Quantly vs QuantMage
Both platforms use Alpaca and visual builders - but pricing and automation tiers are very different.
Last updated: August 2026
Quantly and QuantMage share a similar technical foundation: visual strategy design, daily backtesting, and Alpaca for execution. Where they diverge is pricing structure, paper trading (Quantly only), community features, and how quickly you can access automated trading.
QuantMage offers a low-cost Apprentice tier for building and backtesting, with live automated trading reserved for the premium Mage tier. Quantly is the only platform in this comparison with a dedicated paper trading plan - Quantly Paper ($15/mo) automates in a risk-free environment before you upgrade to Pro for live trading.
Workflow and terminology
QuantMage uses spell and incantation terminology in its Grimoire editor. Strategies are composed of building blocks like If/Else, Weighted, Filtered, and Switch nodes - conceptually similar to other visual quant builders.
Quantly uses a tree-based editor with If/Else, Filter, Weight, and asset nodes. The workflow emphasizes branch history, benchmark comparisons, and Explore for browsing public community strategies.
Pricing structure
QuantMage Apprentice ($8/mo annual, $10/mo monthly) covers strategy design and backtesting but not automated trading. The Mage tier ($400-500/mo) adds automated trading, premium support, community access, and founder-led sessions.
Quantly Paper ($15/mo) includes automated paper trading. Quantly Pro ($25/mo) adds live trading and priority support. For users who want live automation without a four-figure monthly commitment, the pricing models differ significantly.
Execution model
Both platforms target daily (not intraday) trading and integrate with Alpaca. Quantly is the only one with a paper trading tier for automated execution without real capital. QuantMage jumps straight to live automation on the Mage plan.
On trade timing, Quantly stands out: each strategy can execute at its own time between 9:30 AM and 3:59 PM ET. QuantMage typically trades around 3:50 PM ET with no per-strategy scheduling through the day.
Because they use Alpaca rather than a US-only integrated brokerage, Quantly and QuantMage can be used by investors outside the United States in regions where Alpaca operates - though live trading availability still depends on Alpaca's supported countries.
QuantMage offers a 14-day free trial; Quantly offers a straightforward subscription with paper and pro tiers.
| Feature | Quantly | QuantMage |
|---|---|---|
Visual strategy builder No-code editor for building rule-based strategies | Yes | Yes |
Historical backtesting Test strategies on past market data | History to ~1962 for select tickers | History to ~1993 at earliest (varies by ticker) |
Paper trading Simulated execution without real capital | Yes | No |
Live automated trading Deploy strategies with real capital | Yes | Yes |
Per-strategy trade time When each strategy executes during the market day (ET) | Per strategy: 9:30 AM - 3:59 PM ET | Typically 3:50 PM ET |
Starting subscription price Lowest paid tier for platform access | $15/mo | $8/mo (annual) or $10/mo |
Automated trading price Lowest tier that includes automated execution | $15/mo (paper) or $25/mo (live) | $400/mo (annual) or $500/mo |
Broker integration How trades are routed and custodied | Bring your own Alpaca account | Alpaca integration |
Use outside the US Whether non-US residents can use the platform for trading | Yes, via Alpaca where available in your region | Yes, via Alpaca where available in your region |
Asset support Supported securities for strategies | US stocks and ETFs | US stocks and ETFs |
Options strategies Support for options-based logic or execution | No | No |
Retirement accounts IRA or retirement account support | Via your connected brokerage | Via your connected brokerage |
Community browse page Discover public strategies shared by other users | Yes (Browse) | No |
Shareable public strategies Share a strategy via a public link | Yes (Example) | Yes (Example) |
Reference blocks Reusable sub-trees - edit once, update everywhere they appear | Yes | No |
API access Programmatic data or trading access | No | No |
Composer symphony import Import strategies from Composer JSON exports | Yes | Migration guide available |
Monte Carlo simulation Stress-test strategy robustness | Yes | No |
Referral program Discounts for referring new subscribers | 20% off per referral (both sides); 5 = free for life | No |
Free tier Build and backtest without a paid subscription | No | 14-day trial |
Quantly
Paper from $15/mo, Pro (live trading) from $25/mo
- Visual strategy builder
- Yes
- Historical backtesting
- History to ~1962 for select tickers
- Paper trading
- Yes
- Live automated trading
- Yes
- Per-strategy trade time
- Per strategy: 9:30 AM - 3:59 PM ET
- Starting subscription price
- $15/mo
- Automated trading price
- $15/mo (paper) or $25/mo (live)
- Broker integration
- Bring your own Alpaca account
- Use outside the US
- Yes, via Alpaca where available in your region
- Asset support
- US stocks and ETFs
- Options strategies
- No
- Retirement accounts
- Via your connected brokerage
- Community browse page
- Yes (Browse)
- Shareable public strategies
- Yes (Example)
- Reference blocks
- Yes
- API access
- No
- Composer symphony import
- Yes
- Monte Carlo simulation
- Yes
- Referral program
- 20% off per referral (both sides); 5 = free for life
- Free tier
- No
QuantMage
Apprentice from $8-10/mo; automated trading on Mage tier from $400-500/mo
- Visual strategy builder
- Yes
- Historical backtesting
- History to ~1993 at earliest (varies by ticker)
- Paper trading
- No
- Live automated trading
- Yes
- Per-strategy trade time
- Typically 3:50 PM ET
- Starting subscription price
- $8/mo (annual) or $10/mo
- Automated trading price
- $400/mo (annual) or $500/mo
- Broker integration
- Alpaca integration
- Use outside the US
- Yes, via Alpaca where available in your region
- Asset support
- US stocks and ETFs
- Options strategies
- No
- Retirement accounts
- Via your connected brokerage
- Community browse page
- No
- Shareable public strategies
- Yes (Example)
- Reference blocks
- No
- API access
- No
- Composer symphony import
- Migration guide available
- Monte Carlo simulation
- No
- Referral program
- No
- Free tier
- 14-day trial
Choose Quantly if you...
- Want the only dedicated paper trading tier before going live
- Need per-strategy trade times from 9:30 AM to 3:59 PM ET
- Build complex strategies with reference blocks for repeated sub-trees
- Want automated paper or live trading without a $400+/mo tier
- Live outside the US and need Alpaca-based execution in your region
- Value Explore for community strategies and transparent $15/$25 pricing
- Need Composer symphony import support
- Prefer a platform focused on long-history backtesting, reference blocks, and branch history
Visual workspace for designing, backtesting, and executing quantitative strategies.
Choose QuantMage if you...
- Only need build and backtest tools at the lowest monthly cost
- Want high-touch founder sessions and an exclusive community (Mage tier)
- Are comfortable with spell/incantation workflow and terminology
- Already use QuantMage and are satisfied with the Mage tier value
Build spells with visual incantations, backtest quickly, and cast automated trades via Alpaca.
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