Copy Trading Apps: How They Work and What to Look For
July 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Quick answer
Copy trading apps let you follow other traders and automatically mirror their trades, but they are not all built the same way. The biggest difference is custody: some apps require you to deposit money into their own brokerage, while others (like RelayTrades) copy into the brokerage account you already have, so your funds never leave your own broker. When comparing copy trading apps, look at where your money is held, what assets you can copy, whether records are broker-verified, and what risk controls you get. None of them removes market risk.
Part of the complete guide to copy trading.
Copy trading apps all promise the same basic thing: follow a trader and mirror their trades automatically. But under the hood they differ in ways that matter a lot, especially around who holds your money. Here is how they work and what to compare.
How copy trading apps work
You choose a trader or strategy to follow, and when they trade, the app places a matching trade for you, sized to your settings. The key difference between apps is where that trade happens: in an account you fund inside the app’s own brokerage, or in the brokerage account you already have. RelayTrades takes the second approach, connecting your existing broker through SnapTrade so copied trades route into your own account and your funds never leave it.
What to look for in a copy trading app
- Custody: does your money stay in your own broker, or do you deposit into the app’s brokerage?
- What you can copy: stocks, ETFs, options, and which brokers are supported.
- Verified records: are leader track records broker-verified, or just screenshots?
- Risk controls: sizing multiplier, exposure and daily-loss limits, slippage protection, and a kill switch.
- Transparency: clear that it is automation software, not guaranteed returns or capital management.
The single biggest difference between copy trading apps is custody: copying into your own broker keeps your money in your account, while depositing into an app’s brokerage does not. Neither removes market risk.
What to keep in mind
No copy trading app removes the risk of trading. The traders you follow can lose money, and so can you, so favor apps that keep your money in your own account, show verified records, and give you real risk controls. RelayTrades is automation software, not a broker-dealer or adviser. This is general information, not investment advice, and past performance is not indicative of future results.
Frequently asked questions
Related reading
Can You Copy Trade on Your Own Broker?
Yes. With RelayTrades you copy trades inside your own brokerage account through SnapTrade, so your funds never leave and you keep control.
Read moreWhat Is Copy Trading and How Does It Work?
Copy trading lets you automatically mirror another trader’s trades in your own brokerage account. Here’s how it works, step by step.
Read moreWhich Brokers Work for Copy Trading?
Copy trading with RelayTrades works through SnapTrade-connected brokers like Webull, Charles Schwab, Moomoo, and Alpaca. Here’s what each one supports.
Read moreOr read the complete guide to copy trading and browse the glossary.
Copy trade on your own broker, with safeguards you control.
Connect your account, follow the strategies you choose, and keep position-size limits, slippage protection, and a kill switch in your hands at all times.
Get startedRelayTrades provides software and automation support, not investment advice or capital management. All trading involves risk; past performance is not indicative of future results.