Understand what changes the cost of a custom MQL5 Expert Advisor, what a bounded EUR 249 entry build includes and when a EUR 39 specification should come first.
The checklist
1
Freeze one usable first version
Price the smallest complete workflow that can be accepted independently. Additional symbols, strategies, dashboards and integrations should not be hidden inside an undefined first build.
2
Choose specification or implementation
A EUR 39 specification audit is the safer first milestone when timing, state transitions or acceptance examples are unresolved. A bounded implementation can start at EUR 249 only after those decisions are explicit.
3
Count rule states, not indicator names
A crossover may be simple, but cooldowns, re-entry, partial exits, break-even, trailing and daily locks create separate states that must be implemented and tested.
4
Define order and position ownership
State whether the EA manages only its own magic number, one symbol, all symbols or manual trades. Broader authority increases both risk and verification effort.
5
Specify sizing and protection
Fixed lots are smaller in scope than cash-risk sizing with tick-value validation, broker-volume rounding, stop-distance checks and failure handling.
6
Freeze the broker environment
Account mode, symbol properties, filling modes, server time and terminal build determine how much environment-specific validation is required.
7
List every dependency
Custom indicators, DLLs, APIs, paid data, licensing and connector services must be identified before a fixed quote. Hidden dependencies are not a valid acceptance plan.
8
Separate UI from trading logic
Panels, chart objects, reports and multilingual controls are real product work. Quote them separately from the underlying entry, exit and risk state machine.
9
Provide deterministic fixtures
At least one must-trade, one must-not-trade and relevant boundary or restart cases reduce ambiguity and make a fixed price more reliable.
10
Bound revisions and support
Define what counts as a defect against the frozen requirements, how many correction rounds are included and whether future strategy changes are a new milestone.
Common questions
How much does a custom MQL5 Expert Advisor cost?
The current StratCoreAlpha entry implementation starts at EUR 249 for one bounded, explicitly specified workflow. A EUR 39 specification audit can come first when key rules are unresolved. Multi-strategy logic, integrations, custom interfaces and broader testing require a separate fixed quote.
Why not quote a complete EA from a short strategy description?
Terms such as trend, confirmation, risk control or smart exit do not define software behavior. A reliable quote needs exact timing, formulas, state transitions, broker assumptions and acceptance examples.
Are backtest optimization and profit targets included?
No. Implementation is accepted against agreed software behavior. Parameter optimization, data research and strategy validation are separate scopes, and profitability or drawdown outcomes are never guaranteed.
Is editable MQ5 source included?
Yes for the agreed implementation scope. Any third-party or separately licensed dependency must be disclosed before the order and cannot be silently withheld behind a private strategy library.
Free diagnostic resource
Build a free trading-bot scope brief
Turn the platform, rules, timing, risk and acceptance examples into one reviewable brief before requesting a fixed quote.