cTrader is Spotware's trading platform, offered by brokers and prop firms. Heron Copier connects with your cTrader ID login, watches the master account and repeats every open, stop loss and take profit change, partial close and close on your slave accounts. Slaves can be other cTrader accounts or any platform Heron Copier supports, from MT4 and MT5 to TradeLocker, MatchTrader, DXtrade and futures accounts on Tradovate, Rithmic and TopstepX.
cTrader is also where Heron Copier started: it was first built to copy trades between cTrader accounts. Today it runs in the cloud with nothing to install, or on your own VPS with the local version.
Connect with your cTrader ID
In the dashboard you add a cTrader account with your cTrader ID username or email and password, the broker, and the account number of the trading account that should be the master or the slave. Click Launch and the account is usually copying in under 60 seconds. There is no cTrader desktop to keep running, and copying continues when your computer is off.
Each account you add, master or slave, uses one cloud seat.
Volume in units, sizes in lots
cTrader measures trade size as volume in units, not lots. Heron Copier shows cTrader sizes as lots, so the same six volume sizing methods work whether the other side is cTrader, MetaTrader or TradeLocker.
Each cTrader broker sets its own minimum volume and volume step for every symbol. When a calculated size falls below the slave's minimum, that trade is not copied. This mostly happens when a large master feeds a small slave with Equity-to-Equity or a low Lot Multiplier. Check the minimum volume of the symbols you trade, and test the sizing on a demo account before a small challenge goes live.
Hedging and netting cTrader accounts
A cTrader account is either hedging or netting. On a hedging account every trade stays a separate position, so the slave mirrors the master one for one. On a netting account trades on the same symbol merge into a single position. If the master holds opposite trades on one symbol, which MT4 masters often do, give the slaves hedging accounts.
cTrader to MT5, MT4, TradeLocker and futures
Copying cTrader to cTrader is the simplest case: symbol names usually match, so most setups need no mapping at all. Across platforms the most common routes are cTrader to MT5, cTrader to MT4 and cTrader to TradeLocker, and in the other direction MT5 to cTrader. A cTrader master can also feed futures accounts, for example cTrader to Tradovate.
cTrader brokers mostly use plain symbol names such as EURUSD or US30, while MetaTrader brokers often add suffixes like EURUSD.raw. Set a symbol suffix on an MT4 or MT5 slave, remove it on an MT4 or MT5 master, or use symbol aliases. Where contract sizes differ, give the alias its own lot multiplier.
Host your cBot in the cloud
Heron Copier can run your own cBot 24/7 on a cloud cTrader account. Upload the .algo file and a .cbotset parameters file, which must be valid JSON with a Parameters section. Add between 1 and 10 charts with cTrader timeframe names such as m15, h1 or Month1. If your .cbotset already includes a chart, the dashboard uses it to fill in the first one.
A hosted cBot runs on its own, without a master or slave, and uses one cloud seat. If you also want its trades copied to other accounts, add the same cTrader account as a master. Trades placed by cBots are copied like manual ones. See Host your EA or cBot.
Protect each slave on its own
Settings are per slave, which is what makes one cTrader master safe to copy to several prop firm accounts.
- Balance or equity thresholds that close all positions and stop copying, for example just above the daily drawdown limit and at the profit target.
- Global and per-symbol lot size caps.
- Skip new trades that have no stop loss or take profit on the master.
- Position Resync on cloud slaves, which closes copied positions the master no longer holds after a reconnect.
- An optional random delay before each copy, and reverse copying.
The local cTrader copier
The local version runs on your own Windows VPS or PC. The Heron Copier Connector app installs the copier, which runs as a cBot in cTrader, and its settings are the cBot's parameters. There is no limit on the number of accounts, and trades leave from your own IP address, which some prop firms require. The docs cover the installation.
cTrader at a glance
| Detail | cTrader |
|---|---|
| Made by | Spotware |
| Markets | Forex and CFDs on indices, metals, commodities and crypto, depending on the broker |
| How Heron Copier connects | cTrader ID (username or email) and password, plus the broker and account number |
| Position model | Hedging or netting, set per account |
| Trade size | Volume in units, shown as lots in the copier |
| Symbol names | Broker-specific; usually plain names such as EURUSD or US30 |
| API speed | 500 requests per minute |
| Can be a master | Yes |
| Can be a slave | Yes |
| Partial closes sent to slaves (as master) | Yes |
| Partial closes received (as slave) | Yes |
| Position resync on its slaves | Yes |
| Local version | Yes, plus the cloud version |
| EA / cBot hosting | Yes, .algo cBots |
Copy from cTrader to
Also supported: MT4, MatchTrader, DXtrade, Tradovate, Rithmic and TopstepX.
Copy to cTrader from
Also supported: TradeLocker, DXtrade, Tradovate, Rithmic, TopstepX and Telegram.
Pricing
Free trial
$0 / 7 days
2 cloud accounts. Slaves copy at a fixed 0.01 lot, or 1 contract on futures.
Monthly
$19 / month
2 cloud accounts included, extra cloud accounts $8/month each. Local version with unlimited accounts.
Yearly
$179 / year
2 cloud accounts included, extra cloud accounts $80/year each. Local version with unlimited accounts.
Every master, slave or hosted EA uses one cloud account. See full pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Why was a small trade not copied to my cTrader slave?
Most likely the calculated size was below the broker's minimum volume for that symbol. cTrader trades below the minimum are not copied. Raise the risk or lot multiplier, switch to Fixed Lot, or trade a larger size on the master.
How do I connect a cTrader account?
Add it in the dashboard with your cTrader ID username or email and password, then choose the broker and enter the account number. Instead of a server name like MetaTrader, cTrader asks for the broker.
Can I run my cBot and copy its trades at the same time?
Yes. Host the cBot as a cBot Hosting account, then add the same cTrader account as a master and connect your slaves. That uses one seat for the cBot and one for the master, plus one per slave.
Can I use a netting cTrader account as a slave?
Yes, but trades on the same symbol merge into one position. If your master opens opposite trades on one symbol, use a hedging account instead.
Does it work with prop firm cTrader accounts?
It works with any cTrader account you can log in to with your cTrader ID. Some prop firms restrict copy trading or block API access, so check their rules and the list of prop firms with blocked API access first.
