Close a MetaTrader terminal and any Expert Advisor running on it stops with it. Put the computer to sleep, lose the internet connection or reboot for a Windows update, and the same thing happens. An Expert Advisor only runs while the terminal that hosts it is open and connected, which is why a trader who wants a robot working around the clock on MetaTrader almost always ends up renting a separate machine to keep that terminal open. eTrader Code takes the terminal out of the loop entirely: the robot runs in eTrader's own cloud, whether the trader's laptop is open or closed.
This is a genuine structural difference between the two platforms, not a matter of one being coded better than the other. It comes down to where the logic actually executes.
Why a MetaTrader Expert Advisor needs something always on
MetaTrader's Expert Advisors run inside the MetaTrader terminal itself. The terminal has to be logged into the trading account, connected to the broker's server and left running for the Expert Advisor attached to a chart to keep working. That is fine for a trader who only wants a robot active while they are at their desk. It is a problem for a strategy meant to catch a setup at three in the morning, or one built for a broker's server that a trader does not want tied to their personal laptop.
The standard answer, well known across the industry, is a MetaTrader VPS: a virtual private server, a small rented remote computer that stays powered on and connected, with the MetaTrader terminal installed and logged in on it instead of on the trader's own machine. Many brokers and third-party providers sell MetaTrader VPS hosting for exactly this reason. The trader connects to the VPS the way they would to any remote desktop, sets the Expert Advisor running, and can then close their own laptop without stopping it.
What renting a MetaTrader VPS actually involves
A MetaTrader VPS is a real ongoing responsibility, not a one-time setup. Someone has to choose a provider, size the server for however many Expert Advisors and charts it will run, keep Windows and the terminal itself updated, and watch for the VPS losing its connection to the broker, which stops every Expert Advisor on it at once. If the provider has an outage, every robot on that VPS is offline until it is fixed. None of this is unusual or a sign of bad practice. It is simply the standard shape of running an always-on Expert Advisor on a platform whose terminal is the thing doing the trading.
For a trader running one Expert Advisor on one account, a VPS is a small, manageable cost. For a firm supporting many clients who each want robots running continuously, it multiplies into a real amount of infrastructure to rent, patch and monitor, on top of whatever else the firm already runs.
How eTrader Code robots avoid needing one
Robots written in eTrader Code compile to a bundle that runs directly in eTrader's cloud, the same way an AI Trader built in eTrader AI does. There is no terminal to keep open and no separate machine to rent, patch or watch for a dropped connection. The trader writes and tests the robot in the eTrader Code editor, in any browser or in the Mac app, and once it is deployed it keeps running whether that browser tab or that Mac is on or off.
Each robot runs inside its own sandbox with limits declared up front: a step budget per event, a memory cap, and network access limited only to hosts the robot explicitly declares, so a bundle cannot reach an address it never asked for and cannot see another robot's data or positions. Those limits are visible to the trader before the robot is installed, not hidden after the fact. Every robot can run in Trade mode, placing real orders, or Signals only mode, sending a notification and writing to a bot journal without touching the account.
Cloud robots and a MetaTrader VPS, side by side
| MetaTrader Expert Advisor | eTrader Code robot | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Inside the MetaTrader terminal, on whatever machine hosts it | In eTrader's cloud |
| Keeping it always on | Needs the terminal open and connected, commonly a rented VPS | Nothing extra to rent; the trader's own device can be closed |
| Who maintains the host | The trader or firm, or whoever manages the VPS | SGHK hosts eTrader's cloud; the firm manages its own setup |
| What happens if it drops | Every Expert Advisor on that VPS stops until it reconnects | The robot resumes on eTrader's cloud infrastructure |
| Built-in limits | Whatever the developer coded; no platform-level sandbox | Declared step budget, memory cap and network permissions per robot |
What this changes for a firm running robots at scale
For a single trader with one strategy, a MetaTrader VPS is a routine, well-understood cost, and plenty of traders are happy running that way indefinitely. The calculation changes once a firm wants many clients running robots continuously, or wants robots that update or redeploy often, because each of those Expert Advisors still depends on a machine somewhere staying online and patched. A cloud-native robot removes that layer of infrastructure entirely, which is one reason it is worth including in any comparison alongside algorithmic trading basics for a new prop firm or broker weighing platforms.
The honest trade-off is where the flexibility sits. A MetaTrader VPS can run anything the terminal supports, including tools and scripts beyond a single Expert Advisor, because the trader controls the whole machine. eTrader Code's sandbox is narrower by design, with declared network hosts and history depth limits, which trades some flexibility for a robot that a trader does not have to host, patch or watch for a dropped connection themselves. Firms that want to see both approaches side by side before deciding can book a call with the SGHK team.
"A robot should not need its own always-on computer just to keep running. That is the whole reason eTrader Code robots live in the cloud, not on a machine the trader has to manage."
— The SGHK Team
Key Takeaways
- A MetaTrader Expert Advisor only runs while the terminal hosting it stays open and connected, which is why traders commonly rent a VPS to keep it running around the clock.
- Many brokers and third-party providers sell MetaTrader VPS hosting, and someone still has to size, patch and monitor that server.
- eTrader Code robots compile to a bundle that runs directly in eTrader's cloud, with no terminal or VPS to keep on.
- Each eTrader Code robot runs sandboxed, with a declared step budget, memory cap and network permissions the trader can see before installing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a MetaTrader VPS for?
A MetaTrader VPS is a rented remote server that stays powered on and connected so a MetaTrader terminal, and any Expert Advisor attached to it, can keep running without the trader's own computer needing to stay on.
Do eTrader Code robots need a VPS?
No. Robots written in eTrader Code run directly in eTrader's cloud rather than inside a terminal, so there is no separate server to rent or keep switched on for the robot to keep working.
Who provides MetaTrader VPS hosting?
Many brokers and third-party providers sell MetaTrader VPS hosting as a service. It remains the trader's or firm's responsibility to size the server correctly and keep it patched and monitored.
What happens if the machine running my MetaTrader Expert Advisor loses its connection?
Every Expert Advisor running on that terminal stops until the connection is restored, whether the terminal is on a personal computer or a VPS.
Are eTrader Code robots limited compared to an Expert Advisor with its own VPS?
Each robot runs inside a sandbox with a declared step budget, memory cap and network permissions, which is narrower than a VPS a trader fully controls, but it removes the need to host, patch or watch that machine at all.
About SGHK
SGHK is a FinTech company that designs and builds its own software for the trading industry: the eTrader trading platform, Launch your Broker and Launch your Prop Firm. Every product is written, hosted and supported in-house and licensed to trading firms, with the CRMs branded to them, all hosted by us in the cloud, managed by each firm and built to scale across clustered servers as our clients grow. Everything is encrypted, and each firm is the only one with access to its data and its clients' data.