds; "Hundreds of German stocks and ETFs available today". | "Access to 100k+ instruments, including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, money market funds, ELTIFs, securitised derivatives, bonds"; "Real fractional investing from €1, £1 or $1"; crypto "coming soon". |
| Regulatory standing | Alpaca Clearing "member FINRA / SIPC"; Alpaca Crypto LLC "a FinCEN registered money services business (NMLS # 2160858)"; AlpacaX Crypto regulated by The Securities Commission of The Bahamas, "registration number 208648 B". | "Fully regulated investment infrastructure authorised across Europe and the UK by Bafin and the FCA"; "launch under Upvest's licences or bring your own". |
| Reach | "Supporting 200+ partners in 40+ countries." | "Expand seamlessly with local offerings across 20+ countries in Europe and the UK." |
| Integration | Broker API with event streaming, "KYC as a service" for non-registered technology partners, and a paper trading API for testing. | Cloud-native Investment API; "Launch competitive investment products across Europe and the UK within weeks." |
| Protection | "SIPC protection up to $500,000 per customer (cash sub-limits apply)"; clears and holds assets "as members of DTCC, FICC, and OCC"; "ISO 27001:2022 certified, SOC 2 Type II controls". | Operates "as a fully fledged custodian"; "Upvest has successfully attained ISO/IEC 27001 certification" (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 badge); hosted on Google Cloud. |
| Pricing | Broker API pricing not published; the pricing page returned "not found". | Not listed in this index |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Alpaca: pricing, published pricing and integration and launch.
Not published or not stated by Upvest: published pricing, regulatory standing and asset protection and security.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: alpaca.markets/broker, alpaca.markets; and upvest.co, upvest.co/security.
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Fintech apps wanting US shares, options and crypto through one API.
European fintechs launching investing across many countries.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.