TL;DR Table
| Feature | SignalStack (Pay-Per-Fill) | Self-Hosted IBKR Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Broker coverage | Alpaca, Tradestation, OANDA (no IBKR) | IBKR native |
| Pricing model | $27 base + $0.59–$1.49 per order | Flat license |
| High-frequency suitability | Poor (cost balloons) | Excellent (zero marginal) |
| 2FA keep-alive | N/A | Yes |
| Custom risk checks | Limited | Python hooks |
| Ownership | Cloud | You own container |
| 12-month cost (5 000 orders) | ≈ $3 500 | $999 (+$299/yr) |
Why People Look at SignalStack
Its “any alert → any broker” promise plus usage pricing seems perfect for low-volume traders who hate subscriptions. But once you move above ~300 orders/month or need IBKR, SignalStack flips from cheap to expensive and incomplete.
Limitation 1: No IBKR Support
SignalStack’s roadmap still lists IBKR as TBA.
Your Fix: Engine already speaks IB Gateway, handles pace limits, and even restarts sessions before IBKR’s daily reset.
Limitation 2: Usage-Based Fees
Five thousand live fills/year (≈ 20/day) = $3 500+ with SignalStack. That’s before spreads/slippage.
Your Fix: Zero marginal cost per order—trade tick-scalps, grid, or pyramids without a billing surprise.
3-Step Migration Plan
- Export your TradingView alert JSON (one click).
- Run our alert-import script: converts to engine queue format.
- Start the Docker container, set
--max_orders_per_second 3to stay under IBKR rate limits.
Migration guide →
Switching from SignalStack (w/ script download)
