What is the difference between MT4 and MT5?

Since its appearance, MT4 has done an outstanding job connecting retail investors with brokers. However, after a long time of launch and the development of the market, some limitations gradually arose compared to the increasing trading needs of investors. MetaQuotes has launched a new software (MT5) which is said to be an improved version of MT4 with additional functions. So what is the difference between MT4 and MT5? Let’s find out in the article below.

What is the difference between MT4 and MT5?

Trading Assets

MT4 is specially built for forex traders, while MT5 offers a wide range of financial instruments, currency pairs, metals, and CFDs and allows trading of futures contracts futures, indices, ETFs, and stocks.

In addition, MT5 provides market depth, which shows the number of available buys and sells orders at different prices.

Technical Indicators

If a trader is considering using Metatrader4 or Metatrader5 , they should also consider the technical indicators provided by each version.

MT4 offers 30 built-in technical indicators, 2,000 free custom indicators, and 700 paid technical indicators.

On MT5, traders have more limited access to built-in technical indicators, only about 38 indicators. Traders can also purchase a custom-built technical indicator using MT5.

Chart Tools

Metatrader4 and Metatrader5 are both optimized with charting tools. For example, MT4 provides 24 objects that support chart analysis. Meanwhile, MT5 provides up to 44 analytical things. This is an advantage of MT5 over MT4 for traders who like to analyze charts with tools.

When it comes to chart time frames, MT5 is superior. MT5 offers no less than 21 timeframes, while MT4 offers only nine timeframes. Both Metatrader4 and Metatrader5 provide an unlimited number of charts that can be fully customized. This allows you to view price action across as many assets as fit.

Programming language

Another difference between these two trading platforms is the programming language used. MT4 uses MQL4, while MT5 uses MQL5. The main difference is that MQL5 is generally considered easier to program as it allows for “black box” programming. This means it provides a better framework for creating and using trading robots and forex EAs.

MT5 programming language has a better backtesting feature, so you can test and execute programmed strategies faster on MT4. MQL5 allows you to backtest multi-currency pairs simultaneously, so overall it can be more profitable than an MT4 programming language.

Another thing to note is that there is no backward compatibility for these languages, which means that programs written for MT4 cannot run on MT5. This may be a limitation for traders looking to upgrade and it is important to note that in the future, the program language upgrades will not be extended to MQL4 or MQL5.

Broker compatible with MT4 and MT5

While MT5 is said to come with more technical indicators and research tools – without a doubt, MT4 is still the preferred choice for online brokers. In fact, there are now more than 1,200 MT4 brokers.

Meanwhile, brokers that support MT5 are just a few. On the other hand, some brokers such as that offer support for both MT4 and MT5 – so you can switch between the two as you see fit.

Should I choose MT4 or MT5 trading platform?

Metatrader4 and Metatrader5 are both the two most popular trading platforms, so choosing which platform to use are up to the trader himself.

MT5 launched five years after MT4. And the main difference between the two platforms, is that the newer platform supports more markets, not just Forex. Therefore, this will be a more flexible option for investors who want to trade on multiple markets. In addition, MT5 also comes with some features not available on MT4.

However, the reality is that the number of traders using MT5 is still dominating. Because not every improved version is suitable for you to choose, sometimes you get used to using MT4 and so on, it is more effective to trade than upgrade.

Similarly, the number of brokers that support MT5 trading is not as many as MT4. And that’s not to say it’s not worth exploring.

So, in my opinion, based on your investment needs, whether you want to trade on the forex market or want to experiment with other markets, you decide to choose MT4 or MT5. In addition, one more important thing than choosing a platform is to research a reputable exchange because it dramatically affects your investment results and the safety of your money.

FAQs

Can I use the MT4 account on MT5?

Although Metatrader4 and Metatrader5 are both Metaquotes products, these two platforms have separate systems and are not compatible. If you open a MetaTrader 4 account, you will not be able to use MetaTrader 5 with your MT4 login and vice versa. If you want an account used for both Metatrader4 and Metatrader5, you must open a separate trading account for the two platforms.

Will MT4 be phased out in the future?

Although Metaquotes announced a few years ago that they would no longer support MetaTrader 4, up until now, MT4 is still meeting the trading needs of traders. MT4 is also the most popular and widely used trading platform offered by many brokers worldwide. Therefore, eliminating MT4 is unlikely.

Which MT4, MT5 broker is the best?

Currently, the number of exchanges offering to trade on Metatrader4 and Metatrader5 is huge. In particular, the number of fraudulent brokers is also quite large. Therefore, you need to be careful while choosing an exchange. Some reputable exchanges you can refer to are:

• XM
• Capital.com 
• ICMarkets
• Hotforex 
• FXTM
• HotForex 
• FxPro

The MT5 interface is quite similar to the previous version of MT4. The significant difference between MT4 and MT5 is the market they provide. Depending on your needs, you can decide to choose Metatrader4 or Metatrader5 . More important than choosing any software is selecting a reputable exchange, where you open an account and deposit money for profitable trading. I wish you successful and safe trading!

Investiki.com

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