The same EA can perform differently depending on the account
──How to choose an account that suits Gold EA

We often hear, “I bought an EA, but the developer’s results are totally different.” One cause is misconfiguration, but another major cause is the account. Spreads, swaps, leverage, order execution quality — just those differences can make the same EA behave completely differently. This article整理s how to choose an account that suits Gold EAs.

Backtests are calculated under ideal execution conditions. In actual trading, spreads, slippage, and swaps occur every time. When these “costs” accumulate, profits can be reduced by tens of percent annually.

In particular, scalping EAs have small profit per trade, so they are heavily affected by spreads. For M5 scalping EA like Shōkinryū, with Gold spreads of 20 pips vs 30 pips accounts, annual profits can differ by hundreds of thousands of yen.

Spreads are a “hidden cost.” Even small per trade, they add up over time. Let’s calculate concretely.

Even with the same EA, just the spread difference between accounts can create an annual gap of over 40,000 yen. If you increase the lot size, the gap widens further. Even if backtests look good, performance in a high-spread account can drop significantly in real trading.

Swaps are costs (or benefits) incurred when holding a position overnight. For scalping-style EAs, the effect is small since positions are closed within a day, but for EAs like CHAOS_GOLD that can hold for up to 38 days, swaps accumulate daily.

Gold swaps vary greatly by broker. Even for the same long or short position, some accounts can differ by several hundred yen per day. When using long-term holding EAs, always check swap rates before purchasing.

Domestic FX accounts in Japan tend to offer low leverage on Gold. Low leverage increases the required margin to trade the same lot size.

Shōkinryū is a grid-averaging (namping) type EA, so it may hold multiple positions at once depending on market conditions. On accounts with low leverage, the risk of margin shortfalls increases as positions accumulate.

There are times when people report, “the maintenance margin suddenly dropped,” but in most cases you should check the account’s leverage before the EA’s logic.

For the two EAs I developed, the prioritization for account selection differs.

We can’t name specific brokers here, but I’ve整理d items you can check yourself when selecting an account.

• Even with the same EA, differences in accounts can create large annual gaps in performance
• Scalping-type (Shōkinryū) prioritizes tight spreads
• Long-term holdings (CHAOS_GOLD) prioritize small swaps and hedging account support
• Low leverage increases the risk of margin shortages for grid-style EAs
• Always check spreads, swaps, and account type before purchasing EA