Contributor, Benzinga
August 23, 2024

Trading forex safely via an online forex broker generally requires a secure and uninterrupted connection to the Internet since the forex market stays open 24 hours a day throughout the trading week.

The security of staying online during trading hours is of utmost importance to many traders. Installing your forex trading platform on a good virtual private server (VPS) can keep it online and operable even if your personal computer, power or Internet connection go down unexpectedly. 

If you’ve actively traded currencies before, you probably know how vital maintaining reliable market access can be, especially if you are an algorithmic trader. In this article, we review some of the best forex VPS providers around so you can evaluate which forex VPS would be best for your currency trading business. 

Quick Look: Best VPS Options for Forex Trading

Disclosure: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% to 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. The products and services available to you at FOREX.com will depend on your location and on which of its regulated entities holds your account.

Best Forex VPS Options

Below you can find our picks for the top VPS providers for forex traders.

1. Best for All Forex Trading: ForexVPS.net

ForexVPS.net is our top choice for all-around forex trading because it offers the most locations worldwide and a mere 1 ms latency for forex trade executions.

ForexVPS.net has a reputation for offering the lowest latency worldwide among forex VPS providers. With auto-startup options for several forex trading platforms, ForexVPS.net has no shared resources and provides 24/7 customer support.

Pricing:

  • Basic: For $30 a month you receive 2 GB RAM, 1 Core CPU, 60 GB SSD disk and a dedicated IP address; it is available for Windows 2012/22.
  • Basic+: For $34 a month, the Basic+ plan provides 2.5 GB RAM, 2 Cores CPU, 80 GB SSD disk and a dedicated IP address. The plan is available for Windows 2012/15/19/22. 
  • Standard: For a $51 monthly charge, you’ll receive 4 GB RAM, 2 Cores CPU, 90 GB SSD disk and a dedicated IP address. This plan is available for Windows 2012/16/19/22.
  • High Frequency: For a $59 monthly fee, you receive 3 GB RAM, 1 Core CPU, 70 GB SSD disk and a dedicated IP address. This plan is available for Windows 2012/16/19.  

VPS Features:

  • Dedicated IP address
  • Automatic backups
  • Up to 256 GB RAM
  • Redundancy
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Discounts for longer billing cycles
  • Unlimited bandwidth with all plans 
  • 100% uptime guaranteed on VPS servers
  • 3 different service plans 
  • VPS hosting in 13 major data centers in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia
  • Seasonal promotional discount

2. Best for Expert Advisors and Algos: FXVM

FXVM offers specialized VPS hosting services tailored for forex traders. The platform offers low latency connections to brokers, ensuring fast execution of trades, which is crucial for high-frequency trading. With data centers strategically located near major financial hubs, FXVM emphasizes reliability and speed.

The platform is user-friendly, providing easy setup and compatibility with popular trading platforms like NinjaTrader and MetaTrader 4/5. Additionally, FXVM offers 24/7 customer support and various pricing tiers to accommodate different trading needs.

Pricing:

  • Light Plan: $17.00/month - Ideal for 1-2 trading terminals, 2 CPU Cores, 1.5 GB RAM, 40 GB Storage (SSD), Windows Server (OS), Multiple VPS locations
  • Basic Plan: $24.65/month - Ideal For 3-4 trading terminals, 2 CPU Cores, 2.5 GB RAM, 60 GB Storage (SSD), Windows Server (OS), Multiple VPS locations.
  • Advanced Plan: $42.50/month - Ideal For 4-6 trading terminals and most popular plan, 2 CPU Cores, 4.0 GB RAM, 70 GB Storage (SSD), Windows Server (OS), Multiple VPS locations.
  • High Frequency: $58.65/month - Offers higher performance for demanding traders, ideal for 1-2 trading terminals, 1 (3.4GHz+) CPU Core, 3 GB RAM, 90 GB SSD Storage, Windows Server (OS), New York location.

VPS Features:

  • Dedicated IP Address
  • Automatic Backups
  • Optimized for MT4/MT5
  • Optimized for NinjaTrader
  • Setup in 5 minutes
  • Uptime guarantee
  • Supports any EA
  • Compatible with any Broker
  • Works with any Trading Platform
  • Expert support available 24/7

3. Best for MT4 and MT5 Users: Forex Cheap VPS

ForexCheapVPS offers a range of VPS services tailored for forex traders, starting at $4.99 per month. The platform is designed for 24/7 uninterrupted trading with low latency, high-speed hosting, and robust security features like DDoS protection. The service supports major trading platforms like MT4/MT5 and provides a 100% uptime guarantee. Customers also benefit from a 3-day partial money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support. ForexCheapVPS is suitable for both casual and professional traders, offering flexible plans that cater to various trading needs.

Pricing:

  1. Regular Forex VPS: $4.99/month, A regular trader who wants to run an EA for an auto trading system should have a fast execution and server for a professional trading experience, with 1-8 GB of RAM, 20-50 GB of disk space, Windows 2012R2/2016 OS, 1-3 CPU cores, and 1-10 instances of MT4/MT5/cTrader.
  2. Latency Optimized: $8.99/month, perfect for a pro trader as it eliminates slippage, offering the fastest execution with the lowest latency of 1-4 ms, with the VPS being very close to the MT4/MT5 server. It includes 1-4 GB of RAM, 20-40 GB of disk space, Windows 2012R2/2016 OS, 1-4 CPU cores, and 1-6 instances of MT4/MT5/cTrader.
  3. Business Class: $29.95/month, big server for a big business platform, perfect for MT4/MT5 servers, brokers, and pro traders who want to run many MT4/MT5 accounts on a single VPS, with 12-50 GB of RAM, 60-220 GB of disk space, Windows 2012R2/2016 OS, 2-5 CPU cores, and 1-60 instances of MT4/MT5/cTrader.

VPS Features:

  • Unlimited bandwidth 
  • Premium support
  • Data Centers in Europe and the U.S. 
  • 99.99% uptime
  • Dedicated IP address for each trader 
  • 5-day money-back guarantee
  • Hyper-V virtualization platform
  • Full MetaTrader support 

4. Best for Windows Servers: InterServer VPS

InterServer VPS offers great VPS plans for Windows users starting at only $10 per month. If your hosting needs grow, you can conveniently add slices to your VPS plan for $10 per slice, so the number of slices in your plan will determine your monthly fee. For example, if your plan includes 10 slices, then your monthly bill would be $100.

Pricing:

  • Windows hosting starts at $10 per month with each additional slice costing an additional $10 up to $160 per month. Each slice you pay for increases the number of CPU cores and RAM allocation up to 32 GB for 16 slices. Bandwidth transfer rates start at 2 TB and range up to 32 TB for 16 slices. 

VPS Features:

  • 24/7/365 Customer support 
  • U.S.-based datacenters  
  • Ability to run multiple MT4/5 platforms at high speed 
  • Affordable plans
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Flexible resources 
  • Plesk control panel
  • High-end security 
  • Run Windows remote server from any location

5. Best for High Performance Cloud: Cloudzy

Cloudzy offers precision-engineered forex VPS plans from 15 strategic locations in 11 U.S. cities, as well as in London, Frankfurt and Singapore.

Forex traders that use U.S.-based forex brokers get the most from this VPS service. Having its base and 11 of its data centers located in the U.S. gives this VPS service a clear advantage for U.S. traders and those who live outside the U.S. but trade through a U.S.-based broker.

Pricing:

  1. Beginner: This plan, which is the most affordable, costs $7.95 per month. The plan provides you with 2 vCPUs, 2 GB of memory, 30 GB of NVMe storage and 3 TB of bandwidth. 
  2. Beginner II: The second plan, which offers the best value, costs $14.95 per month and gives you 2 vCPUs, 4 GB of memory, 60 GB of NVMe/SSD storage and 5 TB of bandwidth. 
  3. Business: This plan costs $29.95 per month and suits larger traders. The plan allows for 4 vCPUs, 8 GB of memory, 140 GB of NVMe/SSD storage and 7 TB of bandwidth. 
  4. Entrepreneurial: For a cost of $54.95 per month, the Entrepreneurial plan gives you 6 vCPUs, 16 GB of memory, 250 GB of NVEm/SSD storage and 10 TB of bandwidth. 
  5. Best Performance: The first of the SuperTrader plans, the Best Performance plan costs $54.95per month and gives you access to 6 vCPUs, 16 GB of RAM, 250 GB of NVEm/SSD storage and 10 TB of bandwidth. 
  6. Premium Strength: For $129.95 per month the Premium Strength plan lets you have up to 8 vCPUs, 32 GB of memory, 400 GB of NVMe/SSD storage and 12 TB of bandwidth. 
  7. Forex VPS 64GB: The best value of the SuperTrader plans, the 64GB plan costs $275 per month and allows for 12 vCPUs, 64 GB of memory, 800 GB NVMe/SSD storage and 15 TB of bandwidth. All plans have a 1 Gbps connection. 

VPS Features:

  • 7-day money-back guarantee 
  • MetaTrader 4 and 5 support  
  • Trader and SuperTrader plans 
  • Custom VPS services 
  • 2 to 64 GB of memory 
  • Up to 12 virtual CPUs
  • As much as 15 TB of bandwidth
  • 1 Gbps connection

6. Best for High-Frequency Traders (HFT): UltraFX VPS

Catering primarily to algorithmic forex traders, U.K.-based UltraFX VPS offers access to U.K. and U.S. networks and trading venues. These venues include major liquidity providers and Interbank dealing servers. UltraFX VPS features ultra-low latency trading, with less than 300 nanosecond latency seen on its own high-frequency trading (HFT) network.

This platform is a great option for professional traders, investment banks, trading firms and hedge funds involved in HFT and algorithmic trading.

Pricing:

  1. Economic VPS (LD4): The Economic VPS costs 20 GBP per month + value-added tax (VAT). With this plan, you’ll get access to the Equinix LD4 Data Center in the U.K., 2.2 to 2.5 GHz CPU clock frequency, 2 VCPU Core, 2 GB memory and 30 GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage. Packages cost 55 GBP for 3 months and 109 GBP for 6 months. You can also add an additional IP address for 15 GBP per month.    
  2. Premium VPS Packages: With the Premium Packages, which start at 48 GBP per month. 
  3. HFT VPS Packages: Starting at 75 GBP, the HFT VPS Packages for Equinix LD4 and Equinix NY4 provide ultra-low latency and additional memory and storage. 
  4. HFT Dedicated Servers: For hedge funds, banks and high-net-worth traders, these VPS plans start at 750 GBP per month.

VPS Features:

  • Cross-connect to liquidity providers 
  • Private internet channels for order executions 
  • Five HFT dedicated servers
  • Three premium plans with Tier 1 virtualization technology
  • Customized servers for HFT
  • Access to Equinix LD4 and Equinix NY4 data centers 
  • Dedicated servers 
  • Ultra-low latency

What is a VPS?

A VPS is a remote computer you can install and run your forex trading software on. Many prudent currency traders use a VPS as part of their risk management strategy, especially if they use automated trading software that requires a fast and stable internet connection.

Using a VPS as a forex trader helps you avoid potentially costly market connectivity losses from a computer system failure or power or internet outages. Losing your connection to the market means you cannot initiate or close out trades, which can leave you with expensive losses or missed profits.

How Does Forex VPS Work?

A forex VPS works like a cloud-based desktop personal computer. A suitable VPS will typically host a compatible operating system that you can control remotely from a connected device.

This process works a bit like a website hosting server you might be familiar with that lets you store your website information remotely. The main difference with a VPS is that you also get the ability to install and run software programs independently just as if they were located on your own computer.

In practice, several VPSs will typically operate on a single high-powered computer. Virtual servers are all allocated specific amounts of the hosting computer’s CPU power, RAM, internet bandwidth and hard disk space so that you get what you signed up for each month. A virtual CPU (VCPU or vCPU) represents a portion of a physical CPU assigned to a virtual machine (VM).

Forex VPS services are typically offered by providers on a monthly subscription basis. Subscribing to such a service gives you access to a VPS where you can install your trading software and save your data remotely.

What to Consider with a Forex VPS

The ideal VPS provider for your forex trading needs will depend on what you need to do and how much you can afford to pay each month. If you need to store large amounts of market data or analytical results, for example, then you probably will look for a reasonably-priced hosting plan with a decent amount of storage.

Furthermore, if you need very quick trade analysis or executions to operate your forex trading strategy, then you might require a VPS provider that offers ultra-fast internet speeds and powerful dedicated CPU cores and RAM to run your trading software.

Some additional considerations to take into account when selecting a forex VPS service are listed below.

Reduced Latency

A major reason that many forex traders turn to a VPS is to reduce their latency when trading since latency affects how quickly your trades are executed. Latency is the amount of time it takes to confirm a trade has been executed in the market after order entry.

While latency is typically measured in milliseconds or even nanoseconds, such a small time frame can still make a substantial difference to your profitability when trading in a volatile market. Since you generally want the lowest latency possible, you should look for a VPS provider with a fast internet connection that has servers located as close to your chosen online forex broker as possible.

Since you often cannot do much to improve your internet connectivity at home without incurring a substantial additional monthly cost, using a VPS to trade forex can be a more economical way to reduce latency and speed up forex order executions.

Security

You will generally want to choose a VPS provider that offers a high level of security to protect your personal data and software since your trading platform will typically have access to your margin deposit money.

VPS hosting services typically implement similar security measures to other types of web-based hosting services. At a basic minimum, you should expect a server firewall, frequent operating system and trading software backups, regular security software updates and patches, DDoS protection, server hardening and vulnerability scans to be in place at any VPS provider suitable to host your forex trading business.

A VPS can also serve to protect your forex trading business against connectivity issues that arise if your power or internet service provider goes down without notice. You can just keep on trading using your VPS without experiencing unexpected losses or missed trading opportunities.

Easy and Optimized Operating System

You’ll want to choose a VPS with an easy-to-use and optimized operating system suitable for forex trading. Also, since forex traders can use different operating systems, make sure your chosen VPS provider supports the one you prefer.

Because Windows for servers involves additional licensing fees, using a Windows-based VPS server will usually cost more than a Linux-based server that has no operating system licensing expenses associated with it.

Stable Platform with a Fast Connection

Ideally, you will want a VPS that is stable and well-maintained by its host to keep downtime to an absolute minimum. Most VPS providers have data centers located in multiple places around the globe, so you can usually select one near you or your chosen online broker that will speed up your access to it.

If a VPS provider offers a very fast internet connection, your forex trades will be less subject to the risk of requotes. Requotes occur when you are unable to deal on a quote made via your trading platform because the market has moved, so your broker needs to provide an updated quotation. That risk alone can cost you more each month than a VPS subscription.

Customer Service

Picking a VPS that is backed by high-quality customer service is important. Any good VPS provider should offer basic technical support, including prompt replies to support questions and the ability to fix technical issues as they arise.

Another service option to consider is whether you want a generally cheaper unmanaged VPS server that you can take full control of or a typically more expensive managed VPS service where you do not need to maintain and update the server’s software.

Complementary Programs

Some VPS providers offer complementary programs to provide their clients with a better user experience. For example, helpful VPS services include performing data backups and monitoring servers. Remember that you will also need to have the ability to use your chosen forex trading platform software, such as MetaTrader 4 or 5.

Should All Forex Traders Use a VPS?

Not every forex trader needs to use a VPS. Some traders do not take large enough risks or trade often enough to justify the cost of a VPS. Other traders might already have a fast and reliable internet connection along with the discipline to place stop loss and take profit orders specifying where to exit every trading position they enter into just in case they get thrown offline.

In contrast, many algorithmic forex traders stand to benefit from having a VPS to assure virtually constant uptime for their forex trading platforms. Traders who use EAs with MT4/5 often use a forex VPS server because they need to keep their EAs trading at top execution speeds and without interruptions to achieve the best results.

Since one untimely computer failure, loss of power or internet disconnection could cost you far more than the quite reasonable monthly cost of a basic VPS, it would seem prudent for most forex traders serious about the endeavor to invest in a VPS as a form of risk management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

Do you need a VPS for MT4?

A

No, a VPS is not absolutely necessary when using MT4. However, a VPS is highly recommended when using automated algorithms like MT4’s expert advisors (EAs) to assure constant trading access and fast trade execution.

Q

Do I need a VPS for forex trading?

A

No, although a VPS can help assure constant trading access which can prevent losses due to power, Internet or computer outages. A VPS can also be especially helpful if you are running automated trading algorithms and/or need very fast trade executions.

Q

How much is a VPS for MT4?

A

A VPS is a paid service that has an average cost of around $20 per month and a cost range of between $3 and $60 a month depending on the VPS provider and services you select.

Q

Are VPS worth it?

A

Yes, VPS can definitely be worth it depending on your specific needs and circumstances. VPS generally offer better performance, more control over your server environment, improved security, easy scalability, and a good balance between cost and performance.

Get a Forex Pro on Your Side

FOREX.com, registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), lets you trade a wide range of forex markets with low pricing and fast, quality execution on every trade. 

You can also tap into:

  • EUR/USD as low as 0.2 with fixed $5 commissions per 100,000
  • Powerful, purpose-built currency trading platforms
  • Monthly cash rebates of up to $9 per million dollars traded with FOREX.com’s Active Trader Program

Learn more about FOREX.com’s low pricing and how you can get started trading with FOREX.com.

Jay and Julie Hawk

About Jay and Julie Hawk

Jay and Julie Hawk are the married co-founders of TheFXperts, a provider of financial writing services particularly renowned for its coverage of forex-related topics. With over 40 years of collective trading expertise and more than 15 years of collaborative writing experience, the Hawks specialize in crafting insightful financial content on trading strategies, market analysis and online trading for a broad audience. While their prolific writing career includes seven books and contributions to numerous financial websites and newswires, much of their recent work was published at Benzinga.