People ask me this question a lot, and the honest answer is: they're not really competing for the same user.
I've run both with real capital over 18 months. 3Commas for DCA on Bybit. Bitsgap for grid on OKX. Both have their place. Here's how to figure out which one is yours.
Side-by-side
| Feature | 3Commas | Bitsgap |
|---|---|---|
| DCA Bot | Excellent | Good |
| Grid Bot | Good | Excellent |
| UI / UX | Cluttered | Clean |
| Exchange support | 20+ | 15+ |
| Paper trading | ||
| Futures support | ||
| Backtesting | ||
| Free plan | ||
| Cheapest paid plan | $29/mo | $23/mo |
| API access | Pro ($99) | Max ($90) |
| Mobile app quality | Fair | Good |
DCA bots: 3Commas wins
3Commas has the most sophisticated DCA implementation I've tested. Safety order configuration is more granular, deal management is better, and the paper trading simulation is more realistic.
Bitsgap's DCA bot works. It just has fewer configuration options and the deal monitoring is less detailed. When I had a position go 12% underwater on Bitsgap, I couldn't see clearly which safety orders had filled without clicking into each deal individually. On 3Commas, that's all on one screen.
If DCA is your primary strategy, 3Commas is the better tool. Not close.
Grid bots: Bitsgap wins
Bitsgap's grid bot is one of the best in class. The grid visualiser shows you exactly what the bot will do before you launch, you can see every buy/sell level plotted against historical price action. The backtester lets you run the configuration against 6 months of historical data before risking real capital.
3Commas has a grid bot. It's harder to configure and has no backtester. I stopped using it after two weeks.
UI and usability: Bitsgap wins
Bitsgap is a better-designed application. The dashboard is clean, navigation makes sense, and the bot creation flow is guided. I can spin up a Bitsgap grid bot in 3 minutes. 3Commas takes 8-10 minutes for the same thing because there's so much noise on every screen.
If you're new to bot trading, Bitsgap will frustrate you less. That's worth something.
Pricing
Both have restructured pricing recently. Neither is cheap.
3Commas (mid-2025):
- Free: 1 bot, very limited
- Starter: $29/mo, DCA only, 5 bots
- Advanced: $59/mo, all bot types, unlimited bots
- Pro: $99/mo, API access, signals
Bitsgap (mid-2025):
- Basic: $23/mo, limited bots
- Advanced: $45/mo, more bots, backtesting
- Pro: $69/mo, unlimited bots
- Max: $90/mo, API access
Bitsgap is slightly cheaper at equivalent tiers. For most users the difference is $10-15/month, not a deciding factor.
My setup (and what I'd recommend)
I run 3Commas for DCA on Bybit and keep a Bitsgap subscription for grid on OKX. Yes, I pay for both. It's around $100/month total and I consider it infrastructure cost, not an optional expense.
That said, most people shouldn't pay for both starting out. Pick based on your primary strategy.
Use 3Commas if: DCA is your main approach, you need the best deal management tools, or you want more exchange options.
Use Bitsgap if: Grid bots are your primary strategy, you want a cleaner interface, or backtesting matters to you before committing capital.
Pros
- 3Commas: Best DCA configuration and deal monitoring
- Bitsgap: Superior grid bot with backtesting built in
- Both have realistic paper trading modes
- Both are actively maintained with regular updates
Cons
- Both are expensive ($45-99/mo for real functionality)
- 3Commas UI is cluttered and slow to navigate
- Bitsgap lacks granular DCA safety order control
- Neither makes sense below $3,000 in deployed capital
