Trading currencies has evolved from the days where you could only make trades over the phone. The industry keeps benefitting from a range of different technologies, one of which has been digitalization.
With rapid expansion of automated trading systems, more traders have become aware of the benefits of using virtual private servers to automate their trades and ensure continual connectivity to their platforms. While a VPS is beneficial, it usually comes at a monthly or yearly subscription.
To solve much of this problem, some brokers provide this option at a much cheaper cost or free of charge, provided clients meet certain conditions. Unfortunately, most brokerages have somewhat unreasonable requirements for you to have free VPS hosting or at a lower cost.
This is why we have created this guide in providing only the top MT4 brokers delivering a free VPS with more reasonable conditions to narrow down your choices. Therefore, you don’t have to do all the hunting. This article will also be quite educational as you’ll learn more about this technology within forex.
Top 4 Free Forex VPS Brokers On MT4
Broker | Founded | HQ | Regulations | Platforms | Markets | Deposit from | Leverage up to | Website |
2009 | Belize | IFSC | MT4, MT5, cTrader, R Trader | Forex, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, ETFs, Metals, Energies | $300 | 1:300 | visit | |
2009 | Cyprus | CySEC, IFSC | MT4, MT5, FBS Trader | Forex, Indices, Stocks, Metals, Energies | $100 | 1:3000 | visit | |
2008 | Cyprus | FCA, CySEC, FSA, FSCA | MT4, MT5, WebTrader | Forex, Indices, Stocks, Crypto, Metals, Energies | $10 | 1:2000 | visit | |
2007 | Saint Vincent | BVIFSC | MT4, MT5, WebTrader, InstaTick Trader | Forex, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, Metals, Crypto | $1 | 1:1000 | visit |
First, let’s learn more about virtual private servers in foreign exchange, how they work, their benefits, and some key considerations to note.
What is a VPS in forex?
A VPS (virtual private server) in forex is a privately designated server traders use to place their positions in the markets. To understand how a VPS is useful, let’s consider how brokers utilize a number of servers at any one time to send and execute their clients’ orders.
For the most part, these do a pretty good job of ensuring millisecond-quick execution for traders to receive the best fill and overall experience. However, some problems can unexpectedly occur, such as power cuts, computer shutdowns, and other random glitches.
Although the execution speeds traders ordinarily receive are exceptional, any of these challenges can make a massive difference in entries and the extent of profits for a particular group of traders.
At its core, the main purpose of a VPS in forex is to provide a much faster, uninterrupted, and private connection primarily for EA (expert advisor) traders and, to some considerable extent, scalpers, day traders, and those who trade high-impact news events.
Having a private and dedicated server rather than relying on the servers used by thousands of others reduces latency, resulting in faster connectivity and better entries. Without a virtual private server, the ping time is usually not less than 1000ms.
However, a VPS can decrease this time to as low as a millisecond depending on the hosting service and specs. A VPS provides other benefits aside from quicker execution speed.
As briefly mentioned, a VPS is compulsory mainly for EA traders who need a perpetual 24/7 internet connection with zero downtime.
Since these automated trading systems do not require a human to place trades, such traders can rest assured their robot will always work regardless of whether they are near their computers or experience any connectivity issues whatsoever.
The VPS will remain active even when their computers are off or lose connection to the internet. Ultimately, a virtual private server can execute your trades far quicker and more consistently than an ordinary computer ever could.
How does a VPS work in forex?
Understanding how a VPS works in forex is simple. Ordinarily, the servers all clients connect to are globally shared amongst others. A VPS merely divides this one large server into numerous sections where only a select few users are allocated their uninterrupted portion of the server.
Thus, with a VPS, you do not share any computing power with others on a network. So, how do you normally set up a VPS? Of course, you first need to establish the strongest internet connection on your computer. Afterward, the trader will need to register or sign up for a VPS hosting service, whether externally or directly through a broker.
The VPS provider or broker will give you a designated VPS address your computer’s internet service will need to be connected to with log-in credentials. Typically, you must choose a VPS closest to your region to ensure optimal connectivity, as brokers have servers in different parts of the globe.
Lastly, you will need to use your preferred trading platform (in this case, MT4). The broker would provide further instructions on how to connect this to the VPS before placing trades.
How to choose the best free forex VPS broker
As with choosing any services, there are some considerations with using a VPS. Let’s look at a few of them below:
Choose brokers with servers close to your city or country
Perhaps one of the most crucial considerations would be to select brokers with servers as close to your country as possible. Consider an example to illustrate why this point is essential. Let’s assume all your broker’s servers are located in Europe while you live in the States.
Every time you execute a trade, the order needs to travel from Europe to States, which is quite a distance. Although this time is lightning-quick even with a non-VPS connection, it would be even faster if the broker had servers closer to or within the States.
Generally, traders can find out the location of a VPS service a particular broker uses and opt for one with servers in closer proximity to their country.
Find out the terms to get the VPS for free with minimal or no financial commitment
We should consider that, ordinarily, a VPS is not a free service. While some brokers provide it freely, this comes with stipulations, usually depositing a relatively high amount.
This figure can be north of $1000, with some needing $5000 or higher. Moreover, most brokers would require you to maintain several traded lots monthly. Should a trader not meet the prerequisites, they would need to pay a monthly fee for the server.
Some of the brokers on this list have more realistic stipulations, which is beneficial even for the most cash-strapped investors. Therefore, it helps to determine the requirements of your chosen broker, especially if you cannot fund very much in your account.
Look for brokers with the tightest spreads or offering fixed spread accounts
Another important consideration is the type of account one uses, a point especially crucial if you trade with robots, scalp the markets, or trade the news. In these scenarios, you’ll want the tightest spreads to have more predictable trading costs.
Typically, most brokers offer floating spreads that can fluctuate erratically, particularly in more volatile periods. If you frequently trade throughout the day, these can add up to sizeable amounts over time. Hence, using a zero or fixed spread account is beneficial since the trader gets more predictable costs.
Make sure the features are necessary for your needs
Most basic VPS plans include 1GB of RAM, 30GB of hard drive space, and at least a Windows 2008 R2 64-bit operating system (or Mac/Linux equivalent). These specifications are sufficient for a trader running one EA or trading one strategy.
Any VPS offering more features above these is generally not necessary for the average trader unless they plan to run multiple robots simultaneously through the same server.
Best Free Forex VPS brokers on MT4
Let’s now dive into the top four forex brokers providing a free VPS, along with their pros and cons.
RoboForex: Free Or Low-Cost Forex VPS With Only A $300 Minimum Deposit
With 11 years of experience in the forex industry, RoboForex is no fly-by-night. The multi-asset brokerage is regulated in Belize by the IFSC (International Financial Services Commission) and Cyprus by CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission).
Roboforex provides CFD trading in forex, metals, commodities, ETFs, stocks, and indices with a range of tailored accounts such as cent, Islamic, and ECN. Aside from offering MT4 as their main charting software, you can also use MT5, cTrader, and the broker’s proprietary R Trader.
Unlike many other brokers, Roboforex requires a relatively fair $300 minimum deposit to use a VPS that comes with 1GB RAM, 30GB SSD, and Intel® Xeon® E5 CPU. Clients need to trade at least three standard lots monthly to have the VPS for free.
Alternatively, they only need to pay a low $5 to continue using the VPS if they do not meet this criterion. These generous benefits certainly make Roboforex one of the best MT4 brokers offering free VPS hosting for traders worldwide.
Pros
- Provides reasonable requirements for free VPS hosting
- Low minimum deposit on nearly all their accounts
- Decent range of fee-free payment options available
- Offers a $30 welcome bonus for new clients
- Offers zero spread account
Cons
- Regulated offshore for the most part
- You need to trade at least three lots monthly to have a completely free VPS, which could be high for some
FBS: Top Free Forex VPS Broker With High Leverage
FBS was established in 2009. Regulated in Belize and Cyprus, the brand is undoubtedly a global broker providing its services to the bulk of all the world’s countries. The broker claims to serve over 17 million traders worldwide.
You can choose from a myriad of accounts, namely cent, micro, standard, zero spread, and ECN, depending on your needs and experience. FBS’ lowest deposit amount starts from $1 on their account.
Generally, offering one of the highest leverage ratios in the industry (up to 1:3000) may be advantageous for those who don’t have a lot of money to trade. FBS has an unlimited provision period for the VPS with a few conditions to fulfill. You need to deposit a minimum amount of $450.
Moreover, clients need to execute at least three standard lots similar to RoboForex or pay $33 monthly. Although FBS’ monthly fee for the VPS is a lot higher, the minimum deposit is more reasonable than many other brokers. (FBS Review)
Pros
- CySEC-regulated
- Provides several fee-free deposit and withdrawal choices
- Offers different account types
Cons
- Not so many forex pairs to choose from
- Quite a high deposit minimum on their zero spread account
- Levies inactivity fee
Exness: Top Free Forex VPS Broker With A Huge Selection Of Forex Pairs
Exness, part of the Exness Group, was originally established in 2008 by two like-minded Russian entrepreneurs, Petr Valov (CEO) and Igor Lychagov (director). Its numerous subsidiaries are licensed in Seychelles, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Curaçao, Mauritius, and South Africa.
By being a highly customer-centric broker, Exness has vastly expanded its global reach, claiming to have close to 150 000 traders and trading volume exceeding over $670 billion in some months.
When it comes to the range of markets, Exness’ offerings are superb. Clients have access to an incredible collection of 107 forex pairs, 81 stocks and indices instruments, 13 cryptocurrencies, and 12 metals and energies CFDs.
The broker caters well to both beginning and professional traders through the provision of several accounts, including a zero spread account that is particularly useful for VPS hosting. Luckily, there is no minimum number of lots to trade to have a free VPS. You only need to have at least $500 and free margin of above $100 in your account. (Exness Review)
Pros
- Regulated in multiple regions
- Provides a free VPS with no minimum lot allocation
- Offers a broad choice of instruments
- Fee-free deposits and withdrawals provided
Cons
- High minimum deposit for zero spread account
Instaforex: Top Free VPS Broker With Several Hosting Plans
Started as far back as 2007, Instaforex has stuck to its tagline of ‘instant forex trading’ through unparalleled direct access to the forex market. The brand has regulatory licenses primarily from Mauritius, Saint Vincent, and Cyprus.
They provide fast account opening, tiny minimum deposits to trade (from $1), exceptional 24/7 customer support, over 100 forex pairs, and tens of other non-forex instruments.
Instaforex provides an entirely free forex VPS on their most basic plan with deposits over $5000. Alternatively, funding at least $500 will get you their cheapest VPS deal at $5 monthly.
Depending on the specs you desire, and what you deposit, the maximum you would pay is only $17. The best part is there are no minimum lots to execute monthly, making them one of the smarter choices for any trader looking for free VPS hosting.
Pros
- Offers a variety of different hosting plans
- Provides fixed spread account with a $1 minimum deposit
- Wide selection of tradeable markets available
- Many payment options provided, some of which use cryptocurrencies
- No number of lots to meet monthly to maintain the VPS
Cons
- Most regulation in so-called offshore regions may be of concern to some
- Charges inactivity fee
FAQs about free forex VPS brokers on MT4
Which is the best free forex VPS broker on MT4?
If we observe purely on the cost by looking at the minimum deposit, Roboforex has a lower requirement of $300 compared to FBS’ $450, Exness’ $500, and Instaforex’s $500. Moreover, if you don’t execute the specified number of lots monthly with Roboforex, you only pay $5. This figure is lower than FBS and Instaforex.
Yet, Exness is also good because you don’t need to trade a certain number of lots to maintain the server, unlike FBS and Roboforex. Therefore, you have a few options to consider based on your preferences.
Do you need a VPS for forex trading?
The main group of traders to whom a VPS is necessary are those using trading robots or expert advisors because automated trading systems need to have uninterrupted, round-the-clock internet connectivity to function efficiently.
The other group of traders who can also benefit from a VPS are scalpers, day traders, and news traders who want to ensure the most optimal connection in the likelihood of any unforeseen glitches.
How much does a VPS cost normally?
Normally, users can expect to pay from $10 to $50 or even more monthly, depending on the specs and the service providing the VPS. Of course, plans are cheaper in the long run with a yearly subscription.
Will a VPS affect the trades from my broker?
No, all the parameters of your positions remain unchanged.