High‑risk asset class disclaimer: Crypto markets are volatile. Automated trading can cause rapid losses. This guide is educational, not financial advice.
This pillar helps you choose the right bot platform, design rules that survive bad weeks, and operate like an SRE: logs, alerts, rollbacks, and kill‑switches. Every review includes a conversion‑optimized CTA placeholder—replace it with your PrettyLink.
Bot Archetypes (and when to use them)
- Grid: Range‑bound “buy low/sell high” with staggered limit orders; shines in chop; suffers in one‑way trends.
- DCA: Buys on schedule or dips to smooth entry; exits on take‑profit or trend reclaim; great for accumulating majors.
- Trend: Enters on breakouts/MA crosses; small losses, larger wins; thrives when markets trend.
- Rules engines: No‑code IF/THEN combinators; useful for alerts, throttles, and simple quant rules.
- Index/Rebalance: Portfolio automation; not a trading edge, but strong for long‑term allocation discipline.
Operations Backbone (your uptime is a risk control)
- API keys: trade‑only, IP‑allow‑listed, rotated quarterly; withdrawal whitelists on the exchange.
- Sub‑accounts: isolate strategies for clean accounting and fast shutdowns.
- VPS: host near exchange regions; auto‑restart; export logs daily.
- Kill‑switch: flat positions on daily loss breach, API error storms, or slippage beyond X bps.
- Change control: version strategies; one weekly change window; rollback plan.
Recommended: Top Pick for DCA/Grid: 3Commas
Launch a DCA bot in minutes →
Launch a DCA bot in minutes →
Cancel anytime; secure API keys only.
Recommended: Easiest Grid Starter: Pionex
Open Pionex & start a grid bot →
Open Pionex & start a grid bot →
Cancel anytime; secure API keys only.
Recommended: Advanced / Self‑Hosted: HaasOnline
Explore HaasOnline →
Explore HaasOnline →
Cancel anytime; secure API keys only.
How to Choose a Bot Platform
- Match your regime: range (grid) vs trend (breakout) vs long‑term (index).
- Decide cloud vs self‑hosted; cloud is simpler, self‑hosted is more control.
- Check exchange support, order types, and latency.
- Prefer platforms with paper trading, backtests that include fees, and clear audit logs.
- Set a max strategy loss and a daily loss; automate the kill.
Comparison Table
| Platform | Hosting | Bot Types | Copy Trading | Markets | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3Commas | Cloud | DCA/Grid/Rules | Yes | Spot/Futures | Try 3Commas |
| Pionex | Cloud (exchange‑native) | Grid/DCA/Rebalance | Limited | Spot | Try Pionex |
| Bitsgap | Cloud | Grid/DCA | Some tools | Spot | Try Bitsgap |
| Cryptohopper | Cloud | Rules/Indicators | Yes | Spot | Try Cryptohopper |
| Coinrule | Cloud | No‑code IF/THEN | Templates | Spot | Try Coinrule |
| HaasOnline | Self‑hosted | Scriptable (advanced) | No | Spot/Futures | Try HaasOnline |
| Gunbot | Self‑hosted | Presets/Custom | Community | Spot/Futures (varies) | Try Gunbot |
| TradeSanta | Cloud | DCA/Grid | Yes | Spot | Try TradeSanta |
| Shrimpy | Cloud | Index/Rebalance | Leaderboards | Spot | Try Shrimpy |
| Zignaly | Cloud | Copy/Profit‑share | Provider marketplace | Spot/Futures (varies) | Try Zignaly |
Links are placeholders. Replace them with your cloaked PrettyLinks for tracking and attribution.