Gunbot and Zenbot are two well-known self-hosted crypto trading bots, but which one is better for your needs? In this guide we compare both bots across core features, supported strategies, pricing, and user experience - without any fluff.
Core Differences: Gunbot vs Zenbot
| Feature | Gunbot | Zenbot |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Self-hosted desktop, server, or VPS build for Windows, macOS, Linux, ARM | Self-hosted Node.js CLI framework |
| Pricing Model | One-time lifetime license from $59 (Standard) | Free (MIT license) |
| User Interface | Modern web GUI plus optional CLI | Command-line only |
| Strategy Types | Spot & Futures Grid, DCA, Indicator-based, Liquidity Provider, Scalping, Trailing, Custom JS | User-created JS strategies such as trend-following or basic market-making |
| Custom Scripting | Full JavaScript engine, TradingView webhooks, custom indicators | JavaScript strategy files edited directly |
| Exchange Integrations | Native connectors for 25 + exchanges (spot, futures, and selected DeFi perps) | Around 9 community-maintained connectors |
| API Key Custody | Local only – your API secret or private key stays on your device | Local only |
| Support & Updates | Commercial support, frequent releases, active user community | Community forum and GitHub only |
Deployment and API Key Security
Gunbot ships as a downloadable package that you run on your own computer, a home server, or any VPS. Installers exist for Windows, macOS, major Linux distros, and even Raspberry Pi. Because everything runs locally, your exchange API key and secret never leave your machine.
Zenbot is also self-hosted, but you install it via npm and interact exclusively in the terminal. Like Gunbot, the API secret remains on your hardware, but you must handle environment variables and process managers yourself.
Bottom line: Both bots keep credentials local, but Gunbot is faster to deploy and friendlier for non-developers.
Pricing and Long-Term Value
- Gunbot – a single payment of $59 for the Standard edition grants lifetime ownership, core upgrades, and access to community presets. Higher tiers add futures support and back-testing, still without any subscription.
- Zenbot – completely free and open-source. Your only costs are hosting and the time you invest in coding or maintaining strategies.
If you rate your own time highly, Gunbot’s modest one-off fee quickly offsets its convenience and support.
Strategy Libraries and Customization Depth
Gunbot’s seven official strategy categories cover every style most traders need:
- Spot & Futures Grid – classic grid re-accumulation with risk controls
- DCA – automatic averaging with smart exit targets
- Indicator-based – RSI, MACD, MA stack, or your own TA script
- Liquidity Provider – market-making style spreads with inventory management
- Scalping – ultra-short trades, tick or second resolution
- Trailing – follow price with dynamic stop or step logic
- Custom JS – write or import full strategies in pure JavaScript
Each preset exposes dozens of toggles so you can refine risk, timing, order types, and position sizing from the GUI.
Zenbot ships with a handful of sample strategies, but serious users usually code their own or copy community gists. There is no official library and no web-based configurator. Power and flexibility are there – if you write them.
Exchange Coverage and Reliability
Gunbot offers official, actively maintained adapters for more than 25 major venues, including Binance, Kraken, Bitget, KuCoin, OKX, Coinbase Advanced Trade, plus on-chain derivatives like dYdX v4. Futures pairs receive the same attention as spot pairs, and connectors are updated as exchanges change their APIs.
Zenbot supports roughly nine exchanges, and many connectors have gone stale or require manual patches. Pull requests can linger for months before merge, so you may end up forking the code to fix endpoints yourself.
Strategy Categories Explained
Below is a quick look at how Gunbot’s strategy families behave in practice:
| Category | Typical Use Case | Key Controls Available |
|---|---|---|
| Grid | Range-bound markets, passive income | Grid size, step size, re-buy spread |
| DCA | Long-term accumulation, dip buying | Safety orders, volume scale, exit multiple |
| Indicator-based | Trend following or mean reversion | Indicator choice, thresholds, time-frame |
| Liquidity Provider | Earning maker fees, tight spreads | Spread %, inventory skew, order refresh rate |
| Scalping | High volatility pairs, news events | Tick size, take-profit ticks, cool-down |
| Trailing | Capturing swing tops and bottoms | Trail offset, start trigger, stop condition |
| Custom JS | Anything you can code | Unlimited – your script defines the rules |
Zenbot can replicate any of the above in theory, but only after you implement the logic yourself.
Who Should Choose Gunbot?
- Traders who want working strategies on day one
- Users valuing a GUI, quick setup, and active product support
- Developers who like owning code but prefer an API-rich framework over writing every order loop themselves
- Anyone who appreciates paying once and running forever
Who Should Choose Zenbot?
- Hardcore JavaScript enthusiasts eager to tinker
- Teams building bespoke, proprietary logic that will never rely on vendor code
- Budget-conscious hobbyists willing to trade time for zero software cost
Verdict
Both bots let you run crypto strategies from your own hardware, but they target different audiences.
Gunbot is a polished toolset aimed at traders who want reliable execution, a deep strategy library, and official support. The $59 lifetime entry price is minimal compared to the hours saved.
Zenbot remains a valuable open-source playground for developers who enjoy building systems from scratch and who can live without a GUI or vendor help.
For most active traders, Gunbot’s mix of preset power and full code freedom makes it the more practical long-term choice. Zenbot is ideal for learning or for highly custom research projects where you want to own every line of code.