Interactive Brokers ships a sample RTD server with the TWS API; per IBKR's own documentation it is "not intended to be used as production level trading tools," and it streams top-of-book market data only — the callbacks for account values, positions, and orders are left as empty stubs.

StreamXLS is an independent, production-grade implementation that uses the same native Excel =RTD() mechanism: it fills in account values, positions with streaming P&L, and order monitoring; adds order staging; and hardens the connection against disconnects, Excel UI blocking, and TWS rate limits. It registers its own short ProgID, Tws.Rtd; IBKR's sample uses Tws.TwsRtdServerCtrl, so the two install side by side with no conflict. StreamXLS is not affiliated with Interactive Brokers.

Yes — a 30-day, fully featured free trial. No credit card required. You download the installer and the trial begins when you activate it; there is no separate trial sign-up.

No, but it can stage orders in TWS. A dedicated SendOrder topic creates a draft order in TWS (with transmit=false), where it appears in the Orders list for review. StreamXLS does not transmit orders to the market — a staged order is released only when a user clicks Transmit in TWS.

Stocks, futures, options, and FX are supported and tested. StreamXLS works through IBKR's own contract conventions, so the instrument model is the one the TWS API already defines.

You run StreamXLS against your own entitled TWS API installation, on your own machine. In Trader Workstation or IB Gateway, open File → Global Configuration → API → Settings and:

• Enable "ActiveX and Socket Clients"
• Disable "Read-Only API" (if you want to allow order submission)
• Verify the "Socket Port"

Default ports are 7496 (TWS live) / 7497 (TWS paper) and 4001 (Gateway live) / 4002 (Gateway paper). IBKR documents the full procedure here.

No. StreamXLS is closed-source commercial software. The public GitHub repository holds the documentation, examples (including the demo workbook), and signed binary releases — it does not contain source. Source or OEM licensing is a separate conversation; reach out through the contact form.

Your trading data stays on your machine. Quotes, positions, orders, and account values move only between your Excel and your own TWS, under your own IBKR entitlements. StreamXLS does not send your market data, order flow, or trading activity to us; the only thing exchanged with our systems is a licensing code, through a third-party licensing provider, to activate and validate your license.

A temporary licensing-service problem won't affect the software. After you activate, StreamXLS stores a license token on your machine. That token is updated periodically, and if it is blocked from contacting a license server for an extended period the software will alert you well before the token expires.

A seat licenses StreamXLS on one machine. The same user can add machines at half the tier price. You manage your own activations — including moving a license to a new machine — yourself through the licensing portal; you don't need to email us to re-host a seat.

We draw the same line your IBKR market-data subscription already uses — Non-Professional vs Professional.

• Personal (non-business) use is trading your own money for your personal account.
• Professional (business) use is managing or trading with an entity account or for any third party. You are also a professional if you are registered or licensed in the finance industry.

The quick test: if Interactive Brokers classifies you as Professional for market data, you're Professional here. Not sure? Ask us at [email protected].

Both. StreamXLS connects over the TWS API socket, so it runs against either Trader Workstation or IB Gateway.

Yes to both. The account, position, and order topics accept an account filter, so you can monitor a single account or several. And more than one Excel instance can run at once, each with its own connection to TWS.

Windows, with Microsoft Excel and a Trader Workstation or IB Gateway installation. StreamXLS installs as a single component, and the installer handles registration. There is no Excel ribbon and no add-in to load — it runs only when an =RTD() formula asks for it, and it needs TWS or IB Gateway running to reach IBKR.

By email, documentation first. We aim to respond within one US business day — usually the same day. That's a target, not a contractual SLA. Updates and support are included in every subscription, and firms that need a contractual SLA can arrange one. Reach us at [email protected] for support and [email protected] for licensing.