Don't leave your EAs hanging
Your laptop sleeps. Your EAs should not.
For an EA to open, manage and close trades, MT5 has to run permanently. On your own machine that is impractical and unreliable — on a Windows VPS it costs a few euros a month and runs around the clock.
The problem
When your PC crashes, restarts, goes to standby or your internet drops, your EA cannot open, manage or close trades. One missed move can cost you a full week of performance.
The fix
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is your own Windows machine in a professional data centre. Reliable power, redundant internet, runs 24/7. You connect via Remote Desktop, install MT5, and let your EAs work in peace.
Step-by-step: set up your VPS
Full setup tutorial — open the account, order the VPS, connect via RDP, install MT5. Roughly 30 minutes start to finish.
Frequently asked
Do I really need a VPS?
For serious live trading with EAs: yes. A VPS runs 24/7 — your laptop does not, reliably. If you only work in the Strategy Tester, you do not need one.
What does it cost per month?
A basic Windows VPS at Contabo starts in the low single-digit euros per month. Plenty for one MT5 with multiple EAs.
What if I do not have a Windows machine?
Does not matter. A VPS is its own Windows machine in the cloud. You connect via Remote Desktop (RDP) — works from Mac, iPad, even a phone.
Why not the MQL5 VPS or a 'trading VPS'?
The MQL5 VPS can sync multiple charts, but it has no graphical interface and you can't run backtests on it — two major drawbacks compared to a regular Windows VPS. 'Trading VPS' providers usually charge 3-5× a normal Windows VPS with no meaningful benefit. A generic Windows VPS is the more flexible and usually cheaper solution.
Disclosure: when you sign up with Contabo through my link, I get a small commission. There is no extra cost to you — it is simply a way to support me and the channel.