Pelican have been providing copy trade services since 2015 but 10 years later there’s still some confusion about what that means.
Copy trading is a service that allows traders to automatically replicate the trades of Strategy Providers. Unlike signal trading, where traders have to manually place their own trades to follow individual signals, copy trading executes on the copier’s account in real time, fully mirroring the Strategy Provider’s activity. Copiers can still customise their lot sizes and set risk-management controls.
Traders benefit by potentially achieving stronger returns and by engaging with a community, making copy trading especially popular among new traders or those struggling to generate consistent results.
Brokers benefit because copy trading opens a new channel of client acquisition and, crucially, multiplies trading volume. It also helps make trade flow more consistent, improving risk management conditions.
Not all copy trade providers are created equal. Here we break down what Pelican does differently that separates it from the crowd.
Who else Provides Copy Trading Solutions?
Most Forex brokers offer “copy trading” products to IBs and retail traders, but how they deliver these products varies.
Some brokers build their systems in-house, while others partner with third-party technology providers-much like how they outsource CRM, payment systems, or back-office tools.
Over 50 Forex Brokers chose Pelican Trading because it offers a complete package:
- Technology
- Strategy content management
- Regulatory permissions
- And customer support
Making it a full 360° copy trading solution.
Their clients include some of the biggest brokers in the business, including Axi, IC Markets, Vantage and Pepperstone. As well as growing start-ups such as Kudo Trade and FOT Markets.
Pelican’s proprietary white-label solution means their software works just as well for start-ups as it does for industry leaders – and anything in between, giving those start-ups the space they need to scale.
What is Pelican?
Pelican Trading is a regulated B2B copy trading provider founded in London in 2015 by brothers Mike and Peter Read. Their cross-broker, cross-platform white-label solutions are designed for Forex brokers looking to increase trade flow in the retail market.
Pelican is headquartered in London and has offices in Dubai, Cyprus, Slovenia, and Singapore.
Pelican offers access to the biggest copy trading network in the word: what they call the Pelican Network. With 60+ brokers, it’s their main differentiator in the copy trading industry.
What is the Pelican Network and How Does it Compare to In-House or Other Third-Party Solutions?
Pelican’s biggest USP, aside from its regulatory status, is the Pelican Network: a trading community which hosts more than 2,500 Strategy Providers.
In copy trading, content is king. Even the best technology fails if there are no strong strategies for traders to follow.
Pelican solves this by operating a cross-broker ecosystem where strategies listed on one broker’s app are available on all others within the network. This creates a self-sustaining environment of trading content.
When brokers manage content themselves, whether in-house or via another provider, they face an operational challenge: If their top strategy crashes or quits, the entire product loses value overnight.
With the Pelican Network, this doesn’t happen. The ecosystem constantly replenishes itself, providing long-term, consistent, high-volume trade flow.
But all that content means nothing if it isn’t regulated, which Pelican has managed to provide a solution for on an almost-global scale.
Regulation
Pelican Trading is the only FCA-regulated copy trading provider, aside from eToro. No other provider has been approved since Pelican received authorisation in 2017.
Pelican has also expanded its regulatory coverage to include CySEC, Mauritius, and the UAE, and has an application pending in the United States for spot trading permissions.
Copy trading exists in a regulatory grey area. Copiers temporarily delegate their portfolio management to a Strategy Provider and rely on the Broker’s execution.
Brokers operating unregulated copy trading solutions have to be cautious when explaining this to regulators. Pelican’s portfolio management and investment-advice permissions across multiple jurisdictions uniquely address this challenge.
With this regulatory umbrella, Pelican aims to give their broker partners the best chance possible to max out their trading volume. Which is where their unique cross-platform technology comes in.
Technology
Pelican’s system is the only cross-platform, cross-broker copy trading solution in the global market.
Integrations include MT4, MT5, cTrader, DXtrade, Match-Trade Technologies, and even proprietary trading platforms.
While other providers may claim multi-platform integration, their copy trading typically remains siloed on a single server on a single trading platform. On Pelican however, a cTrader copier can follow an MT5 strategy, and vice versa, across all the trading platforms.
Pelican provides mobile, web, and desktop applications. An API is also available for brokers wishing to integrate Pelican’s technology and content into an existing application.
How Are Copy Trades Executed?
Pelican integrates directly with a broker’s servers via a light-touch process. The broker grants manager permissions, and both sides whitelist each other’s IPs.
Pelican sends market orders to the server through the broker’s dealing team, giving brokers full visibility and risk-management control.
What Are Performance Fees?
Performance fees are charges paid by copiers to Strategy Providers. On Pelican, fees typically range from 1–50%, with most providers charging around 30%.
Pelican only charges performance fees when trades surpass the High-Water Mark – meaning profit on profit. This creates a true win-win model where strategies are rewarded for genuine performance, and copiers only pay when they have generated a profit.
All performance fee calculations and payments are handled automatically by Pelican’s technology – not by the broker’s back office. On average, over $1 million USD is paid to Strategy Providers each month.
The copier, not the broker, pays performance fees.
Is Copy Trading IB-Friendly?
Many IBs join a Pelican-powered app and have their clients copy their own trading activity, helping brokers acquire clients and increase trade volume.
For IBs who may not be strong traders themselves, the Pelican Network gives access to thousands of strategies, allowing them to focus on what they do best: marketing.
Pelican also offers a Refer-a-Friend feature, enabling anyone to become an affiliate using the latest tracking tools.
Performance fees provide IBs with a second revenue stream, distinct from rebates or CPA deals.
Who Manages the Apps and What Customer Support Is Provided?
Pelican manages the entire app management for each broker. Each broker receives:
- An account manager
- Two operations managers
- A customer success manager
- A director overseeing broker relations and product development
Although the apps are listed under the broker’s name in the Apple and Google stores, Pelican handles QA testing, release management, and platform updates.
While a Jira portal can be used, Pelican thrives on strong, human relationships via Slack, Teams, and in-person collaboration. Pelican offers 24/5 customer support through direct channels of communication at no extra cost to the broker – if there’s an issue, it can be handled in real time, without the need to raise a ticket and wait until it’s your turn in line.
How Much Does Pelican Charge?
Pelican is not a SaaS provider and does not charge a fixed monthly subscription. Instead, Pelican operates on a volume-based model: if the broker’s copy trading product has no traffic, the app costs nothing.
How to Contact Pelican
Pelican can be found at major international expos, having recently won Best Copy Trading Platform at the Finance Magnates London Summit. They also attended the Qatar Money Expo and the Dubai Forex Expo.
For direct enquiries:
📩 sales@pelicantrading.io
