The short answer: these bots run on MetaTrader 5, not inside an exchange. If you trade on Binance, Bybit, OKX or any other one today, you can still use them — all you need is to also open an account with a broker that offers MetaTrader 5. It is free to open, it is done online, and it usually takes less time than opening an exchange account.
You do not have to close anything or move your money from where it is. The two live side by side.
Several large exchanges —Bybit and Bitget among them— already offer their own MetaTrader 5 account to ordinary users. There the bot installs exactly as it would with any broker: same file, same key, same guide, no software in between. And if you prefer a traditional broker, that works too. Opening either one is free and does not force you to move a cent from where you keep it.
The file you receive is an Expert Advisor: a program compiled for the MetaTrader 5 virtual machine. It needs the MetaTrader terminal open, with its chart, its indicators and its connection to an MT5 server. So what you need is an account that speaks MetaTrader 5 — and there are more ways to get one than you might think.
No exchange runs Expert Advisors inside its own app. Binance in particular does have a MetaTrader 5 gateway, but it is for brokers. Straight from Binance's official announcement: "This product is only available to brokers with an MT5 server (e.g. CFD brokers, stock brokers), and is not for retail traders." An individual user cannot access that, at any price. Same with OKX, whose MT5 integration is aimed at brokerage operations.
And here is the good news, which is probably what you were looking for: some large exchanges offer their own MetaTrader 5 account to ordinary users. It is not a gateway or a bridge: it is a normal MT5 account, under the brand you already use, where the bot installs exactly as it would with any broker.
Both are CFD accounts and each lists whatever instruments it chooses. Before depositing anything, open a demo account — it is free — and check in the Market Watch that your bot's instrument is there: BTC, gold or Nasdaq 100, depending on which one you buy. If it is not, that account is no use for that bot, and it is better to find out beforehand.
| Exchange (Binance, Bybit…) | Broker with MetaTrader 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hold | The coin itself. You can withdraw it to your wallet. | A contract on the price. You cannot withdraw bitcoins. |
| How you trade | From their app or website. | From MetaTrader 5, on your computer. |
| Automation | By coding against their API. | By dragging the bot onto the chart. No coding. |
| What you can trade | Crypto, and little else. | Crypto, gold, indices, commodities, currencies. |
| Cost to open | Free | Free |
IC Markets · Pepperstone · Exness · XM · FP Markets · Tickmill · AvaTrade · FxPro · Vantage · Eightcap · HFM · Octa · OANDA · Swissquote · BlackBull Markets · ActivTrades · FOREX.com · IG · CMC Markets.
There is no commercial agreement with any of them and nothing is charged for naming them. They are listed so you do not have to search. Before depositing, check for yourself that they list your instrument and offer Hedge accounts.
01 Pick a broker from the list and check two things on their site: that they offer MetaTrader 5, and that they list your instrument.
02 Open a demo account first. It is free, it holds no money, and it lets you test the whole flow. When opening it, choose the Hedge type.
03 Download MetaTrader 5 from that broker's website, not from anywhere else. Each broker ships its own build, already pointed at their servers.
04 Write down your account number. It is in MetaTrader's title bar. Digits only, and it is what you enter when you buy: the license key is tied to that number and to the bot.
05 Buy and follow the install guide. From there it is ten minutes and all clicks.
| Do I have to take my money out of the exchange? | No. They are two independent accounts. Only what you put in the broker is what the bot trades. |
| Is the broker's BTC the same as the exchange's? | It tracks the same price, but it is a contract, not the coin. For the bot it is the same; for withdrawing crypto, it is not. |
| Can I test without risking money? | Yes, on a demo account. Ask support for that account's key — there is no charge. |
| What if I already have MetaTrader 5? | You are set: go straight to the install guide. |
| Does it work on a phone? | For watching, yes. For the bot to trade, no: it needs desktop MetaTrader open, or a VPS. |
| Are there bridges to connect it to my exchange? | They exist. The included support covers installation on MetaTrader 5; if you want the detail of how they work, ask the assistant on this page. |
| Will there be native exchange bots? | That would be a different product, not a version of this one. If it comes out, it will be announced on the site. |