Do you need a VPS for an MT5 EA? What to look for

What a VPS is

A VPS (virtual private server) is a computer in a data centre that you rent by the month and use through Remote Desktop. It runs day and night, has a stable connection and doesn’t switch off when you close your laptop.

Location: close to the broker

Every order travels from MetaTrader 5 to the broker’s trade server. The shorter that trip, the less the price can move on the way. Most forex brokers run their servers in London or New York data centres; pick a VPS in the same city. This matters most for short-term and news robots.

In MetaTrader 5, the ping to the trade server shows in the bottom-right corner. Lower is better; a few milliseconds is excellent.

Specs

Windows, because MetaTrader 5 is a Windows program.
About 1–2 GB of memory per MetaTrader 5 terminal, more if you run many charts.
A reliable provider with clear uptime and support.

MQL5 virtual hosting or your own VPS?

MetaTrader 5 has built-in virtual hosting from MetaQuotes: you rent it inside the terminal and your robots are copied to it. It is simple, but you can’t log in to it and see the terminal, and robots that use DLLs don’t run there.

Your own VPS gives you a full Windows desktop. You install MetaTrader 5 once and see exactly what the robot is doing.

Don’t waste activations

A robot bought on MQL5 comes with a fixed number of activations, and every new computer or VPS uses one. Choose the VPS first and install there, rather than testing on several machines.

What I use

All three of my live accounts run on one Hyonix VPS. Brokers & VPS has the link (referral, disclosed).

Risk. Trading with leverage can lose all the money in an account. Past results do not guarantee future results. This article explains common approaches; it is not financial advice.

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