GLOSSARY
What is a trade copier?
A trade copier is software that automatically replicates trades from one account (the master) into one or more other accounts (the followers) in real time. When the master opens, changes or closes a position, the copier places the same trade in every connected account, scaled to the size and risk each one is set to. It turns trading many accounts by hand into managing one.
How a trade copier works
Pick a master account
The account you actually trade. Every order it places becomes the source that others follow.
Connect follower accounts
Link one or more accounts that should receive the same trades. Each master-to-follower link is one connection.
Trades copy in real time
The moment the master opens, edits or closes a position, the copier places the same order in every follower, in milliseconds.
Each follower keeps its own rules
Per account you can scale lot size, reverse direction, or filter which symbols are allowed to copy.
What makes a good trade copier
Low latency
Copies in milliseconds, so a follower gets almost the same fill price as the master instead of a worse one.
Cross-platform
Works across MT4, MT5, cTrader and more, in any mix, not just one terminal.
Per-account risk
Lot scaling, reverse and risk caps set separately for each follower account.
Honest pricing
Priced per connection, not per account, so you never pay for the master on its own.
On pricing specifically, see per-connection vs per-account trade copiers.
Who uses a trade copier
- Prop firm traders copy one master into several funded and challenge accounts. See the prop firm trade copier guide.
- Signal providers broadcast their own trades to subscribers automatically.
- Account managers mirror one strategy across many client accounts at once.
- Individual traders copy across their own brokers to diversify or hedge.
Key terms
Master (source)
The account you trade. Its orders are the ones being copied.
Follower (destination)
An account that receives and mirrors the master's trades.
Connection
One master-to-follower link. Copy one master into three accounts and that is three connections.
Lot scaling
Adjusting trade size per follower, so a small and a large account can follow the same master.
Slippage
The price gap between the master's fill and the follower's, usually caused by latency.
Latency
The delay between the master trading and the follower copying it. Lower is better.
Common questions
Is a trade copier the same as copy trading?
They overlap. Copy trading is the general idea of one account following another. A trade copier is the software that does it, usually with more control over speed, risk and which platforms connect.
Does a trade copier work across different platforms?
A good one does. HeptaCopier copies across MT4, MT5, cTrader and more, so a master on one platform can feed a follower on another.
Is using a trade copier legal?
Copying between your own accounts is normal and widely used. The limits come from your broker's or prop firm's own rules on automation, not from the copier itself.
How fast should a trade copier be?
Fast enough that the follower's fill matches the master's. Single-digit to low double-digit milliseconds is the range to look for; slower than that and slippage starts to show.
Try a trade copier free
Copy between your own accounts on MT4, MT5, cTrader and more. First 2 connections free, no card.
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