QFL vs DCA vs BTD: Three Ways a Bot Buys the Dip
All three bots buy when price falls. QFL waits for a crack below a support base, DCA averages down from your entry, and BTD runs a grid that counts profit in coins. One drop run through each, with entries, averages and what breaks each one.
Last updated October 18, 2026.
QFL, DCA and BTD bots all buy when price falls. A QFL bot waits until price cracks below a support level it has bounced from before and sells back near that level. A DCA bot averages down from whatever price you start at and sells a set percentage above the average. A BTD bot runs a grid that counts profit in coins rather than dollars.
The three bots compared
| QFL | DCA | BTD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idea | Buy the crack below a proven support base, sell the return to it | Lower the average entry with each drop, exit a little above the average | Trade a grid through the fall and end with more coins |
| When it starts buying | Only after price falls a set % below the base | Immediately, or on an indicator signal | Right away, inside its grid |
| Entry orders | Layered buy orders below the base | Base order plus averaging orders at a fixed % step | Grid orders across a range |
| Exit | Near the base: at it, slightly above or slightly below | Take profit from the average price, fixed or trailing | Each grid cycle; TP in base or quote currency |
| Profit counted in | Quote (e.g. USDT) | Quote | Base coin (e.g. BTC) |
| Markets | Spot, long only | Spot and futures, long or short | Spot |
| What hurts it | A base that breaks and never comes back | A long, steady fall that fills every order | A sharp rally above the grid |
| Risk cap | Max exposure if every layer fills | Averaging orders budget, stop loss on average price | Stop loss above the grid, trailing |
| Trades | Few, larger moves | Several per cycle | Many small ones |
QFL: buying the crack below a base
QFL stands for Quickfinger Luc, the trader who popularized the method. It looks for a base: a price where the coin has bounced before. When price drops through that base by a set amount, the bot reads it as a "crack," a temporary overshoot, and buys in layers on the way down. It sells when price returns toward the base.
The settings map to that logic:
- Base sensitivity: how many past bounces a level needs to count as a base.
- Drop threshold: how far below the base price must fall before the bot buys.
- Layered orders and Order spacing: how many buy orders sit below the base and how far apart.
- Exit target: sell at the base, a little below it for a faster exit, or a little above it.
- Max exposure: total capital committed if every layer fills.
QFL is patient. It ignores small dips and waits for a real overshoot, so it can sit idle for days. When it does trade, it targets the whole move back to the base. It's spot and long only. What Is a QFL Bot? covers base detection in more detail.
DCA: averaging from your entry
A DCA bot starts at your price, not at a support level. It opens a base order, then places averaging orders a fixed percentage apart below it. Every fill lowers the average entry price, and the take profit is measured from that average, so it moves down with each fill.
The bot needs a smaller bounce to exit than QFL does, and it closes the cycle and starts again. Take profit can be fixed or trailing, and entries can wait for an indicator signal. The stop loss is set on the position's average price, with an optional trailing stop. DCA runs on spot and on futures, long or short. What Is a DCA Bot? covers how to size the ladder.
BTD: a grid counted in coins
BTD (buy the dip) is a grid bot turned around. A regular grid measures profit in the quote currency: you start with USDT and want more USDT. BTD measures it in the base coin: the aim is to finish with more BTC, ETH or SOL than you started with, by selling on bounces and buying back lower.
Two mechanics make it fit a falling market:
- Trailing Down. When price falls below the grid, the bot cancels its top sell orders and places new buy orders at the bottom, following price down without extra funds.
- Stop loss above the grid. BTD's risk is the opposite of QFL and DCA. The stop loss sits about 3% above the top sell order by default, because the danger is price running away upward while the bot holds fewer coins. When it triggers, the bot buys the base coin back with its quote funds.
Take profit can be counted in base currency, quote currency or either. BTD suits traders who want to hold a coin long term and use the drops to grow the stack.
One drop, three bots
Scenario: a coin trades at $100, a level it has bounced from twice this month. It falls to $85, then bounces to $96. Each bot gets $500. Fees are left out to keep the numbers readable.
DCA. Base order $100 at $100, four averaging orders of $100 each at 3% steps: $97, $94, $91, $88. All five fill on the way to $85. Average entry: $93.81. With a 1.5% take profit, the exit sits at $95.22. The bounce to $96 closes the cycle for about +$7.50, and the bot starts again.
QFL. The base is $100. With a 5% drop threshold, four $100 layers sit at $95, $92, $89 and $86. All four fill. Average entry: $90.38, $400 deployed. With the exit target at the base, the bot sells at $100 for about +$42.60. At $96 it hasn't sold yet: it's up 6.2% on paper and still waiting.
BTD. The bot sells into the early part of the fall and buys back on the way down, with Trailing Down moving the grid lower as price drops below it. If price returns into the grid, the bot ends the round trip holding more coins than it started with. A rally straight past $100 is where it loses: the stop above the grid buys the coin back at a higher price.
| At $96 | DCA | QFL | BTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital used | $500 | $400 | Grid budget |
| Average entry | $93.81 | $90.38 | Per grid level |
| Status | Closed, +1.5% | Holding, waits for $100 | Cycles completed, profit in coins |
| If price drops to $75 instead | Holds all five orders, stop on average price decides | Holds all four layers up to max exposure | Trails down, keeps cycling |
| If price rallies to $120 | Small cycles closed on the way up | Exits at base $100, misses the rest | Stop above the grid triggers |
The table shows the trade-off. DCA takes the smaller, more frequent win. QFL waits longer for a bigger one and can be stuck if the base doesn't hold. BTD trades both directions and loses when the market leaves without it.
Which one fits your market
| If you expect... | Consider |
|---|---|
| Sharp drops that snap back to known support | QFL |
| A trend with regular pullbacks | DCA |
| Choppy, falling price and you want to own more of the coin | BTD |
| A long, steady decline | None of the three without a stop and a cap; smaller size or wait |
All three buy into weakness. That works when the dip is a dip. When it turns into a downtrend, the budget cap and stop loss decide the outcome, so set them before launch, not during the fall. For a broader map of bot types by market, see GRID vs DCA vs COMBO vs LOOP.
Run all three on the same coin and see which fits. Bitsgap has QFL, DCA and BTD bots side by side. Launch each in demo on one pair, give them the same budget and compare how they handle the next dip, on live prices and with no real funds at risk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between QFL and DCA? QFL buys only after price falls a set percentage below a support level it has bounced from before, and sells near that level. DCA starts buying from your entry and averages down at fixed steps, selling a set percentage above the average. QFL trades less often and targets bigger moves.
What is a QFL bot? A spot, long-only bot based on the Quickfinger Luc method. It identifies a base, a price where the coin has bounced before, buys in layers when price cracks below it, and sells when price returns toward the base.
What is a BTD bot? A buy-the-dip grid bot that counts profit in the base coin instead of the quote currency. It follows price down with trailing and aims to end with more coins than it started with. Its main risk is a sharp rally above the grid.
Which bot is best for buying dips? QFL for sharp drops below a known support that snap back, DCA for trends with regular pullbacks, and BTD for choppy declines when you want to accumulate the coin. None of them suits a steady downtrend without a stop loss and a budget cap.
Can a QFL bot lose money? Yes. If price breaks the base and keeps falling, every layered order fills and the bot holds a position that's down until price recovers. Max exposure caps how much capital is committed.
Does a BTD bot have a stop loss? Yes, and it sits above the grid rather than below it, about 3% above the top sell order by default. If price rallies past it, the bot buys the base coin back with its quote funds and stops.
