Frequently asked questions

Yes. The Free tier includes up to three enabled paper bots so you can validate signals and sizing without exchange risk — no live trading on Free. Live trading requires a paid plan (Starter and up). See /pricing for current list prices and any active launch discount.

Verified on our cloud today: Hyperliquid, MEXC, and BloFin — tested with live and paper bots from our servers. Beta: Bybit, OKX, Kraken, Coinbase Intl., Bitget, Gate.io, and KuCoin — supported in code; contact us before going live so we can validate your setup. For most CEX API keys, whitelist our server IP 129.213.107.60 in your exchange API settings (shown when you add credentials). Hyperliquid uses wallet keys — no IP whitelist. Binance is not reachable from our cloud today due to regional API restrictions.

Each enabled bot consumes infrastructure units based on timeframe and mode (for example: live 1-minute ≈ 3 units, live 1-hour ≈ 1, paper ≈ 0.4). Your plan caps both bot count and total units — whichever limit you hit first applies. The platform also shares a fair-use pool so everyone gets stable performance at peak load.

Manual sentiment controls and public on-chain signals (funding rates, open interest) are included on all tiers at no extra AI cost. Automatic AI scoring is included on Trader and Pro with monthly quotas. Explorer can add Sentiment+ (US$9/mo) for a starter AI quota, or Trader/Pro can double quota with the same add-on.

Trader and Pro let you run multiple live bots on the same symbol. Each bot tracks its own attributed size in the dashboard — this is not exchange sub-account isolation: margin, leverage, and liquidation are shared on the exchange. Free has no live bots; Starter and Explorer allow one live bot per symbol. Read the multi-bot risks guide and accept the risks under Settings → Billing before enabling a second live bot on the same pair.

Many competitors isolate bots using exchange sub-accounts. ThisTimeIsDifferent coordinates automation on a single wallet with honest per-bot size tracking, conservative position reconciliation, and dashboard tools (Protect manual capital, Adopt orphan size). Multi-bot on the same coin is a Trader+ feature with explicit risk acceptance — not hidden deal stacking.

Align is a future, optional invitation-only program: a capped share of your live profits only when you beat your previous best month — never on subscription day one. We are not offering it yet while we validate the product with early users. Today you pay a simple fixed monthly fee only.

Your plan and limits update after billing changes. Bots already running keep going even if they exceed the new tier — only new enables and paper→live promotions are blocked until you free capacity or upgrade. Disable extra bots manually if you want a clean slate; we do not auto-close exchange positions.

Yes — each optimization and equity-curve job counts toward your monthly backtest allowance (shown on Settings → Billing). Usage resets on the 1st (UTC). Upgrade your plan for more runs.

Your subscription is marked overdue. You get a 7-day grace period with a dashboard warning; existing bots keep running. After grace, new bot enables are blocked until payment is restored via Manage subscription in Billing.

When platform capacity is nearly full or free-account slots run out, new free signups pause and you can join a waitlist. Paid upgrades remain the path to live trading when capacity allows. Questions while you wait: hello@thistimeisdifferent.app.

Yes. On the Free tier you can enable up to three paper bots on BTC, ETH, and SOL without API keys. The platform uses public market data and simulates fills — no real money moves. Connect an exchange later only when you want live trading or credentialed paper on your own venue.

Email verification confirms you own the inbox we use for account recovery, billing receipts, and optional setup reminders. It does not grant us access to your exchange — you still choose when (or if) to add API keys.

Free is the default and includes up to three paper bots — enough to validate your first strategy. Paid plans (Starter and up) unlock live bots and higher capacity. You can stay on Free until you are ready for live trading.

Without exchange credentials, choose BTC, ETH, or SOL on Hyperliquid testnet paper. These markets have reliable public data for keyless paper. You can add more symbols after connecting an exchange.

We save an enabled paper strategy with virtual funds. The bot loads on the next cycle and logs signals in Activity — nothing is sent to a real exchange. Tune parameters anytime from the strategy detail hub.

Usually within one strategy timeframe (for example 15 minutes on a 15m bot). Open Bot Control or the Activity tab to watch heartbeats and signals. Paper mode uses virtual balance only.

After you connect an exchange, trading pairs must be enabled before they appear as symbol chips in Step 2. Use the Enable markets accordion in the wizard — no need to leave for Manage assets. Keyless paper on BTC, ETH, and SOL works without enabling anything.

The readiness strip at the top of Create highlights optional setup steps — connected exchange, enabled markets, live capacity, or Telegram. It is informational: paper bots can still be created without resolving every gap. Fix gaps inline in the wizard or follow the links when you are ready for live trading.

No. Telegram alerts are optional on the review step. Paper and live bots can be created without linking Telegram. We recommend alerts for live bots so you catch fills and errors quickly — use Skip for now if you prefer.

When you choose to connect, use keys with trade + read only — we recommend keeping withdraw and transfer disabled. The platform does not initiate withdrawals. Saving a connection requires accepting the responsibility statement; permission checks after Test Connection are soft warnings only. For Hyperliquid, use a dedicated wallet with limited funds. You can run paper bots without keys first; connecting is optional until live trading.

Yes. Sign in and resume onboarding — choose Explore with paper to skip exchange and Telegram. Telegram alerts and exchange credentials remain optional. Your progress is saved; deep links in reminder emails point back to where you stopped.

General questions: hello@thistimeisdifferent.app. Billing and account support: support@thistimeisdifferent.app. We read both inboxes; please use a clear subject so we can route faster.