# Composer vs Option Alpha: which should you use?

> Composer automates stock and ETF portfolios. Option Alpha runs options bots in your own broker account. Compare markets, backtests, brokers and pricing.

Written by [Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy.md), published 2026-10-16, updated 2026-10-17.

Use Composer if you want stock and ETF strategies that rebalance once a day without code. Use Option Alpha if you want bots that trade [options](https://tactfolio.com/learn/put-vs-call.md) spreads during the day in your own broker account. They automate very different things. Composer is a broker with a no-code editor and AI. Option Alpha is options software that connects to brokers such as Schwab and tastytrade. We make Tactfolio, so read our notes with that in mind. Every fact below was checked on each company's own pages on October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- Composer is for stock and ETF portfolios. Option Alpha is built for options trades, such as credit spreads and iron condors.
- Composer is the broker, so your money sits at Composer. Option Alpha is not a broker. Your money stays at Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade or Schwab.
- Composer trades once a day near the close. Option Alpha bots can check the market as often as every minute.
- Composer has a free plan that can run one live strategy. Option Alpha Pro costs $99 to $149 a month, or $0 with a qualifying account at some brokers.
- Neither one is a good fit if you want to keep your money at Alpaca and run ETF rules. That is what Tactfolio does.

## Composer vs Option Alpha at a glance

| | Composer | Option Alpha |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it automates | Stock and ETF portfolios ("symphonies") | Options bots, plus long stock |
| How you build | No-code editor, plus AI from plain English | No-code bot editor with decision blocks |
| Options | Trade by hand only. Closed to new users. | Spreads, iron condors and iron butterflies, run by bots |
| Trade timing | Once a day, 3:45 to 4:00 pm New York time | Bots can scan as often as every minute |
| Backtest data | Daily closing prices, up to 30 years | 1-minute options data from January 2013 |
| Where your money sits | Your Composer brokerage account | Your account at Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade or Schwab |
| Paper trading | "Watch" a symphony with a pretend $1,000 | Yes, without limits, with live data |
| Free plan | Yes. Automate 1 symphony. | 30-day free trial. Pro is $0 with a qualifying broker account. |
| Paid plans | $10 or $40 a month | $99 a month billed yearly, or $149 billed monthly |

## What is Composer?

Composer is an app where you build trading strategies with AI or a no-code editor, backtest them, and run them automatically. Composer calls a strategy a symphony. It holds US stocks and ETFs and rebalances on a schedule you pick, from daily to yearly.

Composer is also the broker. Composer Securities LLC is an SEC-registered broker-dealer and a member of FINRA and SIPC. SoFi bought it in June 2026. Composer's Form CRS says it "will not offer recommendations to retail investors".

## What is Option Alpha?

Option Alpha is a no-code platform to find options trades, backtest options strategies, and run trading bots in your own brokerage account. It was founded in 2010 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. It says more than 10,000 traders use it.

Option Alpha is not a broker or an adviser. Its bots send orders through your broker's connection. Its FAQ lists what bots can trade: long stock, plus "risk-defined options strategies" such as debit spreads, credit spreads, iron condors and iron butterflies.

## What each one trades

This is the real choice. Composer holds a mix of stocks and funds and changes the mix by rules, such as "hold the strongest of these three ETFs". It does not run options inside a strategy. It stopped crypto on January 31, 2026.

Option Alpha is about options. A typical bot sells a credit spread on SPY at a set time, then closes it at a profit target or a stop. It does not trade futures, forex or crypto.

Options carry their own risks. Options can expire worthless. Selling options can lose far more than the premium you collect.

## Backtests

Composer backtests use daily closing prices with dividends reinvested. Its default slippage is 0.01% per trade, and you can change it. You can backtest without limits on every plan.

Option Alpha backtests options trades on 1-minute data from January 2013 (XSP from January 2015). Its backtester covers a small set of symbols, such as SPX, SPY, QQQ and IWM, and set position types. It does not model assignment, and bots themselves cannot be backtested directly.

## Brokers and where your money sits

With Composer, you open and fund a Composer account. It supports taxable accounts and IRAs. You cannot connect another broker.

With Option Alpha, you connect a broker you already use. It works with Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade and Charles Schwab. Schwab needs you to sign in again every 7 days, or bots stop managing positions. Interactive Brokers, Fidelity, E\*TRADE and Robinhood are not supported.

## Pricing

Prices were checked on each company's pricing page on October 16, 2026.

| Plan | Composer | Option Alpha |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0: automate 1 symphony | 30-day free trial, no card needed |
| Paid | Advanced $10 a month (5 symphonies), Pro $40 a month or $384 a year (500) | Pro $149 a month, or $99 a month billed yearly |
| Broker-paid | None | $0 with a qualifying account at TradeStation, Tradier or tastytrade |
| Trading costs | Stock and ETF trades are included. Options are $0.65 a contract. | Set by your broker |

## Which is better for an options trading bot?

Option Alpha. It is built to open and manage options trades automatically, during the day, with exits you set. Composer's options trade by hand only, and its Form CRS says it is "not currently onboarding new customers for options".

## Which is better for ETF rotation and rebalancing?

Composer. It is built to hold and rotate a mix of stocks and ETFs on a schedule, with no code. Option Alpha can hold long stock, but it is not made for portfolio rules.

## Who should pick which

- **Pick Composer** if you are in the US and want no-code stock and ETF strategies that run in one app.
- **Pick Option Alpha** if you trade options spreads and want bots in your own account at a supported broker.

If you write code and trade more than options, read [Composer vs QuantConnect](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/composer-vs-quantconnect.md).

## Where Tactfolio fits

Tactfolio is closer to Composer than to Option Alpha. It is a no-code builder for long-only stock and ETF strategies. The difference is where your money sits: Tactfolio runs strategies in your own [Alpaca account](https://tactfolio.com/alpaca-trading.md), and it has a [Free plan](https://tactfolio.com/pricing.md). Tactfolio does not trade options. See [Tactfolio vs Composer](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/tactfolio-vs-composer.md) and [Tactfolio vs Option Alpha](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/tactfolio-vs-option-alpha.md).

## Try it on Tactfolio

Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder) to see a strategy and its backtest without an account. If you use Composer, you can [import a symphony](https://tactfolio.com/docs/import.md) and test it on Tactfolio.

## Common questions

### Is Composer or Option Alpha better for beginners?

For a beginner who invests in ETFs, Composer is easier. Options bots on Option Alpha need you to understand spreads, strikes and expiry dates first. Our guide to [put vs call options](https://tactfolio.com/learn/put-vs-call.md) covers the basics.

### Can Composer trade options automatically?

No. Composer's options trade by hand from an options chain, not inside symphonies. New users cannot open options trading right now.

### Is Option Alpha a broker?

No. Option Alpha says it is not a broker or an adviser. Its bots trade through your account at Tradier, TradeStation, tastytrade or Schwab.

### Which one is cheaper?

Composer, for most people. Its free plan can run one strategy, and paid plans are $10 or $40 a month. Option Alpha Pro costs $99 to $149 a month, unless a qualifying broker account covers it.

### Is there an alternative that keeps my money in my own account and trades ETFs?

Yes. [Tactfolio](https://tactfolio.com/about/facts.md) runs long-only stock and ETF strategies in your own Alpaca account, and it has a [Free plan](https://tactfolio.com/pricing.md). See all [Composer alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/comparisons/composer-alternatives.md).

## Sources

- [Composer homepage](https://www.composer.trade/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer pricing](https://www.composer.trade/pricing), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer disclosures](https://www.composer.trade/disclosures), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer what’s new](https://www.composer.trade/whats-new), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer Form CRS, September 2026](https://storage.googleapis.com/www.investcomposer.com/docs/form-crs.pdf), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: backtest basics](https://help.composer.trade/article/67-backtest-basics), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: slippage and fees](https://help.composer.trade/article/78-slippage-and-fees), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: trading period](https://help.composer.trade/article/63-trading-period), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: discover and watch](https://help.composer.trade/article/55-discover-tutorial), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: other apps](https://help.composer.trade/article/184-can-i-connect-my-composer-account-to-other-apps), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: options chain](https://help.composer.trade/article/242-composers-options-chain), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Composer help: options fees](https://help.composer.trade/article/243-trading-fees-for-options), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha homepage](https://optionalpha.com/), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha about](https://optionalpha.com/about-us), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha FAQ](https://optionalpha.com/faqs), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha pricing](https://optionalpha.com/pricing), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha integrations](https://optionalpha.com/integrations), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha backtester](https://optionalpha.com/backtester), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha backtester upgrade, June 2026](https://optionalpha.com/changelog/huge-backtester-upgrade-including-up-to-45-dte-new-position-exit-rules-ai-friendly-copy-paste-and-many-more-new-features), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha docs: bots](https://docs.optionalpha.com/tools/bots), accessed 2026-10-16
- [Option Alpha docs: backtesting best practices](https://docs.optionalpha.com/tools/backtesting/best-practices), accessed 2026-10-16