Gunbot vs Hummingbot: 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: Hummingbot wins overall (8.1/10 vs 7.7/10 in our weighted scores). Gunbot is still the better pick if you care most about ease of use. Facts verified 2026-09-03.
 Gunbot |  Hummingbot | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score (0-10) | 7.7 | 8.1 |
| 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 | One-time license | Free |
| Entry price | $45-499 once | free |
| Free tier / trial | none | free tier |
| Exchanges | 20 | 100 |
| Grid bots | yes | no / unclear |
| DCA bots | yes | no / unclear |
| TradingView signals | no / unclear | no / unclear |
| Futures | yes | no / unclear |
| Backtesting | yes | yes |
| Paper trading | yes | yes |
| Open source | no / unclear | yes |
| US available | yes | yes |
| Company | Gunthar de Niro S.L.R. | Hummingbot Foundation |
// 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
// Hummingbot at a glance
The open-source market-making framework - community-owned, 318 connectors, and the only bot line with institutional-grade pedigree.
++ What works
- Apache 2.0 open source, foundation-governed since 2018
- 318 connectors across CEXs and DEXs
- $47B+ reported trade volume from running instances
- Condor AI harness for agentic strategies
- Botcamp training + bounties
-- What to watch
- Market-making focus - not a grid/DCA consumer product
- Python + DevOps skills required
- No one-click strategies - you build or borrow scripts
- You own uptime and infrastructure
// FAQ
Which is safer, Gunbot or Hummingbot?
Custody models first: Gunbot: self-hosted (keys stay local), Hummingbot: 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, Gunbot or Hummingbot?
Gunbot costs $45-499 once (one-time license); Hummingbot costs free (free). 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, Gunbot or Hummingbot?
Gunbot: grid DCA futures backtest paper code . Hummingbot: arb MM 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 - Gunbot · Hummingbot. Method: how we verify. More: all trading bots compared.