Known as Expert Advisors or trading bots, these tools are highly prized by investors in the US, the UK and beyond. Capable of running analyses and placing buy and sell orders in place of a human, trading bots can deliver strong returns to their users. Which bots are the best, and how should you use them? Here’s the full picture.
Trading with a Bot on Your Smartphone
A bot is no substitute for a strategy: to build your own, our guide to trading strategies breaks down the proven approaches, and trading signals can act as a safety net between two automated executions.
- Can you run a bot on your phone? Yes. A trading bot is, first and foremost, a piece of software or an app. Free or paid, bots are compatible with mobile devices, just like the brokers and trading platforms themselves.
- Who can use a trading bot? Bot trading is within everyone’s reach. Beginner, intermediate and professional traders can all use trading bots to tip the odds of success in their favor. That said, you should master the basics of trading before you start using these bots.
Other Profitable Trading Bots
- MetaTrader 4 (available at Vantage FX) – A Popular, Easy-to-Use Trading Bot
- MetaTrader 5 (available at Vantage FX) – A Widely Used Bot Loaded with Features
- DupliTrade (available at Vantage FX and AvaTrade) – A Reliable Bot Built for Copy Trading
- ZuluTrade (available at Vantage FX and AvaTrade) – A Social Trading Bot That Lets You Build Your Own Scripts
MetaTrader 4: A Popular, Easy-to-Use Automated Trading Robot
MetaTrader 4 (MT4) is one of the longest-standing automated trading robots on the market. It was launched by MetaQuotes Software back in 2002 with one goal: to make trading simpler for every kind of trader. The MT4 trading bot ships with a set of tools and features designed to deliver better transactions on the financial markets.
On top of that, MetaTrader 4 gives you access to the stock market, along with a rich range of features and Expert Advisors (EAs). You can run the software on all your devices (smartphone, PC, tablet). It tracks and executes your trades autonomously after thoroughly analyzing trading signals and financial market conditions.
To trade automatically with MetaTrader 4, you need to open an account with an MT4 broker such as Vantage FX and select MetaTrader 4 as your trading platform when setting up the account.
MetaTrader 4 Trading Bot Features
- Advanced trading technology capable of handling complex bot trading strategies
- Ultra-precise analysis functions (free Code Base service, online quotes, interactive charts, and more)
- Automatic copying of other traders’ signals and transactions
- A built-in Market option
- Tools to develop, test and optimize automated and algo trading strategies and programs
- An alert management system
- Mobile trading
Markets You Can Trade on the MetaTrader 4 Bot
- Forex
- Stocks (54 stocks)
- Commodities (gold, silver, etc.)
- Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple)
- Stock indices (DAX 30, Dow Jones DJI 30, CAC 40, etc.)
How Much Can You Make with MetaTrader 4?
MetaTrader 4 advertises an 85% success rate. With this bot, a beginner trader can make more than $1,500 a day. That figure is indicative only: depending on certain factors (amount invested, market opportunities, trading strategy, etc.), you could reach $2,000, $3,000 or $4,000 a day. You can also lose part or all of your investment on the platform.
MetaTrader 4 Bot: Pros
- Free, popular automated trading software
- You can attach trailing stops and stop losses to your positions to boost your chances of success
- Instant alerts for trading news and updates
- Customizable platform
- Supports even the most complex trading strategies
- Accessible on multiple devices with no download required
- Full transaction history available
- Easy-to-use automated trading software
- The bot is available from reliable, well-known brokers.
MetaTrader 4 Bot: Cons
- Cannot manage several trades at once
- Slower order execution
- No brokerage service.
MetaTrader 5: A Widely Used Bot Loaded with Features
The MetaTrader 5 automated trading bot is the natural successor to MetaTrader 4. MT5 offers a wider variety of tradable assets, along with more polished supporting resources and options. The platform ranks among the best automated trading solutions on the market, alongside MetaTrader 4.
MetaTrader 5 posts a success rate of 80% to 90%. You can also test your strategy on MT5 before trading real money. A transaction history helps you evaluate which strategies perform best, improving your chances of gain. Traders can use MetaTrader 5 online as well as in downloadable PC and mobile versions.
To trade automatically with MetaTrader 5, you need to create an account with an MT4 broker such as Vantage FX and choose MetaTrader 5 as your trading platform when setting up your Vantage FX account.
MetaTrader 5 Trading Bot Features
- Simple, sophisticated and complete interface
- Easy access to a demo account
- High-tech technical analysis tools (FRAMA indicator, BW MFI, CCI arrows, trader assistant, BB MACD)
- Copy trading system
- Automated trading
Markets You Can Trade on the MetaTrader 5 Bot
- Forex
- Options
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Futures
How Much Can You Make with MetaTrader 5?
The MetaTrader 5 bot claims a success rate of 80% to 90%, and there is no standard amount you can expect to make on MT5. The most ambitious, high-performing traders can pocket profits of $1,000 to $5,000 per trade on MT5.
That said, earnings depend heavily on market conditions, your strategy and your goals as a trader. What’s more, no trading bot can guarantee big daily profits: nobody beats the market with certainty, and the risk of loss is always present.
MetaTrader 5 Bot: Pros
- Manage several accounts simultaneously
- Trading signals and Expert Advisors (EAs) readily available
- Black box programming system available
- Free, downloadable trading software
- The bot is available from reliable, well-known brokers.
MetaTrader 5 Bot: Cons
- No brokerage service
- Limited customization options
What Is a Trading Bot?
A trading bot is software that monitors the financial markets and places orders automatically according to market conditions and predefined parameters. It can buy and sell financial assets in the trader’s place and even run arbitrages. Some trading bots simply analyze the market and send readings or signals to the trader, who is then free to place actual orders if they wish.
How Does a Trading Bot Work?
A trading bot runs on mathematical algorithms designed to deliver satisfying results. It makes investment decisions after analyzing and synthesizing trends and signals across different financial assets, processing an incalculable amount of information in a fraction of a second.
More concretely, a trading bot is programmed to find the best trading opportunities based on the parameters you define. Typically you specify the asset to trade, the amount or capital to commit, stop loss and take profit levels, and other money management rules.
Don’t forget to authorize the bot to open positions on its own (on some MetaTrader 4 bots, for example, you need to check the “Allow live trading” box in the bot’s settings). Once these parameters are set, you launch the bot: it analyzes the market continuously and places orders whenever it finds trading opportunities that match the criteria you defined.
Types of Trading Bots by Level of Automation
- Passive trading bots: you get an alert when a market opportunity arises. The bot takes no initiatives; it runs analyses based on the information entered during setup. In practice, the investor or trader is the only one who decides whether to open or close a position.
- Active trading bots: these handle the complete management of all your trades automatically. These trades are executed on currency pairs with no human intervention at all. The bot makes every decision required and executes transactions according to the preset configuration.
Types of Trading Bots by Asset Traded
- Crypto bots: they come in various forms (standalone software or a feature inside a client interface) and help you seize the best opportunities the crypto market offers in terms of liquidity and volatility. A crypto bot can also multiply transactions to boost your profit potential.
- Stock bots: these bots are designed to execute trades dedicated to stocks/ETFs. They scan the market nonstop and seize the best investment niches as share prices rise and fall.
- Forex robots: they multiply your presence in the forex market by targeting the currency pairs with a high level of volatility and liquidity. The bot acts according to the algorithm’s strategic configuration.
- CFD bots: they analyze the CFD market you trade (stock CFDs, commodities, etc.) and step in on your behalf when they detect trading/profit opportunities that match your parameters.
Types of Trading Bots by Analysis Method
- Technical analysis bots: this type of trading bot studies technical indicators to spot the chart configurations needed to take a position. It can run different studies and factor in indicators such as moving averages, among many others.
- Fundamental analysis bots: these prioritize macroeconomic data when analyzing stocks with high profit potential. The bot performs fundamental analysis and profits from price swings in asset values thanks to economic indicators.
- Quantitative analysis bots: these bots analyze statistical data and mathematical models to uncover the best market opportunity. The analysis is based on the assets’ quantitative data.
- Scalping bots: this bot analyzes and processes the price fluctuations of a financial security. It mainly handles small price movements across the various financial assets, taking short-term trading positions. It acts like a day trading bot.
- Day trading bots: this is a trading bot that captures every daily opportunity in the financial markets. It takes short-term positions, as in day trading, drawing on technical, fundamental and quantitative analyses of financial assets.
What Assets Can You Trade with a Trading Bot?
- Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Tether, etc.
- Forex, or currency pairs: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, USD/CAD, etc., with the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading bots you’ll find at Vantage FX.
- Stocks: Coca-Cola, Estée Lauder, Pepsi, Sanofi, Innate Pharma, etc. It’s better to invest in stocks through a broker like Vantage than to use a bot, since stocks are assets suited to medium/long-term investing rather than the short or very short term (the short or very short term being the ideal horizon for a trading bot).
- CFDs: stock CFDs, commodities, indices, metals and energies, etc., with the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading bots you’ll find at Vantage FX.
Are Trading Bots Suitable for Beginner Traders?
Yes. Novice traders are the first to benefit from this automated trading solution. They don’t need solid knowledge to trade with a trading bot: the bot takes care of the trading activity, provided it is properly configured.
What’s more, this trading software is easy to use and requires no advanced computer skills. Beginner traders simply follow the instructions to set up the bot and can then go on to make profits.
How to Avoid Trading Bot Scams
- Research the bot’s reliability and track record thoroughly
- Avoid creating accounts on brand-new platforms with no reputation
- Check the trading bot’s terms of use before using it (management fees, early exit penalties, etc.)
- Be mentally prepared to lose money and to face psychological pressure
- Master the basics of the stock market so you stop being easy prey
- Don’t fall for bots promising an implausible 99% success rate: no software can fully predict or control market movements and conditions
- Don’t be swayed by platforms that attach celebrity names to their offers: this is in no way proof of a trading bot’s performance
- Always read user reviews and other traders’ feedback on the bots before getting started
- Distrust platforms with an unprofessional, poorly structured bot interface
- Look into the activities of the brokers partnered with your trading bot
Are Trading Bots Profitable?
Some traders make $1,500 a day, others more than $10,000 a day, and some make even more. There is no fixed daily amount when you start automated trading with a trading bot. It is therefore impossible to say exactly how much you can make with a trading bot. Automated trading is not an exact science: it is a speculative activity.
That said, the gains you pocket depend on several factors:
- The trader’s strategy and goals
- The capital invested
- Market conditions and/or trends
- The trading bot’s performance
Even so, you should get some training, even at a minimum, before diving into bot trading. Experienced traders stand a better chance of making more money day to day with a trading bot.
Why Trade with a Trading Bot?
- Make transactions on the financial markets easier
- Trade without real experience in finance or trading
- Automate trades on the financial markets
- Maximize your chances of success and earn satisfying profits without the headache
- Reduce human error (the bot executes orders without emotion)
- Make fast, effective trading decisions
- Reduce the risk of loss
- Execute low-cost transactions
- Execute orders 24/7 without a single moment of downtime
- Cut the time spent hunting for the market’s best opportunities
- Get better trading results over the short, medium or long term
- Analyze and manage several trades at once, in very little time
Do Trading Bots Really Work?
Yes. All the trader has to do is pick the right bot and configure it well to enjoy the full extent of its performance. A trading bot is designed to optimize gains and make traders’ lives easier. This software helps you optimize your trades automatically. It displays success rates of up to 80% for the most realistic software, and sometimes more.
Jean-Jacques Goldman and Trading Bots
J-J Goldman is a household name in the French music world. The songwriter, composer and performer has been repeatedly linked to automated trading. His name has been attached to trading bots since the early 2020s: it was a fake interview that spread the star’s name through the trading world as one of the field’s leading players. Yet no evidence has ever been presented to this day to support that wild rumor.
Jean-Pierre Pernaut and Trading Bots
Some trading platforms have mentioned this French TV presenter’s name as an active member of the automated trading scene. The fact remains that Jean-Pierre Pernaut has not confirmed any involvement in trading to this day. He does not acknowledge having invested in trading, let alone having opened a trading account with a trading bot.
Kylian MBAPPE and Trading Bots
The PSG star is also said to be involved in automated trading. Numerous articles ran this story, which is in fact based on false allegations from certain scammers in the crypto field. The Paris club’s attacker is reported to have filed a complaint against the authors of these articles, which harmed his image and integrity.
Dany Boon and Trading Bots
Director-comedian Dany Boon was presented as a player in automated trading by certain platforms. Yet the comedian never acknowledged or confirmed any involvement in an investment project of this kind. It is now clear that this was simply false information. The celebrity’s name was used for marketing purposes by brokers, platforms or trading bots.
Jean-Luc Reichmann and Trading Bots
In 2025, this French TV host and comedian fell victim to a misleading campaign about his supposed association with trading bot platforms. It was a case of identity theft by unscrupulous players in trading, out to scam traders. This pernicious rumor has nothing to do with the trading activity itself: it concerns scammers who used the comedian’s image and name for damaging advertising purposes.
Xavier Niel and Trading Bots
Business tycoon Xavier Niel was presented by certain automated trading operators as one of their privileged clients. Many beginner traders signed up on these platforms believing the information was true. In reality, this supposed involvement of Xavier Niel in bot trading is pure fiction and belongs to misleading marketing practices.
Unlike these French celebrities, it is proven that certain other celebrities do have ties to automated trading or trading bots. Many are crypto enthusiasts who state their activity or opinions openly, without any harm to themselves. The most prominent here is Katy Perry: she has mentioned her investments and trading activity on Instagram. Alongside Katy Perry are Paris Hilton, Ashton Kutcher, Mike Tyson, Lionel Messi, Jamie Foxx, The Game, Luis Suarez, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others.
Pros of Trading Bots
- Streamlined trading processes
- Time and energy saved
- Trading with no sensitivity to emotions (feelings) or shifts in market conditions
- The ability to execute complex trading strategies
- Fast, thorough analysis of financial market opportunities
- Trading 24/7
- Effective application of trading strategies
- Easier backtesting.
Cons of Trading Bots
- No oversight or immediate intervention when problems or bugs occur
- A good, constant internet connection is required
- Market volatility can be amplified
- Profit guarantees that are often surreal and not always confirmed
- Limited ability to analyze fundamental data / run fundamental analyses
- A high risk of scams
How to Trade Well with a Trading Bot: Tips
- Master the basics of trading: bot trading, or automated trading, doesn’t require solid financial knowledge, but every trader who wants to trade with a bot must master the basics of trading, if only to configure the software in an informed way.
- Check the bot’s reliability: there are many scammers offering bots of dubious quality. Start by verifying the bot’s quality and reliability, for example by reading user reviews and checking the reputation of the broker, platform or operator offering the trading bot. It is also recommended to consult the AMF blacklist, France’s financial regulator.
- Define a trading strategy: without a realistic strategy, your trading bot cannot make you money. A good strategy takes into account the stop loss, trading signals, the specifics of the asset traded, market conditions and other criteria.
- Apply effective money management: you must master your capital, your degree of risk aversion, your market entry and exit conditions, and so on, and give the trading bot the rules to follow to limit your potential losses and gains.
- Set up your trading bot properly: define all the parameters precisely (capital, risk level, number of transactions, stop loss, take profit, etc.), without forgetting the one that decides whether or not the trading bot may actually place orders on your behalf.
- Stay disciplined: discipline means, for example, not staking all your capital on one or a few trades, targeting the markets or the types of products to trade, and sticking to your trading strategy.
This article is intended for educational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Leveraged trading carries a high risk of losing capital; the majority of retail accounts lose money.