Scalping

Reading time: 3 minute(s)
Scalping is a trading strategy that requires the trader to place multiple trades, which seek to close out small profits over extremely short time frames. Find out how to start scalping in this article
  • Scalping is a type of trading strategy.
  • Scalpers seeks to benefit from tiny movements in market prices over a very short time period, often seconds to minutes.
  • Scalping is based on opening many transactions and closing them with small profits.

What Is Scalping?

Scalping is a trading strategy that requires the trader to place multiple trades, which seek to close out small profits over extremely short time frames. For example, a scalper may seek to profit from a one or two pip movement in the EUR/USD over a time period of just 30 seconds. They would then seek to repeat this process multiple times throughout the day, so the small profitable trades could add up to a much larger amount.

Scalping is a strategy that requires discipline and a very good risk management system. The reason for this is connected to the fact that scalpers close many transactions with small profits, and their risk management system should not allow them to hold losing transactions for too long, simply because a large loss may cover a very big number of previously made profits. Moreover, scalping calls for discipline, because it often requires opening a very large number of transactions per day, and trading on short-term time intervals, such as the one and five minute intervals where the market may be very dynamic.

Why Scalp Trade?

One of the reasons why scalpers trade in the short term is simply because they believe it may be easier to make a profit based on a short market movement in comparison to a long market movement that not only may develop for days, but may also encounter deep corrective movements.

Another crucial factor in scalping is being sure that your broker provides you with quick execution even in volatile market movements. Moreover, it’s important to point out that scalping is rarely a strategy used by beginner traders. Not only does it require a great deal of knowledge and discipline, but it’s often also very impractical for people who work in 9 to 5 jobs.

How to Scalp Trade

There are three types of scalp trading to choose from:

Market making, which is where a scalper tries to capitalise on the spread by simultaneously posting a bid and an offer for a specific stock. This is the most difficult type of scalping to do successfully, as the scalper must compete with market makers for the shares on both bids and offers.

Purchasing a large number of shares that are sold for a gain on a very small price movement. In this case, the scalper will enter into positions for several thousand shares and wait for a small move. This approach requires highly liquid stock to allow for entering and exiting 3,000 to 10,000 shares easily.

Entering an amount of shares on any setup or signal from your system and closing the position as soon as the first exit signal is generated near the 1:1 risk/reward ratio. This type of scalping is considered to be the closest to traditional trading.

Scalping vs Day Trading

Scalping and day trading are two very different strategies in forex trading. While day traders are simply traders who use the day trading system, scalpers are people who use the scalping strategy to scalp the market. There are many differences between the two.

The difference in time frame: while scalpers trade in an exceptionally short time frame, typically 1 to 2 minutes in the market, day traders trade the market with a long time frame, usually 1 to 2 hours in the market.

Account sizes: scalpers have a big account size and take high risks in the markets. On the other hand, the day traders have an average account size, and execute high lot size trade in their online trading account.

Market experience: scalpers know the market and can understand the market trend. They place trades on the market without waiting for the result. They know where the market will go, and wait for closing trades to get a profit.

Results: the main difference between day trading and scalping is when traders actually see the results. Scalpers get their results immediately, while day traders get them in a day.

Scalping with MT4 and xStation

XTB offers traders two state-of-the-art trading platforms, MT4 and xStation. Both platforms allow scalping.

Xtb logo

Join over 1 000 000 XTB Group Clients from around the world

The financial instruments we offer, especially CFDs, can be highly risky. Fractional Shares (FS) is an acquired from XTB fiduciary right to fractional parts of stocks and ETFs. FS are not a separate financial instrument. The limited corporate rights are associated with FS.
This page was not created for investors residing in Brazil. This brokerage is not authorized by the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) or the Brazilian Central Bank (BCB). The content of this page should not be characterized as an investment offer in Brazil or for investors residing in that country.
Losses can exceed deposits

We use cookies

By clicking “Accept All”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

This group contains cookies that are necessary for our websites to work. They take part in functionalities like language preferences, traffic distribution or keeping user session. They cannot be disabled.

Cookie name
Description
SERVERID
userBranchSymbol cc 25 October 2024
test_cookie cc 24 October 2024
adobe_unique_id cc 24 October 2025
__hssc cc 24 October 2024
SESSID cc 2 March 2024
__cf_bm cc 24 October 2024
intercom-id-iojaybix cc 21 July 2025
intercom-session-iojaybix cc 31 October 2024
xtbCookiesSettings cc 24 October 2025
TS5b68a4e1027
countryIsoCode
xtbLanguageSettings cc 24 October 2025
userPreviousBranchSymbol cc 24 October 2025
TS5b68a4e1027
intercom-device-id-iojaybix cc 21 July 2025
__cf_bm cc 24 October 2024
__cfruid
__cfruid
__cf_bm cc 24 October 2024
__cf_bm cc 24 October 2024
_cfuvid
adobe_unique_id cc 24 October 2025
_cfuvid
TS5b68a4e1027
xtbCookiesSettings cc 24 October 2025
SERVERID
TS5b68a4e1027
__hssc cc 24 October 2024
test_cookie cc 1 March 2024
__cf_bm cc 24 October 2024
_cfuvid
_cfuvid
__cf_bm cc 24 October 2024
__cf_bm cc 24 October 2024

We use tools that let us analyze the usage of our page. Such data lets us improve the user experience of our web service.

Cookie name
Description
_gid cc 9 September 2022
_gat_UA-98728395-1 cc 8 September 2022
_gat_UA-121192761-1 cc 8 September 2022
_gcl_au cc 22 January 2025
_ga_CBPL72L2EC cc 24 October 2026
_ga cc 24 October 2026
__hstc cc 22 April 2025
__hssrc
_vwo_uuid_v2 cc 25 October 2025
_ga_TC79BEJ20L cc 24 October 2026
_vwo_uuid cc 16 October 2025
_vwo_ds cc 15 November 2024
_vwo_sn cc 16 October 2024
_vis_opt_s cc 24 January 2025
_vis_opt_test_cookie
af_id cc 23 February 2025
afUserId cc 25 January 2026
af_id cc 24 January 2026
AF_SYNC cc 1 February 2024
_ga cc 24 October 2026
_gid cc 25 October 2024
_ga_CBPL72L2EC cc 24 October 2026
__hstc cc 22 April 2025
__hssrc
_ga_TC79BEJ20L cc 24 October 2026
_gcl_au cc 22 January 2025
AnalyticsSyncHistory cc 31 March 2024

This group of cookies is used to show you ads of topics that you are interested in. It also lets us monitor our marketing activities, it helps to measure the performance of our ads.

Cookie name
Description
MUID cc 18 November 2025
_omappvp cc 6 October 2035
_omappvs cc 24 October 2024
_uetsid cc 25 October 2024
_uetvid cc 18 November 2025
_fbp cc 22 January 2025
fr cc 7 December 2022
_ttp cc 22 January 2025
_tt_enable_cookie cc 22 January 2025
_ttp cc 22 January 2025
hubspotutk cc 22 April 2025
IDE cc 10 November 2025
YSC
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE cc 22 April 2025
hubspotutk cc 22 April 2025
_omappvp cc 11 February 2035
_omappvs cc 1 March 2024
_uetsid cc 25 October 2024
_uetvid cc 18 November 2025
_ttp cc 22 January 2025
MUID cc 18 November 2025
_fbp cc 22 January 2025
_tt_enable_cookie cc 22 January 2025
_ttp cc 22 January 2025
li_sugr cc 30 May 2024
guest_id_marketing cc 24 October 2026
guest_id_ads cc 24 October 2026
guest_id cc 24 October 2026
muc_ads cc 24 October 2026
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA cc 22 April 2025
MSPTC cc 18 November 2025
IDE cc 18 November 2025
MSPTC cc 18 November 2025

Cookies from this group store your preferences you gave while using the site, so that they will already be here when you visit the page after some time.

Cookie name
Description
bcookie cc 24 October 2025
lidc cc 25 October 2024
UserMatchHistory cc 31 March 2024
bscookie cc 1 March 2025
li_gc cc 22 April 2025
bcookie cc 24 October 2025
li_gc cc 22 April 2025
lidc cc 25 October 2024
personalization_id cc 24 October 2026

This page uses cookies. Cookies are files stored in your browser and are used by most websites to help personalise your web experience. For more information see our Privacy Policy You can manage cookies by clicking "Settings". If you agree to our use of cookies, click "Accept all".

Change region and language
Country of residence
Language