Best Copy Trading Brokers in 2021

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The ascent of forex copy trading – also known as social trading, mirror trading, or auto trading – has been ongoing for over a decade. Thanks to social media and an increasingly faster web, financial news and market analysis propagate at lightning speed.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 65% and 82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

What is copy trading?

The idea of copy trading is simple: use technology to copy the real-time forex trades (forex signals) of other live investors (forex trading system providers) you want to follow. This way, every time they trade, you can automatically replicate (copy) their trades in your brokerage account.

Best Forex Brokers for Social Copy Trading

Based on over 105 different variables, here are the best forex brokers for copy trading.

• eToro - Best overall platform for copy trading
• AvaTrade - MetaTrader suite, ZuluTrade and DupliTrade
• Pepperstone - MetaTrader and cTrader platform suites
• Vantage FX - MetaTrader, ZuluTrade, DupliTrade, and Myfxbook
• IC Markets - MetaTrader, cTrader, Myfxbook, and ZuluTrade
• OctaFX - MetaTrader and cTrader platform suites
• XM Group - MetaTrader with custom indicators

Copy Trading History

Thanks to precise legal terms and ever-evolving trading technology, many regulators consider copy trading self-directed. In almost every jurisdiction, copy-trading is self-directed because the client must decide who to copy, even if the copying happens automatically (for each signal).

It’s important to note that not all trading platforms with social features provide copy trading.

Fun fact: Many of the early pioneers in social trading technology started out first as third-party platform developers, such as Tradency, ZuluTrade, and eToro. While some of these firms are still independent service providers (ISPs), eToro became a broker, for example. 

Forex Copy Trading Platforms Comparison

Using our forex brokers comparison tool, here's a summary of the trading platforms offered by the best copy trading brokers.

What is the best copy trading platform?

Our testing found eToro to have the best copy trading platform for 2021. eToro is excellent for social copy trading and cryptocurrency trading, and is our top pick for both categories in 2021. Furthermore, eToro offers a user-friendly web platform and mobile app that is great for casual investors, including beginners.

Is copy trading legal?

Copy trading is legal in most countries, pending the broker itself is properly regulated. When investing in the financial markets through a regulated-broker, procedures during the account opening process help ensure it is legal for you to trade, depending on your country of residence.

How does copy trading work?

With copy trading, a trader (signal provider) shares their real-time trades with other traders (users). Using a copy trading platform, the users can, in real-time, automatically copy the trades of the signal provider. Each copy trading platform provides optional controls to protect investors. For example, traders can customize the amount of capital they are risking and which signals to copy.

Can you make money from copy trading?

Like any investment, you can make money or lose money copy trading. The idea with copy trading is that you can assess the profitability of each trader before choosing which signal provider you want to follow. However, as the market adage goes, "Past performance is not indicative of future results." Copy trading is risky, and many traders lose money. Only invest what you are willing to lose, start with a small amount of capital, and do thorough research before committing to a strategy.

How do I choose the best trading system to forex copy trade?

The best trading system to copy isn't necessarily the most profitable. It is crucial to align your risk-parameters with the strategy that best suits your investment goals. For example, a more conservative investor may choose a system with a lower average loss per trade, relative to the average profit. On the other hand, a more aggressive investor may choose a strategy which has higher volatility, which means higher risk for losses.

Many modern copy trading forex platforms contain hundreds or even thousands of signal providers. As a result, it can be difficult for traders to decide who to follow. Thus, it is always important to do research, start with a small amount, and never risk more than you are willing to lose.

Is copy trading a good idea?

Copy trading requires active account management, as it is considered self-directed, compared to a set-it and forget-it investment fund or other passive investments. Therefore, only you can determine whether copy trading is a good idea and if it should be included in your portfolio. If used correctly, copy trading can help you diversify your existing portfolio, and the best copy trade brokers offer the most tools.

How do you copy a trade?

First, use the platform's filters to narrow strategies and traders to copy. Next, compare strategies side by side to review historical returns and performance. Finally, enter an amount you are willing to risk and initiate the copy trade.

Copy trade tip 1: Besides choosing a trader with good historical results, it’s important to look at the performance statistics for each system, such as the amount of risk taken (maximum draw down) and average trade size, duration, and frequency of trades.

Copy trade tip 2: Some investors select more than one strategy, but having enough capital and choosing the right risk parameters, if any, are crucial when you copy trade forex strategies. Remember, copy trading is risky. Never invest more money than you are willing to lose.

Other thoughts on copy trading

Understanding how social copy trading networks calculate trading performance is an essential aspect as it affects the ordering of trader rankings. The method used to measure and track profit and loss also influences trade copiers.

Instant backfill bias is just one example of the challenges social trading technology developers face if they permit traders to instantly upload their entire trading history at the click of a button.

Such challenges have been known for years, and thanks to broker procedures, regulation, and robust technology, these concerns are mostly non-issues, especially for top-rated fx brokers. Nonetheless, if in doubt, it’s always prudent to check and ask questions.

Winner: eToro

Overall

eToro is a winner for its easy-to-use copy-trading platform where traders can duplicate the trades of investors across over 2300 instruments, including exchange-traded securities, forex, CFDs, and popular cryptocurrencies.

• Trust: eToro was founded in 2007 and is regulated in two tier-1 jurisdictions and one tier-2 jurisdiction, making it a safe broker (low-risk) for trading forex and CFDs.
• Commissions: For trading forex and CFDs, eToro is slightly pricier than most of its competitors, despite recently cutting spreads and introducing zero-dollar commissions for US stock trading.
• Copy trading platforms: eToro's main innovation is merging self-directed trading and copy trading under a unified trading experience. It is a winning combination.

Runner-Up: AvaTrade

Overall

AvaTrade is a trusted global brand best known for offering traders an extensive selection of trading platform options. Our testing found AvaTrade to be great for copy trading, competitive for mobile, mostly in line with the industry average for pricing and research, and a winner for investor education.

• Trust: Founded in 2006, AvaTrade is regulated in three tier-1 jurisdictions and three tier-2 jurisdictions, making it a safe broker (low-risk) for forex and CFDs trading.
• Commissions: Compared to pricing leaders such as IG and Saxo Bank, AvaTrade does not rank among the best brokers for low-cost trading, except for clients designated as Professional traders in the EU.
• Copy trading platforms: Alongside MetaTrader, AvaTrade offers its proprietary platforms, as well as ZuluTrade and DupliTrade, for social copy trading. The variety of platform options makes AvaTrade competitive in this area.

Summary

Here's a summary of the best forex brokers for social copy trading.

Read Next

• Best Forex Brokers for 2021
• Best Forex Brokers for Beginners
• Best MetaTrader Brokers
• Compare Forex Brokers

Methodology

For our 2021 Forex Broker Review we assessed, rated, and ranked 27 international forex brokers. Each broker was graded on 108 different variables and, in total, over 50,000 words of research were produced.

While encouraged, broker participation was optional. Each broker had the opportunity to complete an in-depth data profile and provide executive time (live in person or over the web) for an annual update meeting.

All data submitted by brokers is hand-checked for accuracy. Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .1% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.

Forex Risk Disclaimer

"There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses." Learn more.