Robinhood does not offer a free public API for retail traders

Robinhood does not publish an official API that individual traders can use to build applications, automate trades, or pull market data. The company has not released a documented, supported API for external developers. If you see a third-party tool claiming to connect to Robinhood through an "unofficial API," it is using methods Robinhood does not authorize, and your account could be restricted or closed if you use it.

Robinhood's mobile app and web platform are the intended ways to place trades and view your account. If you want to automate trading or pull data into your own tools, you will need to use a different broker that offers an official API.

Key Takeaways

  • Robinhood has never released an official API for retail customers, so there is no free or paid version available directly from the company.
  • Unofficial third-party APIs that claim to connect to Robinhood violate the company's terms of service and can result in account suspension.
  • If you need API access for trading or data, you will need to switch to a broker like Interactive Brokers, TD Ameritrade, or Alpaca that publishes official APIs.
  • Some brokers offer free API tiers with limited requests per minute; others charge monthly or per-transaction fees depending on your use case.

Why Robinhood does not publish an API

Robinhood's business model relies on keeping users inside its own app. The company makes money through order flow — selling information about customer trades to market makers — and through premium subscription features like Robinhood Gold. An open API would let users route trades elsewhere or build competing interfaces, which cuts into that revenue.

The company has also faced regulatory scrutiny and operational challenges. An API would require Robinhood to maintain infrastructure, document it, support developers, and ensure compliance with securities regulations. For a company focused on its own mobile experience, that overhead has not been a priority.

What happens if you use an unofficial API

Some developers have reverse-engineered Robinhood's internal API — the one the mobile app uses — and published tools or libraries that let other people send trades through it. Using these tools violates Robinhood's terms of service. The company actively monitors for this behavior and has suspended or closed accounts that use unofficial methods.

Even if you do not get caught immediately, you have no protection. Robinhood can change its internal API at any time without notice, breaking your automation. You also lose any legal recourse if something goes wrong — you are on your own.

Brokers that do offer free or low-cost APIs

If you need to automate trades or pull market data, these brokers publish official APIs:

  • Alpaca — Free API for paper trading (simulated trades with no real money). Paid tier for live trading starts around $200 per month for data and execution.
  • Interactive Brokers — Offers an API called TWS (Trader Workstation) with no monthly fee, but requires a minimum account balance and charges per trade.
  • TD Ameritrade — Published an API called thinkorswim, though the company is being absorbed into Charles Schwab. Schwab has not yet announced its API roadmap.
  • Polygon.io — Provides market data APIs (stock prices, news, options data) with a free tier limited to 5 API calls per minute. Paid tiers start at $99 per month.
  • IEX Cloud — Market data API with a free tier for non-commercial use. Paid plans start at $9 per month.

Each broker has different rate limits, data coverage, and pricing. If you are building a personal trading tool, Alpaca's paper trading API is the lowest-cost way to start. If you need live market data only (not execution), Polygon or IEX Cloud are cheaper than full trading APIs.

What you can do with Robinhood right now

Robinhood's app supports some automation through its web interface and mobile notifications. You can set price alerts, which will notify you when a stock hits a certain price. You can also use the app to place conditional orders on some securities, though the feature set is limited compared to brokers with APIs.

If you need more control — such as running a bot that trades based on technical indicators, or pulling your trade history into a spreadsheet automatically — you will need to move your account to a broker with an official API. That is the only safe, legal path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Python library to automate Robinhood trades?

Libraries like robin_stocks exist, but they use Robinhood's unofficial internal API. Using them violates the terms of service and risks account suspension. If you want to write Python automation, use a broker with an official API like Alpaca or Interactive Brokers instead.

Does Robinhood offer an API for institutional customers?

Robinhood does not publish information about institutional API access. Your best option is to contact Robinhood's business development team directly, but most institutional traders use brokers like Interactive Brokers or Nasdaq-listed platforms that have mature API programs.

What if I just want to download my trade history?

Robinhood lets you export your account statements and trade history as PDFs through the app under Account settings. You can also request a detailed tax report for the year. This is not API access, but it covers most personal record-keeping needs.

Is there a free alternative to Robinhood that has an API?

Alpaca offers free paper trading with a full API, so you can build and test trading bots without spending money. For live trading, you will pay commissions or subscription fees with any broker that offers an API. There is no truly free option for live automated trading.