Priya Nair is a swing trader in Austin, Texas. She has been an OptionsBell subscriber for four months. Recorded July 28, 2026.
Why she switched
Four months in. I came from a terminal-first platform, and I don't miss it. I don't want to stare at a flow terminal all day. I have a day job, I own stocks. I want to know when something big hits on the tickers I hold, and I want that in my inbox, not in some tab I forget to open.
OptionsBell is email-first. That's basically the whole product. I set my tickers, I set my thresholds, and the email alerts come to me. Last week I got one on a $4.4M call on BHVN at 106x Vol/OI. Saw it on my phone at lunch, checked the position, decided to hold, and got on with my day.
The other option is sitting in front of a dashboard waiting for something to happen. I don't have that kind of time, and OptionsBell gets that.
Does she use the API?
I don't write code. But I do use the MCP server with Claude on my laptop. Before I enter a trade, I ask it to check the flow history on the ticker. That's the only "API" I need, and it's included.
Honestly, the MCP integration is what sold me. I looked at a hosted options MCP server, and that one's $79 a month on its own. Another one needs you to have an Unusual Whales API subscription first. With OptionsBell it's just part of the $24.99 plan. If you're a retail trader and you just want to ask questions, that's a big deal.
What she asks it
"Has there been unusual put activity on my holdings this week?" "What sector is seeing the most premium concentration today?" "Pull the flow history on AMD for the last 30 days."
The MCP returns the data, Claude explains it, and I make the call. I don't need to learn a terminal. I don't need to parse JSON. I just ask.
On the price
People say $24.99 is too cheap to be good. I tell them to try it for two weeks. The refund policy is 14 days, no questions asked. And I did the math. I pay less in a month than some platforms charge for a two-week trial.
FlowAlgo is $149 a month, and the only way to test it is a paid $37 trial. The Unusual Whales API is a separate $150 a month. I looked at both, and I couldn't justify that for what I actually use. OptionsBell gives me email alerts and MCP access for $24.99. That's really all there is to the comparison.
The biggest change in how she trades
I feel informed instead of reactive. I used to read a headline and think, should I have seen this coming? Now most of the time I already know, because the alert hit my inbox before the news did.
I don't need to learn a terminal. I don't need to parse JSON. I just ask. That's worth twenty-five dollars. Easily.
If your setup looks like Priya's (a day job, a handful of holdings, no time for a terminal), set up email alerts on the tickers you own and let the tape come to you.
Full interview transcript
Recorded transcript, lightly edited for readability.
Interviewer: Today we're talking with Priya Nair, a swing trader in Austin, Texas. Priya's been an OptionsBell subscriber for four months.
Priya Nair: Four months in. I came from a terminal-first platform, and I don't miss it.
Interviewer: What made you switch?
Priya Nair: I don't want to stare at a flow terminal all day. I have a day job, I own stocks. I want to know when something big hits on the tickers I hold, and I want that in my inbox, not in some tab I forget to open.
OptionsBell is email-first. That's basically the whole product. I set my tickers, I set my thresholds, and the alerts come to me. Last week I got one on a $4.4M call on BHVN at 106x Vol/OI. Saw it on my phone at lunch, checked the position, decided to hold, and got on with my day.
The other option is sitting in front of a dashboard waiting for something to happen. I don't have that kind of time, and OptionsBell gets that.
Interviewer: Do you use the API at all?
Priya Nair: I don't write code. But I do use the MCP server with Claude on my laptop. Before I enter a trade, I ask it to check the flow history on the ticker. That's the only "API" I need, and it's included.
Honestly, the MCP integration is what sold me. I looked at a hosted options MCP server, and that one's $79 a month on its own. Another one needs you to have an Unusual Whales API subscription first. With OptionsBell it's just part of the $24.99 plan. If you're a retail trader and you just want to ask questions, that's a big deal.
Interviewer: What kind of questions do you ask it?
Priya Nair: "Has there been unusual put activity on my holdings this week?" "What sector is seeing the most premium concentration today?" "Pull the flow history on AMD for the last 30 days."
The MCP returns the data, Claude explains it, and I make the call. I don't need to learn a terminal. I don't need to parse JSON. I just ask.
Interviewer: What do you tell people who say $24.99 is too cheap to be good?
Priya Nair: I tell them to try it for two weeks. The refund policy is 14 days, no questions asked. And I did the math. I pay less in a month than some platforms charge for a two-week trial.
FlowAlgo is $149 a month, and the only way to test it is a paid $37 trial. The Unusual Whales API is a separate $150 a month. I looked at both, and I couldn't justify that for what I actually use. OptionsBell gives me email alerts and MCP access for $24.99. That's really all there is to the comparison.
Interviewer: What's the biggest change in how you trade?
Priya Nair: I feel informed instead of reactive. I used to read a headline and think, should I have seen this coming? Now most of the time I already know, because the alert hit my inbox before the news did.
That's worth twenty-five dollars. Easily.