Here is the simple difference: Trading fees are a "toll" charged on every copied trade, while profit sharing is a "performance bonus" paid to the lead trader only when you earn money.
One is charged as soon as you trade. The other is paid only when you profit. They are completely different.
Trading Fees: Charged on Every Copied Trade, Not Related to the Lead Trader
Every buy or sell you make while copy trading on OKX will be charged the normal futures or spot trading fee for your account.
What are the rates?
Futures copy trading: about 0.02% for maker orders and about 0.05% for taker orders (depending on your VIP level)
Spot copy trading: about 0.08%–0.1%
Key point: This fee goes to the platform. It is the same whether you copy trade or trade on your own. The lead trader does not receive any of your trading fees.
Profit Sharing: Only Paid When You Profit, Not When You Lose
This is the part of your profits that you, as a copy trader, share with the lead trader.
How it works:
The lead trader sets a profit-sharing ratio when creating the strategy. It is usually 8%–13% (spot copy trading is capped at about 13%, while futures copy trading can go up to 30%).
When you stop the strategy, if the strategy is profitable overall, the system deducts that ratio from your profits and pays it to the lead trader.
If the strategy is losing money, you do not need to pay profit sharing.
Settlement method: The system settles by natural week (Monday 00:00 to Sunday 23:59). A portion of each profitable order is reserved in advance. After settlement on the settlement day, the system refunds or deducts the difference, and the profit share is automatically transferred to the lead trader's funding account.
Risk Reminder: Profit Sharing Is Settled by Cycle
The lead trader does not take money from every single trade. The system calculates your total copy trading profit and loss for the natural week. If the total is a loss, any profit share reserved earlier will be refunded at settlement. However, if you made money on some early trades this week and lost on later trades, the losses will not offset profit share that has already been settled. Profit sharing is settled by week, not offset trade by trade.
Summary Comparison
| Trading Fee | Profit Sharing | |
|---|---|---|
| When it is charged | On every copied trade | Only when the strategy profits |
| How much | Fixed rate based on your VIP level | Ratio set by lead trader (8%–30%) |
| Who receives it | Platform (OKX) | Lead trader |
| What happens when you lose | Still charged | No profit sharing |
How to Check
Go to [Copy Trading] → [My Copy Trades], and open the detail page of the strategy you are following. You will see two fields: "profit-sharing ratio" and "trading fees generated." The profit-sharing ratio is the fixed value set by the lead trader. Trading fees are the fees you have paid to the platform. If the strategy is profitable, after settlement the "profit share paid" field will show a number — that means the amount has been shared with the lead trader.
