A virtual private server or VPS is rather a necessity if you’re running expert advisors (EAs). It keeps your trading platform running 24/7, no matter your local connection. The good news is that some brokers will cover the monthly cost, if you meet their volume or deposit conditions. Here’s a look at six of these compared side by side.
Broker-by-broker breakdown
ACY Securities
ACY Securities ties its VPS access to the ProZero account, which requires a minimum $200 deposit and charges a $6 round-turn commission per lot with raw spreads from 0 pips.
Traders on this account who hit at least 20 lots per month receive a $35 monthly credit towards VPS costs through a third-party provider like ForexVPS. The server comes pre-configured with MT4 and related tools, making it a straightforward setup for algo traders.
It’s worth noting that the VPS is hosted externally, so specifications can vary. If you’re already trading actively on a raw spread account, this one pretty much pays for itself.
Exness
Exness takes a slightly different approach. Rather than tying the VPS to monthly volume alone, it requires a lifetime deposit of at least $500 and a maintained free margin of $100. Then you can apply through the support team to access a Windows Server 2012 environment with 1 core CPU, 1GB RAM and 10GB of disk space.
The exact criteria are also displayed in your Personal Area under the Virtual Private Server tab, making it easy to track your eligibility at any time. It’s one of the more accessible entry points in this list as the bar is low enough for part-time or lower-frequency traders, though the server specs are on the lighter side.
FBS
FBS keeps things even simpler. The first month of VPS is free for all live accounts and from the second month onwards, you keep it at no cost by trading at least 3 standard lots within the previous month. Fall below that and a $33/month fee is charged.
Note that a minimum deposit of $450 is required. For lower-volume traders who can comfortably clear 3 lots a month, this is arguably the easiest free VPS to maintain in this comparison.
Fusion Markets
Fusion Markets has one of the more polished VPS setups here. Traders who clear 20 lots of FX or metals within any 30-day period qualify for a sponsored VPS, with a choice between a VPS powered by NYC Servers, compatible with MT4, TradingView and cTrader, or an MT5 VPS powered by MetaQuotes.
Fusion debits the subscription fee upfront and once you meet the volume requirement, the cost is refunded directly to your account. There’s no minimum deposit here, making it a solid pick for active traders who want the full platform range.
FXGT
FXGT offers VPS through its VPS Sponsorship Programme. To qualify, you need a minimum account balance of $3,000 and monthly trading volumes of at least 5 GT Lots, where 1 GT Lot equals $100,000 in notional.
The VPS is provided by MetaQuotes, so everything integrates seamlessly without additional setup. However, the broker’s VPS allocation is lottery-based, meaning eligibility doesn’t guarantee access. If you don’t win the draw, you simply won’t receive a server that month. For traders who meet the balance threshold and trade consistently, this is a fair perk, but the uncertainty is worth factoring in.
IC Markets
At IC Markets, traders who put through at least 15 standard lots a month in forex and metals qualify for a fully sponsored VPS, which can be set up within 20 minutes of approval. The paid fallback is $20/month for those who don’t yet qualify.
The broker partners with providers including ForexVPS.net and NYC Servers, with servers co-located in Equinix NY4 (New York) and LD5 (London), the same infrastructure used by institutional traders. That proximity keeps latency well below 5 milliseconds.
How to claim your free VPS
The process to claim a free VPS may change slightly between brokers, but the general steps are rather similar:
- Open and verify a live account: demo accounts don’t count towards VPS eligibility.
- Meet the requirement: trade the required lots within the qualifying period or maintain the minimum balance.
- Apply: most brokers have a dedicated VPS section in the client area. Submit your request there, or contact support if there’s no self-service option.
- Receive credentials: login details are usually emailed within 24 hours.
- Keep qualifying: VPS access may be reviewed monthly. If you dip below the threshold, expect either a fee deduction or service suspension.
Which broker suits you?
The right choice mostly depends on how much you trade.
- Lower-volume trader: Exness works well as it’s balance-based, and FBS is hard to beat since 3 lots a month is a modest target.
- Higher-balance: FXGT needs only 5 lots, if you don’t mind the lottery part.
- Higher-volume trader: ACY Securities, IC Markets and Fusion Markets all offer institutional-grade data centre access.
| Broker | Free VPS condition | Paid fallback |
|---|---|---|
| ACY Securities | ProZero account 20 lots/month | $35/month credit |
| Exness | $500 lifetime deposit $100 free margin | Paid tier available |
| FBS | 3 lots/month | $33/month |
| Fusion Markets | 20 lots/month | Paid via NYC Servers |
| FXGT | $3,000 balance5 GT lots/month | N/A (lottery-based) |
| IC Markets | 15 lots/month | $20/month |
Wrapping up
The key takeaway here is that a free VPS is often available, traders just need to stay honest about their trading volume and minimal balance before choosing which broker’s conditions they can actually keep up with.
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