How we evaluate platforms and traders.

Platform scoring (out of 10)

Each platform receives a directional research score combining six dimensions. Scores are not investment advice and they change as exchanges adjust products, fees, and country availability.

• Copy trading depth (0–2). Marketplace size, trader transparency, drawdown stats, and time-on-platform metrics.
• Fee clarity (0–2). Spot, futures, copy trading profit-share, withdrawal fees — published with examples.
• Security stack (0–2). Proof of reserves, hot/cold split disclosure, hack history, insurance funds.
• Country availability (0–1). Disclosed restricted-jurisdiction list and KYC tier transparency.
• Education & UX (0–1). Beginner-safe defaults, clear disclaimers, mobile parity.
• Operational track record (0–2). Withdrawal reliability, support response, incident communication.

Lead-trader risk factors

We assess copy-trading lead candidates against five repeatable signals.

• Maximum drawdown. Peak-to-trough decline; we treat anything above 35% as a hard caution.
• Account age & sample size. Less than 90 days of live performance is treated as insufficient data.
• Leverage behavior. Sustained leverage above 20× is treated as a structural risk, not a strategy.
• Position concentration. Single-asset or single-side concentration above 60% triggers a flag.
• Consistency across regimes. Performance must hold through at least one risk-off period, not only an uptrend.

Commercial relationships

Affiliate commission does not determine rankings. We may prioritize coverage where reader intent and partner tracking are commercially useful, but ranking criteria remain explainable, public, and risk-focused. Manual-trading and API-trading commission ratios are listed on the affiliate calculator.

Updates & corrections

Pages carry a visible updated date. Substantive corrections are logged on the page they affect. If you spot an error, contact us through the channels listed on the about page.