3Commas: Platform Profile

Overview

3Commas is crypto-trading automation software that connects to external exchanges.

It is not the exchange.

It is not the custodian.

The usual workflow is:

1. open or already have an account at a supported crypto exchange;
2. connect it to 3Commas through an API/Fast Connect-style integration;
3. configure a bot or SmartTrade workflow;
4. let 3Commas send authorized trading instructions;
5. keep the actual assets at the exchange.

Current 3Commas tools include:

• DCA bots;
• Signal bots;
• Grid bots;
• SmartTrade;
• TradingView/Pine Script execution;
• AI-assisted features;
• portfolio tracking;
• spot trading;
• futures support on eligible plans/exchanges/locations.

That makes 3Commas a useful DIY automation layer.

It should not be evaluated like Coinbase, Kraken or another exchange that actually holds and executes the account relationship.

May fit better for

• crypto traders who already use supported exchanges;
• users who want rule-based DCA automation;
• users who want external signal routing;
• grid traders;
• TradingView/Pine Script users;
• traders managing more than one exchange connection;
• users comfortable managing API permissions and exchange-specific risks.

May fit less well for

• investors seeking managed portfolios;
• users who want a regulated adviser selecting trades;
• customers who want one custody/protection regime;
• users uncomfortable with API security;
• traders whose exchange is not supported in their jurisdiction;
• investors who treat bot backtests as live forecasts;
• users who want free-plan live trading.

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3Commas is software, not the exchange

Current legal materials identify the provider as:

• Legal company: 3C Trade Tech Ltd.
• Company number: 2164568
• Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands

The platform's legal pages state that 3Commas provides software and that exchange, transfer, wallet and related financial services are provided by third parties.

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Funds remain at the connected exchange

The operating model is non-custodial.

The connected exchange determines:

• custody;
• account eligibility;
• asset availability;
• commissions;
• futures availability;
• geographic restrictions;
• withdrawal controls;
• account-level security;
• bankruptcy/counterparty exposure.

3Commas adds another operational dependency without replacing the exchange.

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API permissions should not include withdrawals

Current security materials emphasize restricted API permissions.

The core control is straightforward:

• give trading permission needed for automation;
• do not enable withdrawal permissions merely to run bots.

Features such as IP whitelisting, 2FA and supported secure-connect methods can reduce risk.

They cannot eliminate exchange-account or credential compromise risk.

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Free plan does not include real trading

Current July 2026 help documentation states:

• Free:
• Real trading: No
• Exchange connections for tracking: 2
• Signal bots: No
• Futures: No
• Developer API: No
• AI Assistant: limited credits

This is a significant distinction.

It is a tracking/testing/access tier.

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Current paid monthly pricing

Current help center:

• Starter monthly: $20
• Pro monthly: $50
• Expert monthly: $140

Current pricing page also shows annual-billing equivalent monthly disclosures show:

• Starter annual equivalent monthly: $15
• Pro annual equivalent monthly: $38
• Expert annual equivalent monthly: $105

Exchange trading fees remain separate.

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Paid-plan automation limits differ materially

Current help/pricing materials distinguish active trading accounts and bot limits.

Core current disclosures show:

• Starter:
• Active trading accounts: 1
• Spot only: Yes
• Active DCA bots: 5
• Active Signal bots: 2
• Active Grid bots: 2
• Pro:
• Active trading accounts: 3
• Spot and futures: Yes
• Active DCA bots: 20
• Active Signal bots: 20
• Active Grid bots: 10
• Expert:
• Active trading accounts: 15
• Spot and futures: Yes

The pricing page and help center can use different labels for total connections versus active trading accounts/API keys.

connected for tracking

with:

authorized and counted as an active trading account.

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U.S. exchange support is narrower than the global registry

Current July 31, 2026 U.S./EU help documentation lists U.S.-friendly examples including:

• Binance US;
• Bitstamp;
• Coinbase Advanced;
• Gemini;
• Kraken.

Availability still depends on:

• state;
• exchange eligibility;
• specific product;
• spot versus futures;
• exchange account approval.

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Futures are plan-, exchange- and jurisdiction-dependent

Current 3Commas paid plans distinguish Starter from higher tiers.

But futures availability still depends on the connected venue and customer's location.

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AI is an assistance feature, not the legal service model

3Commas markets AI-oriented tools, including AI assistance and AI-enabled bot functionality.

That does not make the company an investment adviser.

A user can still configure a poor strategy perfectly.

Automation can repeat a bad rule faster than manual trading.

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DCA, Grid and Signal bots solve different problems

DCA bot

Automates staged entries/exits under user-defined or signal-driven rules.

Grid bot

Places systematic buy/sell orders across a price range.

Signal bot

Takes an external or configured signal and converts it into an execution workflow.

SmartTrade

Adds order-management tools rather than operating as one universal autonomous AI strategy.

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Exchange fees, spreads and financing are separate

A 3Commas subscription is software cost.

Potential trading costs can still include:

• exchange maker/taker fees;
• spread;
• futures funding;
• margin/borrow;
• liquidation;
• network/withdrawal charges at the venue;
• taxes;
• slippage.

A lower software plan does not make the connected strategy inexpensive if turnover is high.

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Backtests and bot statistics are not customer guarantees

Automated crypto trading is particularly sensitive to:

• volatility;
• gaps;
• API latency;
• exchange outages;
• order rejection;
• funding-rate changes;
• liquidation;
• parameter overfitting;
• regime change.

Assessment

3Commas is a clear example of DIY automation rather than managed trading.

It can make a strategy execute automatically.

It does not choose a suitable strategy for the customer in the fiduciary sense, and it does not replace the exchange.

That makes the main due-diligence chain:

bot logic → 3Commas connection → exchange API → exchange execution → market/counterparty risk.

The current pricing is easy to state.

The total risk and cost are not.

A user still has to understand which exchange holds the assets, what permissions the API key has, whether futures are lawful/available for that account and how the bot behaves when the market moves outside its assumptions.