Is there just a basic Autotrading piece of software out there, without monthly lease fees? Like the old TradeBolt, but likely simpler? ( I don't want any fancy charting or analysis to create systems). All I want, is to auto-send signals from places like Collective2, or from signal providers etc. or to my broker, over a Patsystem like arrangement Never done this, so knowledge is limited. I do not want $50-$80 monthly fees ad nauseum to "lease" (like TradeBullet or others).
Try http://www.trade-commander.org, which is free. It's made for autotrading with the IB TWS, but it has a built-in email function, so you could use to email signals to whoever you want.
So it is best to maximize your costs? If faced with two things, one for $100 and one for $5000, and both do the same thing, it is better to opt for the more expensive? Is it better to go with brokers with higher commission costs, all things being equal? I think your logic is off. I just want to buy an autotrader to input my signals, with minimal whistles and bells. I don't want to marry someone at a cost of $800 a year ad nauseum.