What is a trade copier?
A trade copier is software that automatically mirrors the trades of one account (the master) onto one or more other accounts (the followers). When the master opens, closes, or adjusts a position, the copier reproduces that action on each follower, sized by each follower's own settings. It works on platforms like MT5 and cTrader. A copier executes trades that already happened on the master; it does not predict the market or give advice.
The short answer
A trade copier watches one "master" account and repeats its trading actions on other "follower" accounts. It is a way to keep several accounts trading in step with a single source, without a person placing each order by hand on every account.
- Master account: the source. Its trades are the ones being copied.
- Follower account: any account set to mirror the master. There can be one or many.
- The copier: the software in the middle that detects the master's action and reproduces it on each follower, in real time.
How a trade copier works
When the master opens a position, the copier detects it and sends the equivalent order to each follower. The same applies to closes, partial closes, pending orders and their cancels, and stop-loss / take-profit changes. Each follower still runs its own connection to its own broker, so each one executes on its own - the copier coordinates the mirror between them.
Followers rarely copy the master's exact lot size. Each follower usually has its own sizing rule - a fixed lot, or a multiple of the master's size - so a small account and a large account can follow the same master at different scales.
Types of trade copier
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Same-platform | Master and followers are on the same platform, e.g. MT5 to MT5, or cTrader to cTrader. |
| Cross-platform | Master and followers are on different platforms, e.g. an MT5 master to a cTrader follower. This usually needs a symbol mapping so the follower trades the matching instrument. |
| Local vs hosted | A local copier runs on your own PC and must stay on. A hosted copier keeps the connection online for you without keeping your own machine running. |
With LOTUX the copier is account-based: you connect each account once, mark one as the master and the others as followers, and copying works within MT5, within cTrader, and forward from one to the other.
How LOTUX copies trades (and its honest limits)
LOTUX runs the copy on both MT5 (through the LotuxBridge EA) and cTrader (through the LOTUX cBot). It copies market entries, closes, partial closes, pending orders and cancels, SL/TP changes, and scale-ins. A few honest notes on cTrader:
- On cTrader, custom fixed-pip stop-loss / take-profit can fall back to "mirror" mode on older cBot versions - the copy still happens using the master's SL/TP; it is not a missed copy.
- On cTrader, mirroring partial closes can be limited today; full closes copy normally. MT5 supports the full set, including atomic custom SL/TP.
- Cross-platform copying works in either direction (an MT5 master to a cTrader follower, or a cTrader master to an MT5 follower) using a symbol mapping. One option - reverse copy, where a follower trades the opposite direction of the master - is not available when the two are on different platforms.
Try copy trading on your own accounts
This is the exact mirror LOTUX runs between a master and its followers. Choose how you host each bridge - every account executes through its own EA/cBot.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a trade copier in simple terms?
- It is software that automatically repeats one account's trades on other accounts. When the master trades, each follower trades the same way, sized by its own settings.
- Is a trade copier the same as a signal service?
- No. A signal service sends you a suggestion that you act on. A trade copier carries out the master's actual trades on your account automatically, with no manual step per trade.
- Does a trade copier work between MT5 and cTrader?
- With LOTUX, yes - copying works in either direction between MT5 and cTrader (and within each platform) using a symbol mapping. One option, reverse copy (a follower trading the opposite direction of the master), is not available across different platforms.
- Does a trade copier guarantee profit?
- No. A copier only reproduces the master's trades on your account; it does not predict the market or give advice. If the master loses, followers copy the loss. You are responsible for your own accounts and settings.
LOTUX executes the copied orders on your rules - it is not a broker and not investment advice. Copying does not guarantee any outcome; trading carries risk, and you are responsible for your own accounts and settings.