If you trade systematically, a prop firm’s bot policy matters more than its profit split. One clause about “third-party software” or “high-frequency trading” can void a funded account months after you pass. This guide compares published automation policies and explains what to verify.
Why many prop firms restrict bots
Firms restrict automation for three reasons: latency arbitrage against their price feed, copy-trading the same signal across many accounts, and strategies that exploit simulated fills. The problem is that broad bans also catch legitimate systematic traders.
Published bot and API policies
| Firm | Bot / EA / API policy |
|---|---|
| QATS | AllowedTrader API, TradingView webhooks and Pine strategies, and the no-code Bot Builder run under the same server-side risk checks as manual orders. |
| HyroTrader | Allowed“Trading bots connected via API are permitted.” HFT, copy trading and signal providers are banned. |
| Breakout | No official statement foundA third-party listing reports API and automated trading as supported; cross-account copying is reportedly prohibited. |
| Crypto Fund Trader | Allowedwith restrictions: HFT, tick scalping, arbitrage, news-scalping and reverse-trading EAs are banned. |
| BitFunded | Banned“Every trade has to be placed manually by the account holder.” |
| Hola Prime | EAs allowedon evaluations if each setup is distinct from other traders’; banned on Direct accounts. |
| FTMO | EAs allowedwith a warning that third-party EAs may be used by other traders; up to 200 open orders and 2,000 positions per day. |
| FundedNext | EAs allowedthird-party EAs on Stellar Instant carry an extra usage fee, and allocation per EA strategy is capped. |
| The5ers | Reported as allowed with a stop loss on every trade; we found no statement on the official pages. |
| E8 Markets | EAs allowedon CFD and perpetual accounts unless several users execute the same trades; automation is banned on futures accounts. |
| FundingPips | Your own EA may trade if you can prove ownership; third-party EAs only as a trade or risk manager. |
| Alpha Capital Group | Fully automated EAs are prohibited; pre-approved risk-management or trade-assist EAs are allowed on MT5 only. |
| Blue Guardian | EAs and copiers permittedHFT, tick-scalping and arbitrage bots banned |
| Goat Funded Trader | Self-built EAs are allowed; third-party EAs are not allowed at any time, and HFT is banned. |
| Funded Trading Plus | “You can also use EAs, Algos or Bots.” Arbitrage, grid trading and tick scalping are banned. |
| Apex Trader Funding | Automation, including AI and HFT, is prohibited on all account types. |
| Topstep | “Custom automated strategies and bots are allowed” through the TopstepX API; HFT is banned and there is no API on Live Funded accounts. |
What to check before you automate
- Is automation allowed on the evaluation, the funded account, or both?
- Are there limits on order frequency, holding time or minimum trade duration?
- Is copy trading between your own accounts allowed? Between different people?
- Does the firm offer an API, or only a platform with plug-ins (EAs, cBots)?
- Are TradingView alerts treated as “third-party software”?
How automation works on QATS
QATS was built by an algorithmic trading company, so automation is part of the product rather than an exception. You can connect through the QATS Trader API, send TradingView alerts or Pine strategy orders to a personal webhook, use QATS Trade for Chrome on the TradingView chart, or build a strategy without code in Bot Builder.
Every automated order passes the same server-side checks as a manual one: daily loss, maximum loss, leverage and position limits. A free sandbox with virtual funds lets you test the connection end to end before you pay for an evaluation.
Strategies that still get flagged
- Latency arbitrage or exploiting stale quotes.
- Hedging the same instrument across your own accounts to farm payouts.
- Grid or martingale systems that break position or leverage limits.
- Trading the same signal across many accounts held by different people.
Frequently asked questions
01Can I use a trading bot on a prop firm account?
Only where the firm’s rules allow it. Some firms permit bots and APIs, some limit them to specific platforms, and some ban them. QATS allows bots, API trading, TradingView automation and Bot Builder strategies.
02Do prop firms allow TradingView alerts?
Policies differ. QATS gives every account a personal TradingView webhook URL for alerts and Pine strategies.
03Is copy trading allowed at prop firms?
Copying your own strategy between your own accounts is sometimes allowed; copying signals across accounts held by different people is almost always prohibited. Check the rules for your plan.
Educational content, not investment advice. QATS evaluations and initial funded accounts are simulated; payouts depend on eligibility, verification and the applicable agreement.