Freqtrade vs Gunbot: which trading bot wins in 2026?
Head-to-head on the facts that decide your money: custody model, pricing, features and scores - every number sourced in the linked reviews.
Short answer: too close to call - both score 8/10 and 7.7/10 in our weighted review. The deciding factor is your priority: Freqtrade for transparency, Gunbot for ease of use. Facts verified 2026-09-03.
 Freqtrade |  Gunbot | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score (0-10) | 8 | 7.7 |
| Safety score | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Custody model | Self-hosted (keys stay local) | Self-hosted (keys stay local) |
| IP whitelisting | no / unclear | no / unclear |
| Pricing model | Free | One-time license |
| Entry price | free | $45-499 once |
| Free tier / trial | free tier | none |
| Exchanges | 9 | 20 |
| Grid bots | no / unclear | yes |
| DCA bots | yes | yes |
| TradingView signals | no / unclear | no / unclear |
| Futures | yes | yes |
| Backtesting | yes | yes |
| Paper trading | yes | yes |
| Open source | yes | no / unclear |
| US available | yes | yes |
| Company | open-source community | Gunthar de Niro S.L.R. |
// Freqtrade at a glance
The reference open-source bot: free, auditable, keys never leave your machine - at the cost of Python skills and patience.
++ What works
- API keys stay on your own hardware
- Free and open source (GPL-3.0) with a large community
- Backtesting + hyperparameter optimization + FreqAI
- Dry-run paper mode for weeks before going live
-- What to watch
- Requires Python and command-line comfort
- Documentation is thorough but demanding
- No visual strategy builder - public strategies mostly fail live
- You own uptime, updates and VPS cost (~$5-20/mo)
// Gunbot at a glance
Privacy-first lifetime license (EUR 199-499) running locally on your machine - the self-hosted sweet spot between Freqtrade's effort and cloud subscriptions.
++ What works
- Runs locally - API secrets never leave your device
- One-time payment with free updates forever
- 20+ strategies plus custom JavaScript (DeFi tier)
- TradingView alerts + REST API + mobile app
- Very active community and fast support
-- What to watch
- Power-user oriented - not for complete beginners
- Backtesting only from Pro tier up
- Summer-deal pricing is volatile - list prices apply later
- Spain-registered micro company - longevity depends on the operator
// FAQ
Which is safer, Freqtrade or Gunbot?
Custody models first: Freqtrade: self-hosted (keys stay local), Gunbot: self-hosted (keys stay local). If a platform needs your API keys, use IP-whitelisted trade-only keys and keep only working capital on the exchange - the 2022 key-leak lesson. Security incident history per platform is documented in each review.
Which is cheaper, Freqtrade or Gunbot?
Freqtrade costs free (free); Gunbot costs $45-499 once (one-time license). Compare against your volume: subscriptions are flat cost while per-trade fees scale with activity - the bot cost calculator shows your break-even.
Which has more features, Freqtrade or Gunbot?
Freqtrade: DCA futures AI backtest paper code . Gunbot: grid DCA futures backtest paper code . Feature parity matters less than the two or three you actually use - check the grid/DCA/TradingView flags in the table above.
Scores and facts: meta-reviews with dated sources - Freqtrade · Gunbot. Method: how we verify. More: all trading bots compared.