Finally Cracked It: Opened an Alpaca Markets Account from Europe - Seeking IBKR vs Alpaca Insights for Algo Trading

After multiple failed attempts, I've successfully opened a live trading account with Alpaca Markets from Europe. While Interactive Brokers has served me well overall, its algo trading implementation feels somewhat cumbersome. I'd love to hear from those who've used both platforms - what are your experiences with Alpaca, particularly compared to IBKR? Looking for insights on API functionality, execution speed, fees (including those hidden in spreads and slippage), and general ease of use for algorithmic trading.