MT4 vs MT5 vs cTrader vs TradingView: Which Platform?
A practical comparison of the most popular retail forex trading platforms and what to look for in a broker that supports them.
Your platform shapes how you analyse, place orders and automate. Most brokers offer at least one of MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader or TradingView, plus a proprietary platform.
MetaTrader 4
Released by MetaQuotes in 2005, MT4 remains widely used because of its huge library of Expert Advisors and indicators written in MQL4. MetaQuotes stopped issuing new MT4 licences to brokers in 2018, so newer brokers typically offer MT5 only.
MetaTrader 5
MT5 supports more asset classes, more timeframes, an economic calendar, a depth-of-market view and a faster multi-threaded strategy tester. It uses MQL5, which is not backward-compatible with MQL4.
cTrader
Developed by Spotware, cTrader offers level II pricing, a clean interface, advanced order types and algorithmic trading in C# (cBots). It is popular with brokers that emphasise raw pricing.
TradingView
TradingView is a charting and social platform; many brokers now integrate so clients can trade directly from TradingView charts. It is strong for analysis and Pine Script indicators, but automated execution options are more limited than MetaTrader.
Proprietary platforms
IG, CMC Markets, Saxo, Plus500, eToro and others build their own platforms. These can be excellent but tie your tools to one broker.
Browse brokers by platform on our platforms page.