Copy trades without a VPS: how a cloud trade copier works

Updated 2026-10-09

Most trade copiers run inside a MetaTrader terminal. That terminal has to stay logged in around the clock, which is why many traders rent a VPS: an always-on computer whose only job is to keep terminals open.

A cloud trade copier moves that job to the provider’s servers. This guide explains what a VPS is used for in copy trading, how SnapCopier works without one, and what you still need to take care of.

Why a VPS is used for copying

A copier that works as an expert advisor or a desktop tool lives next to the terminals it copies between, usually one terminal per account. If the computer sleeps, restarts or loses its internet connection, the copier stops, and any trade the master opens in that time is not copied. A VPS is a rented computer that stays on, so the terminals and the copier keep running.

It works, but it is one more thing to rent, set up, log in to and keep updated, and the effort grows with the number of accounts.

What a cloud copier does instead

SnapCopier connects to the broker’s MetaTrader trade server directly, with the account’s login, the way a terminal does, but from our servers and without a terminal. It follows the master account, and when the master opens, changes or closes a trade, it places the matching order on each follower. You set it up in the browser.

One trader per account. An account is traded by exactly one cloud node at a time, so two nodes never copy the same trade twice.
Failover. If a node fails, its accounts move to another within about a minute.
Recovery after a drop. After a reconnect, a restart or a gap in the event stream, each follower is compared with its master and anything missed is repaired. Opens, closes and stop loss and take profit changes all catch up, without a second copy of a trade that is already there.

What you still need

The account logins. A master can connect with a read-only investor password. A follower needs its trading password, because the copier places orders on it. Followers can enter their own details through an invite link, so a signal provider never sees them.
Safe storage. Credentials are stored encrypted with AES-256-GCM, and a MetaTrader trading password cannot be used to withdraw funds.
A master that trades. You can keep trading the master by hand, from the mobile app or with an expert advisor. The copier follows the account itself.

If your master is driven by an expert advisor, that advisor still needs a terminal that stays on, for example on a VPS. A cloud copier replaces the copying layer, not the place where your strategy runs.

What changes when your computer is off

Nothing about the copying. Your desktop terminals can stay closed and your computer can be turned off, because the connections to the brokers are ours. Adding a follower gets easier too: a new account is a login in the browser, not another terminal on another machine.

How fast a copy is depends on both brokers and on the network between them and us, so we do not promise a number. The copy log shows every copy with its time split into our own processing, the wait for a price and the broker’s execution.

Questions

Do I have to keep MetaTrader open?

No. Your desktop terminals can stay closed, and your computer can be off. The connections to the brokers are made from our servers.

Can I still trade the master account myself?

Yes. You can trade it by hand, from the mobile app or with an expert advisor. The copier follows the account, whatever placed the trade.

What happens if the connection to a broker drops?

The connection is re-established automatically, and each follower is then compared with its master. Anything missed is repaired without opening a second copy of a trade that is already there.

Try it with your own accounts

Connect a master and a follower and watch the first copy appear in the log.

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