The whole reason to put MetaTrader on a VPS is that it keeps trading when you are not looking. That only holds if the terminal comes back on its own after a reboot and the EA is actually enabled. This is the sequence, with the two checks people skip.
Before MT5: the server itself
If the VPS is new, do the first twenty minutes first: password, RDP port, update hours. For a trading server, set Windows Update active hours to cover your trading day so restarts fall in the weekend gap, and in Power options set the plan to High performance with sleep never.
Install MT5
Over RDP, open a browser only to download the MT5 installer from your broker's website, then close the browser. Run the installer, log in to your account, and let the terminal download history. If you run several brokers, install each terminal in its own folder with a different name; the installer offers this.
Copy your EAs, indicators and sets into the data folder: File, Open Data Folder, then MQL5\Experts, MQL5\Indicators and MQL5\Presets. Restart the terminal so it compiles them.
Enable algorithmic trading
Tools, Options, Expert Advisors: tick Allow algorithmic trading, and allow DLL imports only if your EA needs it. Then click the Algo Trading button on the toolbar so it turns green. Open the chart, drag the EA onto it, set the inputs, and confirm the smiling face in the top-right corner. A sad face means trading is disabled somewhere; check the three places in this paragraph.
Make it start with Windows
Press Win+R, type shell:startup, and copy a shortcut to terminal64.exe into the folder that opens. Add /portable to the shortcut target if you installed in portable mode. Now a reboot brings the terminal back, logged in, with its charts and EAs.
The two checks
First, reboot the VPS on purpose, wait two minutes, reconnect, and confirm the terminal is up, connected and the EA is active. If any of those fail, fix it now rather than at 3 a.m. on a Thursday.
Second, disconnect RDP by closing the window, not by logging off. Logging off ends the session and the terminal with it. Come back an hour later and check the Journal tab for a continuous log.
Sizing
One terminal with a few EAs is comfortable on 4 GB. Each additional terminal wants another 1 to 2 GB, and MT5 with heavy indicators or tick-data backtesting wants more CPU. Our Forex VPS plans are the Cloud VPS sizes with Windows included: 4 GB at ₹584 a month on annual billing, 8 GB at ₹1,013.
Keeping it healthy
Check the Journal once a week for disconnects. Leave Defender on. Do not install anything else on the machine. When the broker releases a terminal update, let it install during the weekend and run the reboot check again.
Questions we get asked
Does the EA keep running after I close Remote Desktop? Yes, if you close the window rather than logging off. The desktop keeps running on the server.
Can I run MT4 and MT5 on the same VPS? Yes, separate installs. Size the RAM for the count.
What about the broker's own VPS? Fine if you meet its conditions; you give up control and cannot run a second broker on it.
Do I need a licence for MT5 on the VPS? No. MetaTrader is free from the broker. The Windows Server licence is included on our plans.
How do I know the connection is stable? The ping figure next to the connection bars, checked at the London open and during a news release; see the latency article.
