The global social trading market is forecast to grow to $3.51 billion by 2029, and research shows automation accounts for more than 70% of trading volume, underscoring how quickly retail trading is becoming the norm.(1)
Yet, while copy trading is common on crypto platforms across Europe and the UK, most American-based exchanges still don’t offer it. That’s where eToro comes in.
What is eToro’s copy trading feature?
CopyTrader, eToro’s copy trading feature, is an automated social trading feature that allows you to automatically replicate another investor’s stock, ETF or crypto trades in real time. When they buy or sell an asset, your account does the same thing proportionally — meaning if they allocate 10% of their portfolio to bitcoin (BTC), your portfolio automatically adjusts and allocates 10% of your copy trading budget to bitcoin, regardless of whether you invested $500 or $5,000.
While “copy trading” and “mirror trading” are often used interchangeably in the industry, there’s a subtle distinction: copy trading typically gives you more control to customize your positions and stop copying at any time, whereas mirror trading tends to be more rigid and automated. eToro’s CopyTrader falls into the copy trading category. It gives you the flexibility to pause, adjust your investment amount or stop copying whenever you want.
How does eToro’s CopyTrader work — step-by-step
Getting started with eToro’s CopyTrader is pretty straightforward, even if you’ve never traded before. Here’s how to set up your first copy trade in four simple steps:
Find an investor to copy. Browse eToro’s marketplace of traders using filters to narrow down your options based on performance history, risk score, asset focus and current portfolio holdings. Each trader has a profile showing their stats.
Choose your allocation. Decide how much capital you want to assign to copying that trader, starting at a minimum investment of $200. This amount determines the size of your trades proportional to the trader you choose to copy.
Start copying. Once you select Copy and confirm your allocation, the system automatically begins copying the investor’s trades in real time. Every buy and sell they make gets replicated proportionally in your account and typically executes in under a second.
Manage ongoing. You can stop copying at any time, manually close individual positions if you disagree with a trade, adjust your allocation amount or diversify by copying multiple traders simultaneously.
Hot tip
You can copy up to 100 traders at once to spread your risk across different strategies and asset classes.
Who can be copied: the Popular Investor program
Technically, anyone can be copied if their profile is made public — even yours. However, only those approved to participate in eToro’s Popular Investor Program are eligible to receive monthly earnings from being copied.
In eToro’s Popular Investor program, traders are ranked across four tiers — Cadet, Champion, Elite and Elite Pro — with each earned by meeting specific requirements. Some of these requirements include minimum assets under copy (AUC), account equity, number of copiers, time spent at each level and maintaining acceptable risk scores.(2)
Traders in the Popular Investor Program earn income directly from eToro based on how many people copy them, so there is an incentive for traders to be successful and transparent to build their followers.
Each Popular Investor has a public profile displaying comprehensive performance metrics, including historical returns, monthly breakdowns, risk scores (rated 1–7), average holding times, number of trades, current portfolio composition and even a social feed where they share market insights and trading updates.
For US users specifically, there’s an important limitation: American traders can currently only copy other US-based Popular Investors, not international traders. This restriction means your pool of available traders to copy is smaller than what users in other regions can access.
What makes eToro’s CopyTrader unique?
eToro essentially pioneered the concept of social copy trading on retail platforms when it launched CopyTrader, transforming what was once institutional-level access into something accessible to everyday investors.
Here’s what sets eToro’s implementation apart from competitors:
Live replication. When you choose a trader to copy, every position they open is copied in your account in real time and in proportion to how much you allocate to that trader’s strategy, so you don’t miss moves as markets evolve.
Wide range of social traders. Even though American users are restricted to following other American traders, there is still a large pool of copyable investors with different trading styles, asset focuses and risk approaches, giving users meaningful choice when selecting who to follow.
No extra management fee for CopyTrader itself. eToro doesn’t charge an additional management fee specifically for using CopyTrader, meaning you’re only subject to standard trading costs rather than a separate copy-trading subscription.
Integration with social features. CopyTrader sits inside eToro’s social investing network, where users can follow traders, view and comment on their public posts and see activity feeds tied to both people and specific assets.
Who is copy trading best for?
eToro’s CopyTrader is best suited for investors who want market exposure supported by transparency and social data, without relying solely on their own trade execution.
Beginners. Newer traders can observe how experienced investors manage positions, risk and portfolio construction while participating in live markets.
Passive investors. Investors seeking diversification can gain hands-off exposure to active trading strategies by allocating funds to copied traders rather than placing individual trades themselves.
Active investors. More experienced users can monitor others’ strategies, performance and commentary, then use those insights to inform and refine their own manual trades.
How eToro’s CopyTrader compares with competitors
eToro’s CopyTrader differs from other platforms primarily in how copy trading is implemented. It is built directly into a social investing network, rather than offered as a standalone signal service or omitted entirely.
US crypto exchanges. Major crypto exchanges in the US, like Coinbase or Kraken, focus on self-directed trading and do not currently offer native copy trading. Some third-party tools (such as Echo Trade) can link to these exchanges to create a copy-like experience, but these operate externally and lack the built-in social layer and trader profiles that define eToro’s model.
MetaTrader signals/mirror trading. MetaTrader platforms (MT4/MT5) support signal-based or mirror trading through technical strategy providers, typically focused on forex and Contracts for Difference (CFDs). These systems emphasize algorithmic or indicator-driven signals rather than copying real investors with public profiles, commentary and social interaction, and often involve separate subscription fees.
Dedicated copy trading platforms. Purpose-built copy platforms, such as ZuluTrade or Darwinex, offer structured signal marketplaces and advanced analytics, but commonly charge subscription or performance-based fees. While they specialize in strategy replication, they generally lack eToro’s broader social network and large, multi-asset global user base integrated into a single trading interface.
Bottom line
Copy trading and automation are becoming a larger part of how retail investors participate in equity and crypto markets. For US-based traders, eToro’s CopyTrader fills a gap left by many exchanges by offering built-in copy trading without additional fees, while still allowing users to stay in control of their capital.
That said, copy trading isn’t the right fit for everyone. If you’re still weighing your options, compare eToro alongside other leading platforms in our roundup of the best crypto exchanges and the best brokerage accounts to find the right match to your trading style and goals.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on what you mean by "works." Copy trading on eToro works as advertised — when you copy a trader, the platform automatically replicates their trades in your account proportionally to your investment amount. However, copying experienced traders doesn't guarantee profits, since even seasoned investors can have losing trades or downturns in their performance.
eToro's 50 most copied traders averaged a 30.4% yearly profit in 2021, though your individual results from copying those traders can range from significant losses to substantial gains.(3) Past performance doesn't guarantee future results, either, and your capital is always at risk regardless of a trader's track record.
Holly Jennings is the deputy crypto editor and updates writer at Finder, working with writers across all niches to deliver quality content to readers. She’s edited hundreds of financial articles ranging from credit cards to investments. With empathy at heart, she especially enjoys content that breaks down complex financial situations into easy-to-understand information. Prior to her role at Finder, she collaborated with dozens of small businesses to maximize the reach and impact of their blog posts, website copy and other content. In her spare time, she is an award-winning author for Penguin Random House, writing about virtual reality worlds, magical girls and lasers that go pew-pew.
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