UPDATE: Before signing up for Amazon, double check with Amazon that this offer still applies. This offer may not be available in certain areas.
Just a heads up, using this solution can get a little technical.
If you prefer a simpler (but more expensive) solution, we recommend using this VPS provider.
In a previous post, I showed you how to create a sub $100 Metatrader VPS with a cheap netbook and your home internet connection.
That's great if you are on a really tight budget because you only pay a one-time fee and you use your existing internet connection at home.
This allows you to run your Metatrader Expert Advisors (EA) or signal indicators without tying up your primary computer. Incremental automation doesn't have to cost a lot of money.
The downside is that if the power goes out at your house, your laptop will no longer be connected to the internet and if you are in the middle of a trade with an EA, it might cost you some money.
So if you are serious about trading, you have to step up to a better solution.
That means getting a VPS or virtual private server.
There are different ways to get free MT4 VPS hosting, but none of them are completely free.
You either have to have an account with a broker or you get a free trial period, but you have to start paying after the trial is over.
In this post, I'm going to show you how to get a VPS for free for a year. After that, you will pay about $12 per month, depending on how much data you use and where you host the server.
If you are only running Metatrader on your VPS, it should not be that expensive because it doesn't use that much data.
Watch this quick video to get started.
If you prefer the text notes, they are provided below the video.
Signup For Amazon AWS – A Cheap VPS for Forex Trading Charts
To get started, go to the Amazon homepage and scroll all the way down to the bottom. You will see a link for Amazon Web Services. Click on that link to sign up for an account.
Once your account is setup, you will see your dashboard after you have logged in. To get started with your VPS, click on the EC2 link.
Choose Your Location
Before you go any further, choose the location of your server. You should choose the cheapest server that is closest to you. Click on the location in the upper right corner.
Choose the location that is closest to you so that you get the fastest connection. Also consider the difference in cost however.
For example, a Windows server in Northern California costs $0.022 per hour. So you will be paying about an 11% premium, just by choosing a different location.
Now contrast that to a server in Oregon. The slight price difference that will save you about $3 per month. 
Pick Your Server
Then click on the Launch button to get started.
On the next screen, you will see available servers that you can select. In order to get your first year for free, choose a server that has the “Free tier eligible” label.
If you have setup Ubuntu before and you understand how to setup the GUI, then you may want to choose that option because it costs a little less every month and is generally more reliable than Windows. If you are used to Windows and don't want to do the complex setup, then choose Windows.
Since Windows is the easier and more common option, I will show you how to use that.
When you setup your server, take all of the default settings. After you are done, it will take a few minutes to run some checks. After the checks are complete, your server is ready to use.
Login To Your New Free MT4 VPS Hosting
Once your server is ready to go, right-click on the server and select “Connect.”
Then this box will show up. First, click on the “Download Remote Desktop File.” You will get a download that contains two files. One file is the RDP file that will open the connection program and the other file is a security file (.pem).
When you click on the “Get Password” button, you will have to upload the .pem file. Then you will be able to see the password.
After you have the password, double-click the RDP file. Doing this will open the Windows Desktop Connection program to login to your new server.
If you have a Mac, then download from the Microsoft website will not work. You have to get the download from the Mac App Store.
Once you have connected to the remote server, just install MT4 and set it up to your liking. I would recommend installing your remote MT4 install to Dropbox because it makes it easier to reinstall if anything goes wrong.
Just install Dropbox on your remote server and double click on the Terminal icon. All your settings will already be there. Otherwise, if you install MT4 directly to Windows, set it up to your preferences and you are ready to go!
Conclusion
So that is how to setup a Metatrader 4 virtual private server on Amazon Web Services.
It's free for the first year and can help you decide if you want to continue with it or not. This affordable solution for EAs and signal indicators provides the ultimate in flexibility and reliability.
Disclosure: I do get a commission if you buy through some of the links on this page. But it does NOT cost you anything extra, it helps pay for my hosting costs and a portion of the proceeds go to my charity partner.
Hello,
Will Back testing speed in MT4 increase while using Amazon AWS Services?
Thanks
Depends on the server option you choose in AWS. I’ve never tried it, but I assume that it will be slower.
Dear Hugh, I tried following your step but each time i clicked on the ec2, i will be redirected to completion of my registration, which i have done, please how can i proceed please
Hi,
Contact Amazon support, they can help you. I have no control of that process.
It does not allow me to open ICMarkets.com and download mt4, it just getting back to login screen. Does the free has limited access to internet?
Contact their support.
Hi Kimura,
I run three mt4 terminals, two have 64 charts running in each and one has 28 charts. so, total 3 terminals and 156 charts with loaded few custom indicators and one expert advisor. I think, aws free offer provides only 1GB. Can you guess how much GB do i need to run all charts smoothly ?
thank you so much in advance
Hi,
The free plan probably isn’t enough for your setup.
Thanks! The idea is great!
Just a question.
Is Internet Data free at AWS? The server will be still connected after you close RDC? AWS also provide Internet Connection with this service?
Thank you!
Hi Cosmin,
1. The data is included in the plan. They might charge if you go over a certain amount, but that probably won’t happen if you are only using MT.
2. Yes, the server is still connected after you close RDC.
3. Yes.
Also keep in mind that this free plan might not be available in all areas and it’s free for a year, then they start charging you.
Hi,
Thanks for the step by step instruction.
I am able to get the aws ec2 running on my remote server, but the Expert Advisor is not executing. I have seached everywhere to find out why its not executing the EA. Please can you advice because the dropbox is in the virtual window environment but it says no program to open it.
So you cannot get MT4 running on the remote VPS? I’m just trying to understand what the primary issue is here.
Isn’t it more important to choose a data center that is closer to your broker rather than closer to yourself… for faster trade execution?
Depends on your strategy. If you need fast execution, then yes. If you swing or position trade, then it’s not as much of a factor.
Amazon asked about credit card info and already withdraw some money, they claim that Credit card will be charged for extra services
I wonder if using EC2 could charge any money or fees during the free year ?
also, it was complicated to verify mobile number, i didnt receive phone calls to enter the verification code, and when i tried many times they locked the account for 12 hours, still waiting to retry again…
Hi Sherif,
You should check with Amazon to see what they will be charging you. The offer may not be valid anymore, or available in your area, so be sure to double check. Their customer support is usually pretty responsive.
Hi Hugh,
I have a MT4 running on EC2. However, the MT4 email alert is not working. I wonder if you have a solution for that. Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Peter
Hi Peter,
Watch the video in this post, it should help: https://www.tradingheroes.com/how-to-setup-metatrader-text-message-alerts/
Hi Hugh,
Thanks for the reply. In my case, I already have an email account on a SMTP mail server. In fact, the MT4 email alert is working fine on the client terminal running on my laptop. It just did not work on the EC2 MT4 VPS. Somehow the test message send out from the EC2 VPS could not get connected with my SMTP mail server. Just wonder if you have a solution to overcome the issue.
Thanks in advance.
Peter
Hi Peter,
OK, I see. That would be a question for your VPS host. There’s probably a setting that they have to change to enable you to send emails.
Hi Hugh,
thanks for the tutorial. Using AWS is awesome. So assuming everything is setup, how do you ensure that metatrader4 is running 24/7on AWS. Did you install it as a service? To my knowledge, running in in the User space, applications are terminated once the user is logged out.
Do you recommend installing and running it as Admin, or would you create a different user for security reasons?
Thanks so much,
Benny
Hi Benny,
I don’t have to run MT4 as a service, I just exit out of RDC, while I’m still logged in and it keeps running. It may be different for you, depending on your VPS setup. Just be sure that you have MT4 in the startup sequence, in case Windows decides to restart. If you are running EAs with significant amounts of money, then I would go through the trouble of running it as a service.
If you really want to be secure, then you should setup a separate user with admin privileges. But since I’m only running running alert indicators on my charts and MT4 isn’t connected to any accounts with significant money, I’m not so concerned with security.
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Hugh
Hugh,
thanks for your advice. I appreciate it! I will be running EAs, so service seems to be a must apart from other advantages like restart of the system without the need to login.
I just haven’t figured out how to access the application when running as a service yet, as it really does not seem to be built for it.
Can you recommend any service wrapper that allows you to run the application as a service in a user context but also puts the application in the tray or whatever, so it can be accessed when the particular “service user” RDPs into the system?
I’ve been googling about the issue and will continue, so far my research has not revealed any viable results.
Thanks again!
Benny
Hey Benny,
Ahh, OK…I’m not sure how to do that. I’ve turned other programs into a service in the past, but it always took a few days to figure it out and it depended on the application. If you figure it out, let me know and I’d love to feature your solution on the blog!
Cheers,
Hugh
Hi,
wonderful instructions, a bit different visually to the updated interface, but it works like a charm.
i used my gmail to upload the files to the vps since i don’t have a drop box account.
works like a charm
thanks for the helpful advice, makes it easy to long term check my EA without computer running day and nite, awesome that they let us try for a whole year.
Happy it helped and thanks for the tips!
Hi Kimura,
I’ve followed your instruction to the tee but fail to connect to the remote server this is the message i get:
“Unable to connect to remote PC. Please verify Remote Desktop is enabled, the remote PC is turned on and available on the network, and then try again.”
How do i work around this as I’m using a Mac.
Much regards,
M.F
Hi,
The best thing to do is contact Amazon support. They can help you.
Cheers,
Hugh
Thanks for this tutorial, it works exactly as described. Especially the Dropbox trick is awesome. Cheers!
Glad you found it useful JP.