Buyer's guide

How to choose a trade copier

Most trade copiers do the same basic job: a trade on one account is placed on your others. Where they differ is where they run, which platforms they connect, and how much control you get over each account. Here's what to check, with LucianAlgo's answer to each point, so you can hold any copier to the same list.

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The three kinds of copier

Local copiers
An EA or program on your own computer or VPS. Often a one-off price, but your terminals and the VPS must keep running, and most connect only MetaTrader accounts.
Cloud copiers
The copier runs your accounts on its own servers. There's nothing to keep open, and many connect several platforms. You pay a subscription. LucianAlgo is a cloud copier.
Copy-trading networks
Places where you follow other traders' signals. They copy someone else's trades. Copiers like LucianAlgo copy your own trades between your own accounts.

Checklist: what to compare

What to check	Why it matters	LucianAlgo
Where it runs	A local copier stops when your computer or VPS does.	In our cloud, 24/7, with your computer off. NinjaTrader is the exception: its add-on runs in your NinjaTrader.
Platforms	You can only copy to accounts the copier can connect.	MT5, MT4, cTrader, TradeLocker, Match-Trader, DXtrade, Tradovate, NinjaTrader 8, TopstepX and TradingView alerts.
Copying across platforms	Prop firms and brokers don't all use the same platform.	Any master to any slave, with symbol names and futures contracts matched for you.
Lot size for each account	Accounts of different sizes need different lots.	Multiplier, equity ratio, risk per trade or a fixed lot, with minimum and maximum lots, set per account.
Partial closes, stops and targets	Without them, your slaves drift away from your master.	Partial closes and stop loss and take profit changes are copied.
Copy speed you can check	Every copier says it's fast. Check whether it shows you.	MT5 masters are checked every 2 ms, and the dashboard shows the measured time of every copy.
Prop firm protection	One bad day can fail a challenge.	A drawdown guard and a news filter for each account, and a dedicated IP add-on for $5 a month.
Failed copies	You need to know when a copy didn't happen, and why.	Listed in your dashboard with the reason the broker gave, such as market closed or not enough margin.
Price	Per account, per plan or a one-off fee.	$10 per account, or plans from $27 a month. 7-day free trial, no card needed.

Questions

What is the best trade copier?

The one that connects all your platforms and keeps copying when you're not there. If all your accounts are MT4 or MT5 at one broker and you already run a VPS, a local copier can do the job. If you mix platforms, trade prop firm accounts or don't want to keep a VPS running, a cloud copier is the simpler choice.

When is a local copier the better choice?

When you only trade MetaTrader, already keep a VPS running, and prefer a one-off price to a subscription.

Can LucianAlgo copy other traders' signals?

No. It copies your own trades between your own accounts, or your own TradingView alerts. A master only ever copies to slaves owned by the same customer.

Is a cloud copier slower than a local one?

Not necessarily. Most of the time a copy takes is the broker filling the order. Our engine adds a few milliseconds per copy, and the dashboard shows the measured time of each one.