iTrustCapital vs. ArchPublic: One Makes Automated Crypto Trading Easy, the Other Takes More Work

iTrustCapital and ArchPublic both give investors access to algorithmic crypto trading strategies that can automatically buy and sell crypto, but the experience is very different.

iTrustCapital offers Q, a suite of AI-formulated quantitative trading strategies built directly into its platform with no third-party connections needed. Investors choose a strategy, activate it inside a tax-advantaged IRA or Premium Custody Account, and Q follows its predefined rules as market conditions change. ArchPublic provides algorithmic strategies, but it does not natively provide the investment account itself. Instead, users have to do the setup themselves, including creating their own recipes and connecting crypto held at a supported third-party exchange, brokerage, or IRA provider. Depending on the setup, that can mean linking outside accounts, configuring strategy settings, and managing additional tools or integrations before the system is ready to run.

The biggest differences come down to setup and cost. For investors who want a ready-made strategy without having to build, connect, and manage the technology behind it, iTrustCapital offers a simpler approach.

iTrustCapital vs. ArchPublic: Quick Comparison

How Does Q work at iTrustCapital?

Q is built directly into iTrustCapital and uses predefined rules and monitors market signals, including trend, volatility, relative strength, moving averages, and cycle indicators, to generate buy and sell activity.

Investors do not have to build an algorithm, select technical indicators, set their own thresholds, connect an outside exchange, or configure a separate automation platform.

Instead, they choose a Q trading strategy and activate it directly inside their account. Q includes both multi-asset and single-asset strategies. Multi-asset options include Quantum, Quantum Guard, Quantum Aggressive, Titans, and Triad, while single-asset strategies are available for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP.

What Accounts Can You Use Q In?

iTrustCapital IRA

Inside an IRA, Q runs directly in the same self-directed retirement account where the crypto is held, allowing investors to use an automated crypto trading strategy within a tax-advantaged*retirement account.

Premium Custody Account

Q is also available inside a Premium Custody Account for non-retirement investing. Investors can activate a strategy directly within the account.

What Does Q Cost?

Q charges a 0.10% trade fee (10 basis points) on each Q strategy transaction, instead of the standard 1% crypto transaction fee.

Q also has a monthly subscription fee based on the combined position value of all active Q strategies across a client’s accounts:

• $1,000–$24,999: $0/month
• $25,000–$99,999: $49/month
• $100,000+: $99/month

The subscription tier is recalculated each billing cycle as the Q position value changes.

All eligible Q subscription fees are waived through December 31, 2026, so there are no Q subscription fees until 2027.

What Do Customers Say About iTrustCapital?

Q launched this year, but it launched on top of an already established iTrustCapital platform with a long track record of customer feedback.

iTrustCapital has more than 16,000 highly rated reviews across Google and Trustpilot, averaging 4.9 out of 5 stars, making it one of the most-reviewed companies in the industry. Investors can look to thousands of existing reviews covering account setup, transfers, platform usability, and client service.

How Does ArchPublic Work?

ArchPublic takes a different approach. Its software connects algorithmic strategies to assets held at supported outside exchanges and brokerages.

The algorithms are already provided, so investors are not coding strategies from scratch. But getting one running can involve more pieces.

Depending on the workflow, investors may need to manage:

• An outside exchange or brokerage account
• Strategy allocation and settings
• Timeframes or other parameters
• API or OAuth connections
• TradingView for certain workflows
• Alerts or webhooks

Its crypto documentation describes some of these more technical workflows.

ArchPublic also offers preconfigured recipes organized around focuses such as Accumulation, Balanced, and Cash Yielding, giving users a starting point rather than requiring them to build an algorithm themselves.

What Accounts Can You Use ArchPublic With?

ArchPublic does not natively provide either retirement or non-retirement investment accounts. Instead, its software has to connect to accounts held with third-party providers.

For taxable investing, that means using a supported external exchange or brokerage.

For retirement investing, one available setup involves three separate providers:

• Directed IRA administers the self-directed IRA
• Gemini provides the IRA-owned crypto account and custody
• ArchPublic provides the algorithmic automation

So rather than opening one account and activating a strategy in the same place, investors may have to piece together the account, custody, and automation across multiple companies. That can mean more onboarding, more account connections, and more technical setup before the strategy is ready to run.

What Does ArchPublic Cost?

Because ArchPublic connects to outside exchanges and brokerages, transaction fees depend on the platform the investor connects with and can apply every time the algorithm buys or sells.

For example, ArchPublic’s documentation says transactions executed through Gemini are subject to a 0.40% transaction fee. At that rate, a $10,000 buy would cost $40, and a later $10,000 sell would add another $40.

ArchPublic also charges separately for software access based on annual transaction volume:

Moving beyond the free tier can mean paying $25,000 to $250,000 upfront, on top of applicable exchange transaction fees. IRA administration fees and other third-party costs can also apply depending on the setup.

What Do Customers Say About ArchPublic?

ArchPublic has a much smaller public review footprint. It currently has 34 Trustpilot reviews averaging 4.6 out of 5 stars, giving investors far less customer feedback to evaluate compared with iTrustCapital.

That does not mean the experience is poor, but it does mean ArchPublic has a shorter and less established public track record. For investors comparing the two, there is simply much less third-party customer feedback available on ArchPublic today.

Which Is the Better Choice?

For investors who want automated crypto strategies without turning the setup into a technical project, iTrustCapital is the better choice.

Both platforms can automate crypto buying and selling, but they make the investor experience feel very different.

iTrustCapital makes Q feel simple. You choose a prebuilt trading strategy, activate it inside your account, and you’re up and running. There’s no outside exchange to connect, no API setup, no TradingView configuration, and no separate automation software to manage. Everything is already built into the iTrustCapital experience.

ArchPublic can get you to a similar outcome, but there are more pieces to put together. Depending on the setup, investors may need to connect third-party accounts, work across multiple providers, and configure additional tools before the strategy is ready to run.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Q?

Q is iTrustCapital’s suite of AI-formulated quantitative trading strategies. Each strategy follows predefined algorithmic rules and market signals to systematically buy and sell crypto as market conditions change.

Does Q Require an Outside Exchange or Bot?

No. Q operates directly inside iTrustCapital accounts, so investors do not need to connect an outside exchange, bot, API, or separate automation platform.

Can Q Be Used in a Crypto IRA?

Yes. Q can be activated directly inside self-directed tax-advantaged IRAs at iTrustCapital.

Does ArchPublic Require an Outside Account?

Yes. ArchPublic does not provide the underlying investment account itself. Investors need to connect a supported third-party exchange, brokerage, or IRA setup before the automation can run, which can add more onboarding and technical setup.

Does ArchPublic Provide the Algorithms?

Yes. ArchPublic provides prebuilt algorithmic strategies, but depending on the workflow, users may still need to configure allocations, account connections, parameters, APIs, TradingView, alerts, or other integrations.

Can ArchPublic Be Used in a Crypto IRA?

Yes, but the IRA is not built directly into ArchPublic. One available setup uses Directed IRA for the retirement account, Gemini for the crypto account and custody, and ArchPublic for the automation.

What Does Q Cost?

Q charges a 0.10% trade fee, or 10 basis points, on each Q strategy transaction. It also has a monthly subscription fee based on the combined position value of all active Q strategies. However, Q subscription fees are waived through 2026.

What Does ArchPublic Cost?

ArchPublic’s transaction fees depend on the outside exchange or brokerage connected to the platform. For example, transactions executed through Gemini are subject to a 0.40% transaction fee. ArchPublic also has paid software tiers with one-time costs ranging from $25,000 to $250,000, depending on the level of annual transaction volume. IRA administration fees and other third-party costs can also apply on top of that.

*Some taxes may apply.

iTrustCapital is a fintech software platform for alternative and traditional assets. iTrustCapital is not an exchange, funding portal, custodian, trust company, licensed broker, dealer, broker-dealer, investment advisor, investment manager or adviser. iTrustCapital is not affiliated with and does not endorse any particular digital asset, cryptocurrency, precious metal, stock, ETF or Q strategy. It makes no representation that any Q strategy will be profitable, achieve any particular result or avoid losses. iTrustCapital does not provide legal, investment or tax advice.