How much money can you realistically earn with a trading bot?

The marketing numbers are wrong

A bot that does 30% per month would turn €1,000 into €11 million in 3 years. If this were true the inventor would not sell it for €497.

Realistic for a good bot: 5-15% per month in good months, 0-5% in slow months, sometimes a losing month of -3 to -8%. On a yearly basis 40-90% on average for the truly good ones.

Example math

€5,000 starting capital, average 8% per month with our bot. Month 1: €400 profit, account €5,400. Month 2: €432 profit, account €5,832.

After a year of average growth you reach €12,500 (compounded). Subtract 30% commission on winning weeks, you net around €11,000. Doubling of capital.

Not €500,000. Not financially independent. But a real-world return no fund or pension product gives you.

What determines the return

Market conditions: in trending markets almost any good bot does 10-15% per month. In choppy ranging markets even the best bot does 0-5%.

Risk parameters: higher lot size = higher returns but also higher drawdowns. At 1% per trade your return is lower but you do not blow up on 10 losses in a row.

Account size: small accounts (€500-€2000) have less leverage due to lot size limits and relatively higher spread costs. On €500 expect 4-7% per month, on €5,000 expect 8-12%.

When is a bot 'good enough'

When over 12 months it earns more than a savings account (3% per year) plus inflation (2.5%) plus the time you spend monitoring. That is a low bar, but 80% of retail trading bots do not clear it.

Our internal benchmark: minimum 5% per month average over a rolling 12-month window. Below that the bot goes out of production and the strategy is reviewed.

Most important lesson

One good month does not determine if a bot works. It is the cumulative of 12 months, including bad weeks. Anyone can run a bot for 4 weeks and show profit, that is luck plus selection bias.

Always ask any bot for 12+ months track record. No track record? No money in.