Alpaca vs GPT-5.2 o1

A detailed comparison to help you choose the right AI tool for your needs.

Option Alpha

Alpaca Markets

4.4
Try Alpaca
Winner
OpenAI

GPT-5.2 Thinking

4.9
Try GPT-5.2 o1
Our Pick
GPT-5.2 Thinking

GPT-5.2 Thinking edges out Alpaca Markets with superior overall performance and features that make it the better choice for most users.

Try GPT-5.2 o1

Feature Comparison

Feature
Alpaca
GPT-5.2 o1
Ratings
Overall Rating
4.4
4.9
Coding
-
4.8
Writing
-
4.5
Reasoning
-
5.0
Speed
-
3.8
Value
4.8
4.0
Pricing
Monthly Price
-
$200
Free Tier
Input (per 1M tokens)
-
$15
Output (per 1M tokens)
-
$60
Features
Context Window
-
128K
Vision/Images
Audio
Video
Code Generation
AI Agents

Alpaca Markets

Pros

  • Commission-free trading
  • Paper trading for testing
  • Python/JS SDKs
  • Real-time data
  • Crypto + stocks

Cons

  • US-only for stocks
  • Learning curve for API

GPT-5.2 Thinking

Pros

  • Best reasoning model from OpenAI
  • Edges out Gemini 3 and Claude Opus 4.5 on most tests
  • Performs at/above human expert level on GDPval
  • Excellent for coding, math, and document analysis
  • State-of-the-art on SWE-Bench Pro

Cons

  • Expensive ($200/mo for Pro subscription)
  • Slower than Instant variant
  • Requires Pro subscription for full access
  • Writing can feel robotic

Choose Alpaca if you need:

Algorithmic trading, trading bots, API-first traders

Choose GPT-5.2 o1 if you need:

Complex reasoning, software engineering, research, math proofs

Ready to get started?

Both tools offer free tiers or trials. Try them out and see which one works best for your workflow.