Which CFD brokers offer an API for automated trading?
Verdict
- Pepperstone is our pick for automated CFD trading: it lists API trading, cTrader Automate for C# bots, and expert advisors on MT4 and MT5, with a free VPS for eligible clients.
- For a bot, the cheapest Pepperstone route is cTrader: USD 3.00 per side per lot on forex, against USD 3.50 on MT5 and TradingView.
- IG lists APIs among its platforms and Saxo publishes an OpenAPI; both have MAS-licensed Singapore companies, which Pepperstone does not.
- XS offers MT4 and MT5, but our data shows no published policy on expert advisors.
"API" can mean three different things to a broker: a raw programming interface, a platform with a built-in scripting language, or MetaTrader expert advisors. Pepperstone covers all three, which is why it is our first choice for automation.
Pepperstone's three routes to automation
Pepperstone's integrations page names API trading alongside cTrader Automate and algorithmic trading on MetaTrader. In practice you pick the route that matches your language and your strategy:
| Route | You write | Razor FX commission per side |
|---|---|---|
| cTrader Automate | cBots in C# | USD 3.00 |
| MetaTrader 5 | Expert advisors in MQL5 | USD 3.50 |
| MetaTrader 4 | Expert advisors in MQL4 | USD 7 per lot, charged on opening |
| API trading | Your own code against the broker's interface | Depends on the account |
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Why the commission line matters more for bots
An automated strategy repeats the same cost thousands of times. On Pepperstone's Razor account, one standard lot of EUR/USD round trip costs about USD 7 on cTrader (0.1 pip published average spread, worth USD 1, plus USD 6 commission) and about USD 8 on MT5. Across 500 lots a month, that is a USD 500 gap. The Standard account has no commission but averages 1.1 pips, or USD 11 a lot, which rarely suits high-frequency logic. Pepperstone also publishes execution "from 50 milliseconds, with a 99.32% fill rate and no dealer intervention" for trades between 1 January and 31 March 2026; treat it as the broker's own statistic.
Other brokers with an API or open platform
- IG: lists APIs, MT4, MT5, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer and TradingView among its platforms. IG Asia Pte Ltd holds a MAS capital markets services licence.
- Saxo: publishes OpenAPI alongside SaxoTrader and third-party tools such as MultiCharts. Saxo Capital Markets Pte. Ltd. is MAS-licensed.
- XS: MT4, MT5 and its own app; it does not publish whether expert advisors are allowed, so ask before you deploy one.
- Capital.com allows expert advisors, but it does not accept Singapore residents.
Before you connect a bot to a live account
- Confirm the entity: Pepperstone serves Singapore residents through Pepperstone Markets Limited (Bahamas, SIA-F217), not a MAS-licensed company.
- Ask for the API's order limits and connection rules in writing; they are not published in our data.
- Check whether you qualify for the free VPS, which Pepperstone offers to eligible and Pro clients.
- Run the strategy on the smallest size first: a bug at 1:200 leverage costs real money fast.
Sources
Platform and cost pages published by each broker.
Does Pepperstone charge extra for API access?
No separate API fee appears in our data. Your trading costs are the account's spread and commission; ask Pepperstone to confirm any access conditions.
Is cTrader or MetaTrader better for automation?
cTrader suits C# developers and is the cheaper Pepperstone platform at USD 3.00 per side; MetaTrader has the larger library of ready-made expert advisors.
Can I use TradingView alerts to trade automatically?
Pepperstone offers TradingView on the Razor account for placing trades. Whether alerts can fire orders without you depends on TradingView's features, so check that on TradingView itself.
Automated trading does not remove market risk: CFDs are complex, leveraged instruments and you can lose money rapidly. Test any strategy before using real funds. Not investment advice.