> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://uncoded.ch/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Comparison — How unCoded Differs

> Side-by-side with 3Commas, Cryptohopper, Hummingbot, Gunbot. What each does well, where they differ, and which is right for which operator.

<Info>
  **unCoded is not the only crypto trading bot.** This page is a fair comparison with the major alternatives. Each has its strengths and trade-offs; the goal here is to help you choose the right tool for your situation.
</Info>

## The major alternatives

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="3Commas" icon="building-columns">
    Tiered SaaS subscription. Cloud-hosted. They hold your API keys.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cryptohopper" icon="building-columns">
    Tiered SaaS subscription with marketplace. Cloud-hosted. They hold your API keys.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hummingbot" icon="code">
    Open-source self-hosted. Free. Requires Python development skills.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Gunbot" icon="building-columns">
    Pay-once license. Self-hosted. Wide exchange support.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## High-level comparison table

| Aspect                       | unCoded                            | 3Commas            | Cryptohopper            | Hummingbot          | Gunbot                |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------- | ------------------- | --------------------- |
| **Hosting model**            | Self-hosted                        | Cloud              | Cloud                   | Self-hosted         | Self-hosted           |
| **Pricing model**            | Profit-share `30%→20%`             | `$22–$99/month`    | `$19–$99/month`         | Free                | One-time `$129–$899`  |
| **API key custody**          | You                                | They hold          | They hold               | You                 | You                   |
| **Pre-built strategies**     | 9 modes                            | Many bots          | Many bots + marketplace | Few                 | Many                  |
| **Custom strategies**        | Visual canvas                      | Templates          | Templates + marketplace | Python required     | Config-based          |
| **Exchange support**         | 17 hand-tuned + 64 in validation   | \~20               | \~16                    | \~30                | \~100                 |
| **Backtester**               | Included                           | Limited            | Included (Pro+)         | Limited             | Included              |
| **Telegram integration**     | Notification-only                  | Yes                | Yes                     | Limited             | Yes                   |
| **Trading types**            | Spot (margin/futures with bespoke) | Spot, futures, DCA | Spot, margin, futures   | Spot, market-making | Spot, margin, futures |
| **Withdrawal-disabled keys** | Mandatory                          | Configurable       | Configurable            | N/A (self-hosted)   | Configurable          |
| **Open source**              | License-based                      | Closed             | Closed                  | Yes                 | Closed                |

## unCoded vs 3Commas

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where 3Commas is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **Easier first-time setup**: cloud-hosted means no VPS. Click some buttons and you're trading.
    * **More marketing-friendly UI**: polished, lots of features visible.
    * **Larger user base**: more community content available.
    * **Marketplace of strategies**: copy-trading, signal services, etc.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where unCoded is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **Ownership of API keys**: 3Commas holds your keys; unCoded never sees them.
    * **Profit-share alignment**: you only pay when you earn (3Commas charges flat fees regardless).
    * **No vendor data exposure**: your trading history stays on your VPS.
    * **Mode tuning by hand**: 9 pre-built modes individually calibrated rather than generic templates.
    * **Cost during bad months**: `$13` (VPS only) vs `$22–$99` flat at 3Commas.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When 3Commas might fit better" icon="building-columns">
    * You explicitly don't want to manage a VPS.
    * You value the marketplace ecosystem (copy-trading signals, strategy templates).
    * You're at scale where flat fee per month is preferable to profit-share.
    * You're a less-disciplined operator who benefits from a managed experience.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When unCoded fits better" icon="server">
    * You want ownership of your trading stack.
    * You don't want to give a third party your exchange API keys.
    * You're cost-conscious during your operator development period (when realized profit may be low).
    * You're security-conscious — the architecture's no-withdrawal default + IP allowlist mandate matters.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## unCoded vs Cryptohopper

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where Cryptohopper is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **Marketplace ecosystem**: copy-trading, strategy templates, signal services.
    * **Cloud-hosted simplicity**: no VPS management.
    * **Established platform**: large user base, polished UI.
    * **Mobile app**: native iOS/Android. (unCoded's Dashboard is responsive but not native.)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where unCoded is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **Self-hosted**: no third-party API key custody.
    * **Profit-share licensing**: aligned costs.
    * **Pre-built modes calibrated for actual operation**: 9 hand-tuned vs Cryptohopper's marketplace-heavy approach.
    * **No marketplace pressure**: no signal services pushing you toward "AI-driven" features you don't need.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cryptohopper's marketplace caveat" icon="warning">
    Many Cryptohopper users primarily interact with the marketplace — copy-trading other operators' strategies. The marketplace can be useful but introduces additional risk:

    * You're trusting strangers' strategies with your capital.
    * Marketplace signals can be opaque ("trust the AI").
    * Past marketplace performance is no guarantee.

    unCoded's approach: you author or pick from validated, code-first-verified modes. No marketplace; no third-party signal pressure.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## unCoded vs Hummingbot

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where Hummingbot is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **Free**: no license fee.
    * **Open source**: full visibility into the code.
    * **Wide venue support**: \~30 exchanges out of the box.
    * **Market-making focus**: deeply integrated with maker-rebate strategies on multiple venues.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where unCoded is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **No code required**: visual canvas vs Hummingbot's Python authoring.
    * **Pre-built strategies**: 9 modes ready to run vs Hummingbot's "you implement the strategy."
    * **Operator-friendly UX**: Dashboard, Telegram notifications, tax export.
    * **Hand-tuned exchange profiles**: 17 production-tested vs Hummingbot's broader-but-less-curated.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Hummingbot's hidden cost" icon="warning">
    Hummingbot is "free" but the operational cost is high if you're not already a Python developer:

    * Implementing strategies in code takes hours-to-days per strategy.
    * Custom indicator integration is from-scratch.
    * Debugging requires development skills.

    For developer-operators: Hummingbot can be a great fit. For non-developers: the "free" license becomes an expensive learning curve in time and tuition trades.

    unCoded's profit-share fee is meaningful only if you're profitable. Hummingbot's "free" cost is meaningful in operator time regardless.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## unCoded vs Gunbot

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where Gunbot is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **Pay-once license**: one upfront cost (`$129–$899` depending on tier), no recurring.
    * **Wide exchange support**: \~100 exchanges.
    * **Established product**: long history, large user base.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where unCoded is stronger" icon="circle-up">
    * **Profit-share alignment**: only pay when you earn vs Gunbot's pay-once-regardless model.
    * **Hand-tuned exchanges**: 17 deeply-calibrated vs Gunbot's broader-but-less-curated 100.
    * **Modern UX**: Dashboard, Telegram notifications, visual strategy canvas.
    * **Active development cadence**: forward roadmap driven by operator demand.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Gunbot fee structure caveat" icon="warning">
    Gunbot's pay-once model is appealing but consider:

    * You pay regardless of profitability — even if the bot loses you money.
    * Updates after the initial license may require fee bumps to higher tiers.
    * Resale value is limited.

    Profit-share aligns interests longer-term.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## A decision framework

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Pick unCoded if you value..." icon="check">
    * Self-hosted ownership.
    * Profit-aligned licensing.
    * No-code visual strategy authoring.
    * Hand-tuned exchange integrations.
    * Security-first architecture.
    * Operator-friendly tooling without marketing pressure.
    * Honest documentation that doesn't oversell.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Pick 3Commas or Cryptohopper if you value..." icon="check">
    * Cloud-managed simplicity.
    * Marketplace ecosystem (copy-trading, signal services).
    * Established large-user-base community.
    * Don't mind third-party API key custody.
    * Comfortable with flat monthly fees.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Pick Hummingbot if you value..." icon="check">
    * You're a Python developer.
    * Open-source visibility.
    * Free license.
    * Market-making focus.
    * Don't mind implementing strategies from scratch.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Pick Gunbot if you value..." icon="check">
    * Pay-once licensing.
    * Very wide exchange support (100+).
    * Self-hosted.
    * Established product with long history.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## What we don't claim

<Warning>
  **unCoded is not "better" than alternatives in every dimension.** Each tool has strengths. We chose specific trade-offs:

  * We chose **self-hosted** over cloud-managed. Some operators prefer cloud.
  * We chose **17 hand-tuned** over 100 less-tuned. Some operators prefer breadth.
  * We chose **profit-share** over flat fee. Some operators prefer predictable monthly costs.
  * We chose **no-code visual authoring** over open-source code. Some operators prefer code.

  If you've evaluated honestly and another tool fits your situation better, use it. Our case is for the operator profile that fits unCoded's design choices, not for everyone.
</Warning>

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Why unCoded" icon="lightbulb" href="/about/why-uncoded">
    The deeper case for choosing unCoded.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security philosophy" icon="shield" href="/about/security-philosophy">
    Why our architecture protects you.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pricing" icon="dollar-sign" href="/pricing">
    The full cost picture for unCoded.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Roadmap" icon="map" href="/about/roadmap">
    Where unCoded is heading.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="forward" href="/quickstart">
    Start operating today.
  </Card>

  <Card title="FAQ" icon="circle-question" href="/faq">
    Common operator questions.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>