All bots / Head-to-head

3Commas
vs Pionex

3Commas7.4/ 10
Pionex7.8/ 10
Short answer · updated 2026-11-02

Pick Pionex if you want grid bots for free and don't mind keeping your coins on Pionex itself: there's no subscription, you pay 0.05% per spot trade. Pick 3Commas if you want your funds to stay on your own exchange (15 supported) and need DCA, Signal and TradingView automation, starting at $20 a month. It's custody vs cost: Pionex holds your funds; 3Commas doesn't, but leaked users' API keys in 2022.

Side by side: price, fees, exchanges, bots

Every field re-checked on the vendor's own pricing or feature page on the date shown. "Not published" means the vendor doesn't state it publicly.

3CommasPionex
WhichBot score7.4 how?7.8 how?
Price tiers (monthly / annual)Starter $20/mo · Pro $50/mo · Expert $140/mo
Annual: $15 / $38 / $105 per monthchecked 2026-11-02 · source
No subscription: built-in bots are free to runchecked 2026-11-02 · source
Free plan or trialFree trial on every plan (length not published on the pricing page); demo account on all planschecked 2026-11-02 · sourceYes: bots are free; you only pay trading fees. Demo trading availablechecked 2026-11-02 · source
Fees beyond subscriptionNo per-trade fee listed; you pay your exchange's trading feeschecked 2026-11-02 · sourceSpot 0.05% maker / 0.05% taker · Futures 0.02% maker / 0.05% taker · Leveraged tokens 0.10%checked 2026-11-02 · source
Exchanges15
Binance, Binance TR, Binance US, Bitfinex, Bitget, BitMEX, Bitstamp, Bybit, Coinbase Advanced, Gate, Gemini, HTX, Kraken, KuCoin, OKX
Bitget is futures-onlychecked 2026-11-02 · source
1
Pionex itself (bots run on its own exchange; no outside exchanges)checked 2026-11-02 · source
Bot typesDCA, Grid, Signal bots, SmartTrade, Pine Script® and webhook execution, API (Expert)checked 2026-11-02 · sourceSpot grid, futures grid, copy bot (others are listed in the app; not all on the public pages)checked 2026-11-02 · source
CustodyNon-custodial (exchange API keys)checked 2026-11-02 · sourceCustodial: Pionex holds your fundschecked 2026-11-02 · source
Known security incidents2 incidentschecked 2026-10-30 · detailsnone knownchecked 2026-10-30 · details
Visit 3CommasVisit Pionex

Affiliate disclosure: links to Cryptohopper, Bitsgap, WunderTrading, Coinrule, TradersPost and TradingView are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. 3Commas and Pionex links are plain links (no affiliate deal). Commissions never change scores or verdicts.

Who should pick which

  • Pick Pionex if… you're starting small, want grid or futures-grid bots without a subscription, and are fine holding funds on a custodial exchange.
  • Pick 3Commas if… you already trade on Binance, Kraken, Coinbase, OKX or another major exchange and want bots there, or you run TradingView strategies via Pine Script® or webhooks.
  • Consider instead… Bitsgap (free plan, 17 exchanges, non-custodial) or WunderTrading (lifetime free plan, TradingView signal bots).

Pros & cons

3COMMAS

Pros & cons

ProNon-custodial: funds stay on your exchange
Pro15 exchanges
ProDCA, Grid, Signal bots and Pine Script® execution
ProFree trial plus a demo account
ConSubscription from $20/mo
ConConfirmed Dec 2022 API-key leak
ConFutures need Pro ($50/mo)

Visit 3Commas ↗

PIONEX

Pros & cons

ProNo subscription; bots are free to run
ProLow published fees: 0.05% spot, 0.02%/0.05% futures
ProDemo trading
ProNothing to connect, no API keys
ConCustodial: Pionex holds your funds
ConOnly trades on Pionex
ConFees scale with volume, so very active bots can cost more than a flat plan

Visit Pionex ↗

FAQ

Is Pionex really free?

Running Pionex's built-in bots has no subscription. You pay Pionex's trading fees: 0.05% maker and taker on spot, 0.02% maker / 0.05% taker on futures, per its fee page.

When is 3Commas cheaper than Pionex?

Roughly when a bot trades more than about $40,000 a month: 0.05% of $40,000 is $20, the price of 3Commas Starter. Your exchange's own fees still apply on 3Commas, so compare those too.

Is Pionex custodial?

Yes. Pionex is an exchange, so bots trade with funds you deposit there. 3Commas is non-custodial and trades through API keys on your own exchange.

Can I use Pionex bots on Binance?

No. Pionex bots only run on Pionex. 3Commas, Bitsgap and Cryptohopper connect to outside exchanges like Binance.

Which is better for beginners?

Pionex has less setup: no keys and no plan to choose. 3Commas has a demo account and more control.

More comparisons

Trading bots can lose money. WhichBot scores rate safety, custody, price and coverage, not profits. How we score.

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Affiliate disclosure: some links may be affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Bots never pay for placement or score. Not financial advice: trading bots can lose money. Data last checked 2026-11-02; each field shows its own check date.