I want to play with simple python programs to do trading. Which online broker's system works best with somebody writing and trading with python programs? Are there other "parts" of the process that I'll need to investigate besides an online broker? I just neet a broker to execute my trades. I am a member of EODATA and can download daily NYSE prices every day. I presume that I can open that data with python, run my program, which will tell me what trades to execute the next day. However, it would be nice if I can develop a program that can download that data, then go to my broker, and get the trades accomplished, all automatically. Say I want to try algorithm X for three months, and it is a cut and dried algorithm that needs no supervision. I'd like to be able to automate it. I bet some brokers have thought of this and make it easier than others to work with them like this. And, I should say, I want free trading without hidden fees etc. Thank you, kind madams and sirs.
IB can work with python; you'll need to spend some time learning their API. Trades aren't free though.
OP is going to have a very, very hard time finding an execution broker that has both a good API and gives free trades. I can't think of a single one.
Agreed. This stuff costs money to develop and maintain on the backend. If you don't pay in commission, you pay somewhere else. And commission is cheap and transparent.
So you need an equities broker that has an API that supports Python and provides commission-free trading? That limits your options considerably; the only ones I know of that meet all 4 of your criteria is Tradestation and Alpaca.