Is copy trading free?

Usually not. Expect a platform subscription for the copy-trading software, your broker’s own commissions on trades placed in your account, any fee the trader you follow charges, and indirect costs like spread and slippage. Some individual strategies are free to follow.

Who do I pay when I copy trade?

You pay the platform for the software (a subscription), your broker for its normal commissions and fees, and, if you follow a paid strategy, the trader (with the platform taking a small share). Your money stays in your own brokerage account.

Does copy trading have hidden fees?

The main costs are the platform subscription, broker commissions, and any strategy fee, all of which you can see up front. The less obvious costs are spread and slippage, which are not line items but affect returns; slippage protection helps limit them.

How much does RelayTrades cost?

RelayTrades charges a platform subscription, and for paid strategies it takes a small share of the trader’s fee. Check the pricing page for current plans, and remember your broker’s normal fees still apply to trades placed in your own account.

How Much Does Copy Trading Cost? Fees Explained

June 23, 2026 · 6 min read

Quick answer

Copy trading is not free, but the costs are usually straightforward once you know where to look. They fall into four buckets: a platform subscription (what you pay for the copy-trading software), your broker’s own commissions and fees on the trades placed in your account, any subscription fee charged by the specific trader or strategy you follow, and indirect costs like the bid-ask spread and slippage. RelayTrades charges a platform subscription and, for paid strategies, takes a small share of the trader’s fee; your money and your broker’s normal fees stay with your own account. Always check current pricing on the platform’s pricing page and your broker’s fee schedule.

Part of the complete guide to copy trading.

Copy trading is not free, but the costs are predictable once you know the categories. Most of the confusion comes from mixing them together, so here is each one separately, with what to watch for.

The four kinds of copy-trading cost

1. The platform subscription

This is what you pay for the copy-trading software itself, the automation, risk controls, and signal routing. It is usually a flat monthly, yearly, or one-time fee and does not depend on how much you trade. RelayTrades charges a platform subscription; check the pricing page for current plans, since pricing can change.

2. Your broker’s commissions and fees

Because copied trades are placed in your own brokerage account, your broker’s normal fees apply: any commissions, options contract fees, and regulatory fees in your broker’s schedule. Many brokers offer commission-free stock and ETF trades, but options and some other products still carry per-contract fees. These go to your broker, not the copy-trading platform.

3. The trader or strategy fee

Some traders offer their strategies for free; others charge a subscription to follow them. On RelayTrades, when you follow a paid strategy, the trader sets that price and the platform takes a small share of it. Free strategies have no such fee. You always see the cost of a strategy before you subscribe.

4. Spread and slippage (indirect costs)

Even with zero commissions, every trade has the bid-ask spread, and fast-moving markets can fill an order at a slightly different price than expected (slippage). These are not line-item charges but they affect your real returns. Good copy-trading software lets you set slippage protection so a copied order is skipped or capped if the price has moved too far.

Your money and your broker’s normal fees stay with your own account. The copy-trading platform charges for the software and, for paid strategies, a share of the trader’s fee, it does not take custody of your funds.

How to estimate your total cost

Add the platform subscription (flat).
Add any fee for the specific strategy you follow (free or set by the trader).
Add your broker’s commissions for the products you’ll actually trade (often $0 for stocks/ETFs, per-contract for options).
Account for spread and slippage on each trade, and use slippage protection to limit surprises.

Are the fees worth it?

Fees only make sense if the strategy’s after-cost results justify them, and that is never guaranteed. A small flat subscription is easy to evaluate; a per-trade or percentage cost matters more if you trade frequently. Factor every cost into your expectations, size conservatively, and remember that all trading involves risk and past performance is not indicative of future results.