Is copy trading worth it?

Share this:
Editorial Note: While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for How We Make Money. None of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer.

Copy trading is an increasingly popular type of social trading. This strategy allows new traders to automatically or manually copy the trades of more experienced traders on the Forex and other financial markets. Copy trading can result in both higher-than-average profits and losses. The success is determined by various factors.

This article talks about copy trading, it's worth, fees, and profitability. We’ll also highlight tips for choosing the best trader to copy and how much you can earn through copy trading.

Copy trading can be profitable, but there's no guarantee you'll make money. The profitability of copy trading depends on several factors, such as the traders you choose to copy, the market conditions, and your risk management strategy. It's essential to remember that copy trading involves risks, and you should only invest what you can afford to lose.

Start trading Forex now with eToro!
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.

Is copy trading profitable?

Copy trading is profitable if an investor can predict which traders will be successful and then copy their trades. The best Forex traders usually make from 5% to 30% per month. However, there is always the chance of losing money, since even experienced traders make mistakes. Markets are known for being unpredictable, and traders suffer liquidity risk as well.

Is copy trading profitable? How you can earn money on copy trading

Is copy trading free?

Copy trading is free on some platforms, however, some may charge a small fee for trading on their platform. This amount can vary from platform to platform. Some examples of free copy trading platforms are RoboForex and eToro, which do not charge any subscription fees for traders to copy trade.

Copy Trading - Best Strategies and Platforms

How to choose a good trader to copy trades?

Copy trading might be an easy strategy to follow; however, choosing a good trader to copy isn’t. The Traders Union has mentioned some tips for choosing the best trader.

Trusted trader

The simplest way to spot a good copy trader is to look at how much confidence their followers have in them. Examine the amount of actual money that others have invested with them in order to receive signals from the trader. Furthermore, you should think about how much money those followers are making by following that signal provider. This information may be found on their profile page.

Generally, if a trader has a small number of copiers and followers, this is a bad sign, and you should avoid him. Furthermore, the most copied traders are not necessarily the best traders. Some just found methods to enhance their ranks by performing questionable actions such as manually copying the activity of other successful traders or opening many accounts and staying with the one that performed the best by chance.

Returns

Negative returns are obviously unattractive. However, while very high returns may appear attractive, keep in mind that yearly returns of 70% or more are rare and are most likely due to chance or excessive risk.

Examine the monthly returns to see if the performance is related to a particular month or months. Check out the profit charts of the traders. Choose the one having consistent rising profits.

Number of trades and open trades

Another factor to consider when selecting the best copy trader to follow is the number of trades the copy trader makes. A large number of closed trades (1000 or more) is a strong sign. A high value can help determine whether or not the trader is experienced and that their success is not due to luck. This is dependent on the trader's plan. Long-term traders prefer to keep their holdings for a longer period of time, resulting in fewer trades.

Professional traders understand when to accept losses and how to use stop settings to minimize losses before they become unbearable. A trader with few active trades and a winning percentage between 60 and 80 percent is more likely to do well eventually than one with over 10 open trades and a winning ratio of 100 percent.

Trader level

Some copy trading platforms rank their traders by levels, and to advance to the next level, the trader needs to meet specific requirements, such as managing the loss, increasing the amount of real money invested, maintaining consistent profits, etc.

The higher the level, the greater the confidence that the trader is professional. Furthermore, certain platforms permit copy traders to use demo accounts. Ensure you are copying a trader who uses real money.

Trading strategy and style

Make sure to read the profile description and understand the trader's investment strategy, it may or may not fit with your own. Assess completed trades to know his strategy. No trader is skilled in all markets, including Forex, stocks, indices, and cryptocurrencies. Look for a person who specializes in a small number of markets or commodities. To further diversify your portfolio, look for traders with similar expertise.

Best Forex Copy Trading Brokers

How much can I earn in copy trading?

Your earnings as a copy trader can depend on various factors. As a beginner, you will find it difficult to copy the trades of professional traders, hence, you may end up making low earnings. However, after choosing and copying professional traders, you might earn more.

As it said above, usually the best professional traders can make from 5% to 30% per month, however such a range is not constant. Remember that the risk of loss remains in any kind of investment.

Best Social Trading Platforms

Best copy trading platforms?

RoboForex

Open an account
Your capital is at risk.

RoboForex is a well-known copy trading platform that caters to many traders and is regulated by Belize (IFC).

RoboForex users like it because it is easy to use and has useful analytics for traders. It also has a low minimum deposit which makes it affordable. It has a $10 minimum investment, it has a significant network size of 1400 strategy providers. RoboForex takes a commission on all trades that go well, and the average commission is 40%.

RoboForex offers a social copy trading platform that serves as an affiliate scheme. You might get a partner commission if you send new members to the strategy provider.

But there are problems with using Roboforex. The filters aren't very good, and the commissions are expensive, which makes traders less likely to use them. Also, the broker is registered with a business that is based outside the country, which makes potential traders suspicious.

Read more about Copy Trading on RoboForex

eToro

Open an account
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.

With the help of eToro's user-friendly interface, traders may copy the trades of investors across more than 2300 assets, including Forex, exchange-traded securities, well-known cryptocurrencies, and CFDs. eToro, which was established in 2007 and is licensed in two Tier-1 and one Tier-2 jurisdiction, is a reliable broker for trading CFDs and Forex. More than 12,000,000 traders use the eToro trading platform.

The integration of self-directed trading and copy trading into a single trading experience is its main innovation. With eToro, you can build a portfolio based on cryptocurrencies, buy and sell well-known stocks and ETFs, set up a meeting with your investors, and more. You can open one of four types of accounts on eToro with a $50 minimum deposit: a standard account, a micro account, an Islamic account, or a VIP account.

eToro is available on Web, mobile, and tablet apps, and its advantages are that it covers a large range of trading assets, has a cutting-edge platform, and is a highly regulated broker (CySEC, FCA, and ASIC). But eToro has some problems, like spreads that are a bit higher than usual and not having the MetaTrader platform.

Read more about Copy Trading on eToro

FAQs

Is copy trading free?

Copy trading is free on some platforms; however, some may charge a small fee for trading on their platform.

How to choose the best trader to copy?

The Traders Union has listed below some tips for choosing the best trader:

Trusted trader

Returns

Number of trades and open trades

Trader level

Trading strategy

Can I become rich through copy trading?

You can become rich through copy trading if you copy the trades of professionals, apply good strategies, invest more capital, follow market trends, and make better decisions.

Is copy trading legal?

Copy trading is legal in almost all countries; however, you must check your country’s laws and news to see whether it's legal in your country or not.

Can I copy trade for free?

Yes, you can copy trades for free if you use a demo account. Many copy trading platforms have this feature.

Glossary for novice traders

  • 1 Trading

    Trading involves the act of buying and selling financial assets like stocks, currencies, or commodities with the intention of profiting from market price fluctuations. Traders employ various strategies, analysis techniques, and risk management practices to make informed decisions and optimize their chances of success in the financial markets.

  • 2 Copy trading

    Copy trading is an investing tactic where traders replicate the trading strategies of more experienced traders, automatically mirroring their trades in their own accounts to potentially achieve similar results.

  • 3 Broker

    A broker is a legal entity or individual that performs as an intermediary when making trades in the financial markets. Private investors cannot trade without a broker, since only brokers can execute trades on the exchanges.

  • 4 Investor

    An investor is an individual, who invests money in an asset with the expectation that its value would appreciate in the future. The asset can be anything, including a bond, debenture, mutual fund, equity, gold, silver, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and real-estate property.

  • 5 Cryptocurrency

    Cryptocurrency is a type of digital or virtual currency that relies on cryptography for security. Unlike traditional currencies issued by governments (fiat currencies), cryptocurrencies operate on decentralized networks, typically based on blockchain technology.

Team that worked on the article

Alamin Morshed
Contributor

Alamin Morshed is a contributor at Traders Union. He specializes in writing articles for businesses who want to improve their Google search rankings to compete with their competition.

Dr. BJ Johnson
Dr. BJ Johnson
Developmental English Editor

Dr. BJ Johnson is a PhD in English Language and an editor with over 15 years of experience. He earned his degree in English Language in the U.S and the UK. In 2020, Dr. Johnson joined the Traders Union team. Since then, he has created over 100 exclusive articles and edited over 300 articles of other authors.

Mirjan Hipolito
Cryptocurrency and stock expert

Mirjan Hipolito is a journalist and news editor at Traders Union. She is an expert crypto writer with five years of experience in the financial markets. Her specialties are daily market news, price predictions, and Initial Coin Offerings (ICO).