Guide
Free crypto trading bots vs paid bot software
“Free” means four different things. Paid tiers sell capacity, not a verified return.
Prices checked 2 Oct 2026 on the providers’ own pages.
Four kinds of free
- A free plan of a paid product. Usually demo bots, or a small number of live ones. The limit is the product.
- A free trial. Full features for a few days, then a subscription.
- Free software you run yourself. No fee to the provider; the machine, the updates and the security are yours.
- Free bots built into an exchange. No bot fee where one is stated; the exchange earns trading fees on every fill and holds the funds.
| Product | Free plan or trial, as shown |
|---|---|
| 3CommasStarter | Free trial offered; length not stated on the pricing page |
| CryptohopperExplorer | 3-day Explorer trial |
| BitsgapBasic | Free plan ($0): demo bots plus 3 live COMBO bots on one exchange (Evedex); 7-day PRO trial, no card |
| CoinruleInvestor | Free Starter plan |
| KryllOSWhole product | Whole product free; no stated bot or strategy caps |
| Pionex built-in botsGrid, DCA, futures and other built-in bots | Built-in bots included with the account |
| Bybit Trading BotsSpot and Futures Grid, DCA, Futures Martingale | Built-in bots included with the account |
What paid tiers gate
On the subscription products read, the entry price buys capacity: more bots, more history, more exchanges, more credits. None of the pricing pages read sells a verified return. Whether a strategy makes money after costs is a separate question, and the one to test first.
| Product | Entry price | What it gates |
|---|---|---|
| 3CommasStarter | $20 a month, or $15 a month billed annually | Active exchange API keys, DCA, signal and grid bot counts, futures, developer API |
| CryptohopperExplorer | $29 a month, or $24.16 a month billed annually, excluding VAT | Coins, open positions, strategy interval, triggers, bot count, AI and arbitrage features |
| BitsgapBasic | $29 a month, or $23 a month billed annually | Active grid and DCA bots, futures bots, backtest history, advanced bot controls |
| CoinruleInvestor | $29.99 a month shown, billed $359 a year; a month-to-month price is not shown | Live and demo rules, AI optimisations and credits, connected exchanges, volume, execution speed |
What happens when the platform changes
v1 was deactivated on 11 September 2026. v2 needs a new account; exchange keys and strategies do not carry over. Source. Before choosing any bot, free or paid, ask two things: can I export my strategies, and what happens to my open orders and exchange keys if the service stops?
Every row, with its source and check dates: the full data (CC BY 4.0). Educational only — not financial advice, and not a recommendation of any product.