TL;DR
Choose NexusTrade when the task combines options research, inspectable portfolio rules and coding-assistant tools; Option Alpha organizes options entries and management through scanner and monitor automations. The worked NexusTrade SPY bull call spread is a saved inactive paper draft with a $1,000 premium budget, not a tested profit result. Match expiration, strikes, quantities and exits before comparing either workflow, and verify brokerage options approval. No matched return, fill-quality or SmartPricing advantage was measured.
Worked spread specification before opening a bot
Show the table · 4 rows, 3 columns
Scroll sideways to compare all columns. Select a heading to sort.
| Underlying and expiry | Same asset; same expiry for both legs | Resolved contract symbols and expiration |
| Legs | Long lower-strike call; short higher-strike call; equal quantity | Side, strike and quantity for both legs |
| Debit illustration | $3 per share; 100-share multiplier | $300 risk before fees, not an observed quote |
| Exit | Explicit close condition chosen before the test | Close rule, expiry behavior and rejected-leg handling |
No matching rows. Clear the filter to see all records.
For a concrete bull call spread, use one underlying, one expiration, one long call at a lower strike and one short call at a higher strike, with equal contract quantities. In a hypothetical 100/110 spread with a $3 net debit and a 100-share multiplier, one spread costs $300. Maximum expiry payoff less debit is $700, before fees. These are arithmetic inputs, not current option quotes or a backtest result.
In NexusTrade, inspect the OpenOption action for the paired legs and its budget, then the CloseOption exit rule. In Option Alpha, place the matching entry specification in a scanner automation and its exit in a monitor automation. Use the documented contract selectors and confirm the resolved expiration, strikes and quantities in each product before testing. A similar payoff diagram does not prove the selectors chose the same contracts.
Actual NexusTrade spread draft: saved, inactive and inspectable
On October 10, 2026, we validated and saved a dedicated SPY bull call spread paper draft. Its get_portfolio readback showed type paper, isActive false, $10,000 initial value and cash, zero positions and automated approval off. No backtest, agent job or order was submitted. This demonstrates saved options authoring; it does not measure fills or profitability.
The saved entry opens a vertical with one long at-the-money call and one short call 5% above the money. Both selectors request the nearest expiration 30 to 45 days away, with equal leg ratios and a $1,000 premium budget. The rule requires SPY above its 50-day average and zero matching open long-call vertical positions. Read resolved contracts before trading: a selector is not a quote or a guaranteed fill.
The draft closes matching SPY vertical spreads when price is at or below the 50-day average, or when a position has 14 or fewer days to expiration. It is a dedicated draft so those close rules cannot unintentionally manage another SPY vertical strategy. The complete authoring guide shows the payloads, validation, readback and pause checks.
Show the table · 6 rows, 2 columns
| Observed product field | Actual readback |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | paper; isActive false; initialValue 10000; positions 0 |
| Entry action | OpenOption; underlyingSymbol SPY; spreadType vertical |
| Legs | long call distance 0%; short call distance 5%; ratio 1 each |
| Expiration | minDaysToExpiration 30; maxDaysToExpiration 45; preference nearest |
| Budget | allocation type dollars; amount 1000 |
| Exit | CloseOption; closeScope spread; quantity all; separate maxDte 14 trigger |
No matching rows. Clear the filter to see all records.
Inspect the options construction
Choose the workflow you need
Compare saved OpenOption/CloseOption rules with scanner and monitor automations.
Compare the actual object you need to keep: inspectable saved rules, a code artifact, an allocation tree or a brokerage workflow. The dated source sections describe the available routes.
Work through the declared example
Inspect one 100/110 bull call spread with a $3 net debit, then check the resolved legs in the linked example.
NexusTrade bull call spread exampleKeep the example's declared rules and units with the resulting object. A proposed translation remains separate from an executed matched test.
Review the same task in Aurora
Open the prepared review using the exact example. Keep source dates, rule differences and account requirements with your comparison.
The request previews the selected artifact. Record returned results separately from reviewed code or documentation.
Choose NexusTrade for research-led portfolios; Option Alpha for bot monitoring
NexusTrade is the stronger fit when an options idea starts with company research and belongs alongside stock rules or a coding-assistant workflow. Its saved conditions and OpenOption/CloseOption actions make that portfolio inspectable. Option Alpha is a good fit when the main task is maintaining scanner automations and monitor automations for options positions in a visual bot editor.
Published costs and brokerage eligibility
Option Alpha lists Pro at $99 per month with annual billing or $149 with monthly billing, including 50 bots and a $100,000 allocation limit per bot. Its broker-funded offers have separate balance and account conditions. For example, the Tradier offer requires funding $5,000 and maintaining $3,000; the TradeStation offer requires $10,000. Those offers are not unconditional free access.
A brokerage connection is not required for Option Alpha paper trading. Live options still depend on the broker and account approval. NexusTrade subscription and research usage are separate from brokerage fees; check both the selected account and the multi-leg permissions before deployment. We have not measured matched return, fill quality or SmartPricing performance across the products.
Compare the strategy model
Show the table · 4 rows, 3 columns
Scroll sideways to compare all columns. Select a heading to sort.
| Entry logic | Portfolio conditions and OpenOption actions | Scanner decision tree and open-position action |
| Position management | CloseOption rules and portfolio conditions | Monitor loops and close-position actions |
| Testing | Options backtests and separate paper deployment | Options backtesting and paper accounts |
| Automation structure | Python/TypeScript SDKs and MCP research tools | Scanner, monitor and event automations inside a bot |
No matching rows. Clear the filter to see all records.
Inspect contract selection and fills
Before comparing a spread, match the underlying, expiration selection, strikes, position size and exit conditions. Inspect what happens when a quote is unavailable, a leg is rejected or a position reaches expiry. A similar-looking payoff does not establish equivalent order behavior.
Option Alpha documents configurable SmartPricing and order handling. NexusTrade options support depends on the selected brokerage and options approval, with broker-specific multi-leg limits. Paper and historical fills do not establish live liquidity or execution quality.
Check the brokerage before choosing a bot
Option Alpha connects accounts through Settings > Trading Accounts and displays compatible accounts with their options approval levels. Its current integration page lists active brokers and supported countries. Check those requirements for the account you plan to use.
NexusTrade exposes supported brokerage capabilities and requires the selected account to have the needed options permissions. Review the actual spread type and number of legs before activating the portfolio.
No comments yet.