PipWardenWhat is a forex VPS?
Definition A forex VPS is a virtual private server, a virtual Windows machine rented in a data centre, that keeps MetaTrader and an Expert Advisor running while the market is open, without relying on a home PC.
A forex VPS is a virtual Windows machine you rent in a data centre and control over Remote Desktop, so MetaTrader 5 and your Expert Advisor keep running when your own PC is off. It exists because an EA works only while its terminal is open, awake and online, and forex trades around the clock five days a week.
How a forex VPS works
One physical server is split into several virtual machines. You connect with Remote Desktop, install MT5 as on a PC, attach the EA and disconnect. Closing the Remote Desktop window disconnects the session and leaves MT5 running, unless a time limit ends disconnected sessions; signing out of Windows ends the session and closes MT5.
What makes it a forex VPS is location: servers near the brokers’ trade servers, so the delay is short. MetaQuotes advertises 0-5 ms from its own hosting, against “from 100 ms” for a home PC (MQL5 VPS).
Three ways to keep an EA running
| Home Windows PC | MetaQuotes Virtual Hosting | Windows VPS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your own computer | A hosted copy of your terminal, rented from inside MT5 | A rented Windows server |
| Cost, as of October 2026 | Electricity | $10-15 a month (price page) | Depends on provider and size |
| How you start | Turn off sleep, plan for update restarts | Navigator → right-click the account → Register a Virtual Server | Remote Desktop, then install MT5 |
| Main limits | Your power and internet | No DLLs; you change settings locally and migrate again | You maintain Windows and MT5 yourself |
MetaQuotes hosting works by migration. Your open charts and running EAs are copied from your terminal, the WebRequest list has to be set up there first, and automated trading is switched off in the local terminal so the two copies do not trade the same account (migration help). The full comparison is in do you need a VPS for your EA.
How much latency matters
Latency is the delay between your terminal and the broker’s trade server. It costs money only when price moves while an order is on its way.
Common mistakes
Two terminals on one account. Leave the home PC running after the move and two copies of the EA can act on the same signals. Remove the old copy once the VPS one runs.
Assuming a VPS never restarts. Windows updates restart it too. MT5 has to start again afterwards, with the Algo Trading button green (what that button does).
Treating uptime as protection. A VPS does not limit losses. Stops already at the broker work with or without it; trailing stops and new entries stop with the terminal.
Forex VPS and PipWarden
PipWarden’s EA runs in MT5 desktop on a Windows PC or a Windows VPS, never on a phone, and that terminal needs the platform’s address on its WebRequest list. It runs for one account in one terminal at a time: a second terminal with the same token shows “Another MetaTrader terminal is already running the EA for this account” and opens no trades.
When the EA stops reporting for more than 90 seconds, the dashboard marks the account Offline and, while the bot is running, sends an “Expert Advisor offline” alert. MetaQuotes hosting has not been tested end to end with PipWarden yet. The forex market hours tool shows the hours to cover; how it works shows what runs where.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a forex VPS to run an EA?
Does a VPS make an EA trade better?
Educational content, not financial advice. Forex and CFDs are traded on margin and are high risk: you can lose money, and more than your deposit with some brokers. Examples use made-up numbers and show no real results. Read the risk disclosure.