In the copy-trading industry, there are two main approaches to hosting:
- Managed infrastructure — the provider delivers ready-to-use enterprise infrastructure
- Self-hosted solutions — the broker independently deploys and maintains servers
Let's break down the real cost of each approach...
Managed infrastructure: what's included in the cost
In the copy-trading solutions industry, managed infrastructure traditionally meant a basic package: simple servers, standard monitoring, and tech support during business hours. B2COPY fundamentally reimagined this approach, creating an enterprise ecosystem with top-tier AWS architecture, round-the-clock monitoring processes, and tier-1 financial institution level support.
What brokers get with B2COPY managed infrastructure:
- Enterprise AWS architecture — Multi-AZ deployment across 3 availability zones with automatic failover, service redundancy across 2+ zones
- Highest-level 24/7 support — full-time team works 365 days, including holidays, with average response time under 5 minutes
- Unique continuous validation — dedicated test accounts constantly perform real copying between accounts, measuring speed and success rates
- External system auditor — specialized service continuously executes copy requests and assesses the health of the entire system from API to trading servers
- Zero-downtime updates through modern Docker + Kubernetes architecture with auto-scaling and self-healing capabilities
- Proactive monitoring — system detects issues before clients notice them, preventing 80% of potential incidents
Cost for the broker: Fixed monthly fee, predictable expenses.
Self-hosted: the hidden cost of "savings"
With independent deployment, the broker takes on:
Infrastructure expenses
- Application servers: $450+/month (minimum 3 servers for fault tolerance)
- Database cluster: $280+/month (Multi-AZ mandatory for copy-trading)
- Load balancer, CDN: $120+/month
- Backup, monitoring: $150+/month
- Total basic infrastructure: $1,000+/month
Human resources
- DevOps engineer: $6,000+/month (or $72,000+/year)
- 24/7 alert monitoring: $4,000+/month to cover all shifts
- System administrator: $3,000+/month for routine maintenance
Hidden risks
- Deployment time: 2-3 months to set up production-ready infrastructure
- Learning curve: Team needs to learn copy-trading architecture specifics
- Single point of failure: If key DevOps engineer leaves, knowledge goes with them
- Compliance risks: Full responsibility for meeting regulatory requirements
When self-hosted is justified
Self-hosted solutions make sense only in very specific cases:
- Regulatory compliance requires deployment in specific jurisdiction
- Existing infrastructure already configured for high-load financial applications
- Technical expertise — team has senior DevOps with copy-trading systems experience
- Volume justification — trading volumes are so high that infrastructure savings are substantial
Real economics: calculation example
Self-hosted (annual expenses):
- Infrastructure: $12,000
- DevOps team: $156,000 (at least 2 engineers to cover duties during vacations etc.)
- Total: $168,000/year
Managed solution:
- License with infrastructure: $30,000/year
- Savings: $138,000/year (82%)
Additional time savings: 2 months faster time-to-market.
Conclusion
For 90% of brokers, managed infrastructure turns out to be not just more convenient, but significantly cheaper than self-hosted solutions. Savings are achieved through:
- No need to hire DevOps team
- Faster time-to-market
- Reduced operational risks
- Predictable expenses without unexpected infrastructure costs
