FAQ · 9 min read
After reviewing hundreds of EA buyer questions across MQL5 forums and direct support conversations, the same ten questions come up repeatedly. This article answers them directly — without the marketing language that makes most EA FAQ pages useless.
Q1: How much can I realistically make per month?
For a conservatively sized martingale EA (0.01 lots on a $2,000-$3,000 account), expect 2-8% per month in favorable conditions — with some months at breakeven or small loss during recovery cycles. Annual returns of 20-50% are realistic for well-sized accounts. Monthly returns above 10% consistently are either very aggressive sizing or marketing fiction.
Q2: Do I need to watch the EA all day?
No. That is the point of automation. The EA runs on a VPS 24/5 and manages all trade decisions without your involvement. You should check performance weekly and be reachable if the kill switch triggers, but continuous monitoring defeats the purpose of automation.
Q3: What if the EA has a losing month?
Losing months happen. Martingale systems can show months where the balance barely moves or dips slightly if recovery cycles are still open at month-end. This is normal operation, not a system failure. Compare the drawdown level to the backtest maximum — if it is within historical norms, the system is operating as expected. Only intervene if drawdown exceeds backtest maximums.
Q4: Which broker should I use?
Any regulated ECN/STP broker with spreads below 1.0 pip on EURUSD and explicit permission for automated trading in their ToS. Commonly used by EA traders: IC Markets, Pepperstone, FP Markets, and Tickmill. Avoid unregulated brokers regardless of their claimed spreads.
Q5: Can I start with $500?
For Chronos Algo: $500 is the absolute floor on a micro account with 0.01 lots. It is not the recommended balance — $2,000+ is recommended for comfortable operation with buffer. At $500 with 0.01 lots, a deep recovery cycle will stress the account. At $500 with 0.02 or higher lots, the risk of kill switch trigger is very high.
Q6: What happens when the kill switch triggers?
All open positions close immediately at market. The EA stops opening new trades. You will see a realized loss equal to approximately 65% of the account balance at the time. The remaining ~35% is preserved. You then decide whether to restart the EA at a reduced lot size proportional to the new balance, withdraw the remaining capital, or leave the account to recover before restarting.
Q7: Can I use the EA on a prop firm account?
Most prop firms prohibit martingale and averaging strategies. Check the specific firm’s rules before attempting. The few that permit automated trading typically have maximum drawdown rules (5-10%) that the kill switch threshold would breach before triggering — making the prop firm rules the effective limit rather than the EA’s own kill switch.
Q8: Does the EA need updates?
Occasional updates for platform compatibility and parameter refinements are provided through MQL5. Significant strategy changes are rare — the core logic is designed to be durable rather than requiring frequent recalibration. Updates are available to all license holders at no additional cost.
Q9: How do I know if the EA has stopped working?
Signs the system may have stopped functioning: no trades for an extended period during normally active market hours, positions not closing when take-profit levels are hit, or the kill switch threshold being reached and no notification. Check the MT4/MT5 journal tab for error messages. A common cause is the broker server disconnecting — verify the connection status in MetaTrader.
Q10: Is there a free trial?
MQL5 provides a free demo version of most EAs for testing in Strategy Tester and on demo accounts. The demo version is fully functional for backtesting and demo trading — it does not work on live accounts. Download the demo from the product page on MQL5 and run it on a demo account for as long as needed before purchasing.
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Try It on a Demo Account First
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Chronos Algo — Try Free Demo on MQL5 →