Copying trades between MT5 accounts: Properly using copiers, risk managers, and parallel accounts.

Many traders have multiple accounts: a demo and a live account, a personal and a prop firm account, or accounts with two brokers. Manually duplicating each trade takes time and leads to errors. Trade copiers solve this, but often involve an external server. It can also be done locally.

Parallel accounts on one PC

instaTrader launches a separate MetaTrader terminal on your PC for each additional account and logs it in – the access data stays local. In the account overview, you see balance, equity, and open positions of all accounts side by side and switch with a click.

Multiple MetaTrader accounts running in parallel in instaTrader
Multiple MetaTrader accounts running in parallel in instaTrader

The copier: Master and Clone

One account is the Master, the others are Clones. For each Clone, you set how it copies: same lots, fixed factor, or proportional to account size. Stops and targets move along, changes to the Master are mirrored, and closing closes everywhere. Since everything runs on the same PC, there's no detour over the internet between the accounts.

Copier: Mirror trades from the main account to a second account
Copier: Mirror trades from the main account to a second account

The risk manager: Rules that really work

A daily loss limit in your head doesn't help much if your hand is faster. The risk manager monitors each account: If the daily loss reaches the limit, instaTrader closes open positions and blocks new orders until the next trading day. For prop firm accounts, there's a mode that applies typical rules to all accounts.

Risk manager with daily limit and prop firm mode
Risk manager with daily limit and prop firm mode

Typical setups

  • Test demo, follow live: Master demo, clone live with a small factor. Only increase the factor when the demo is right.
  • Secure prop firm challenge: Risk manager with daily limit just below the firm limit, prop mode on.
  • Compare two brokers: See the same trades on both accounts, spread, and execution side by side.

Around the clock

If you want the copier to run even when your PC is off, a Windows VPS helps. instaTrader has an assistant in the user menu for this: order VPS from a partner, a copied command installs instaTrader and MetaTrader on the server and registers the license there.

Try it out: instaTrader is available for MetaTrader 4 and 5. The setup is free to download, and trading is done with a subscription license starting at €19.90 per month, cancellable at any time. All features, images, and prices.

Note: Trading financial instruments involves significant risks up to total loss. Analyses and signals in instaTrader are automatically generated from market data and are not investment advice.