MetaTrader 4 vs MetaTrader 5

Forex & CFD trading is not the same as it was ten years ago. Trading platforms surfaced in the late 1990s. Back then, we could see various developers producing very special software for trading. Those were trading platforms, or the so-called trading terminals. They paved the way for the growing popularity of retail trading, and offered many people access to financial Forex & CFD trading.

In more recent years, trading platforms have started to offer trading on cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple are some of the most popular trading instruments in the world of evolving cryptos. MetaTrader 4 (MT4) by MetaQuotes Software Corp has been very popular for over ten years, and you can even download it for free. Still, you need to know what the MT4 platform is and what you can use it for.

Trading platforms are a trader's workspace. That is where you will be spending most of your trading days.

It is vital to connect a trader with a broker's server to provide access to different types of CFDs and financial markets. By doing that, they provide different trading instruments. You are able to trade Forex, as well as CFDs on cryptocurrencies, indices, shares, bonds, and commodities. The main features of MT4 include mobility, security, and multifunctionality.

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MetaTrader 4

Mobility

MT4 is a mobile platform. By saying that, we refer to trading not only on the computer (and Mac), but also on smartphones and tablets. MT4 is available for three different formats: desktop, mobile, and browser. Both mobile ( iOS, Android) and the MetaTrader Webtrader web platform are fully compatible with the desktop terminal.

If you open an order on your computer, you can easily manage it from your tablet via the mobile version for Android/iOS devices. All data will be displayed correctly. The main point with the browser and the mobile platform is that you are time and place independent. You are always able to check the account or opt to close an order at any time, and from any device that is connected to the Internet.

Multifunctionality

MetaQuotes Software Corp has implemented many different functions for trading Forex & CFD instruments. MT4 offers different trading and analytical technologies, and also additional services for professional traders. It has a lot to offer for Forex & CFD trading. One of the key strengths of MT4 is algorithmic trading. Algorithmic trading refers to trading with the help of automated trading systems.

Expert Advisors (EA) trade at a predetermined algorithm. The MQL4 IDE is built into the platform, which enables you to create a personal advisor or robot of any complexity. Most new traders are not familiar with MQL4, but can still use the built-in app store 'MetaTrader Market' and the free library 'Code Base'. There, you will find everything you might need for efficient trading – a variety of different technical indicators, scripts, and EAs.

Security

In MT4, the exchange of information between you, the terminal, and the platform servers is encrypted with 128-bit keys. The platform also supports an enhanced security system based on RSA – an asymmetric encryption algorithm.

MetaTrader 5

As you probably know, the industry is slowly but steadily shifting towards MetaTrader 5 (MT5). MT5 is arguably the future of retail trading. Let's find out what's so special about this revamped platform!

• Hedging allowed
• No FIFO rule
• Fundamental calendar integrated
• Commerce Integration
• Improved charting and time frames
• Exclusive first-class indicators
• Multiple market order ability
• MT5 Supreme Edition plugin integration

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The Benefits of MT5

One of the major benefits of the MT5 platform is that traders are not restricted to using the built-in analytical resources, such as MT5 tables, indicators, and graphs. Owing to MQL5, an object-oriented and a high-performance programming language, traders are able to create their own technical indicators.

The coding should be much simpler than MQ4, so that traders can even create trading robots, or Expert Advisors (EA). Trading robots (EAs) are able to automatically implement different trading strategies based on a number of different inputs. That way, traders will have the ability to access very accurate market analysis and forecasts.

Starting with the Beta Build 1281, MT5 allowed hedging that was only possible with MT4. Unlike the standard netting system, hedging enables traders to conduct multiple trades, even in the opposite direction of the same symbol. Now, traders can use the netting model to trade exchange instruments and hedging for currency trading, using the MetaTrader 5 institutional platform.

MetaTrader 5 also offers enhanced order management capabilities (e.g. filling orders using multiple deals, including partial fills). If a trader has an open position at a symbol and performs a new deal, a new position is opened. That is the core idea behind the MetaTrader 5 hedging system. The trader can set Stop-Loss and Take-Profit levels, as well as see the profit level for each position.

Multimarket Platform

Keep in mind that MetaTrader 5 is a multimarket platform, which means that you can trade both in centralized and non-centralized markets.

Real Volume Data

MT5 enables traders to gain access to real volume-traded data, and not only tick volume data. The tick volume refers to the number of price changes that have occurred in the course of the bar. With MT4, you simply do not know the real volume (contracts, or lots) that have been traded.

Tick History Download

In MT5, you can download and consult tick history from your broker. In MT4, you can only save tick data manually, which brings about many limitations. You must have your platform turned on 24 hours a day, and still, you'll never keep all the ticks. In MT4, you can never know what the most traded price or cluster in the selected range was.

You have to make an estimation using only M1 bars, which is a major drawback compared to the real tick history of the broker, especially if you perform backtesting. Why is this important? Because there are many traders who use tools like 'Market Profile', 'Delta Volume', and other tools (i.e., real POC/ VWAP/ Profile levels).

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MT5 Supreme Edition

Easy Order Ladder Trading

This tool allows for an unpreceded accuracy in terms of opening and managing positions quickly. Traders are able to open both pending and market orders with the use of a new order ladder. The risk and reward for orders will be calculated on the fly, and are easy to set up.

For example, to open a pending buy order, you can simply click on the blue ladder at the requested price, move the mouse up for take-profit and down for stop-loss, and to open a market order, just hold the 'SHIFT' button on your keyboard and hover your mouse on the ladder.

Expanded Mini Terminal with Multiple Features

With the MT5SE plugin, you are able to expand the Mini Terminal into a fully-featured control panel for your whole account with a simple click of a button. That way, you should be able to open and manage orders more easily, as well as receive important information about your selected trading symbol.

MetaTrader 4 vs MetaTrader 5

MT5 is faster than MT4. It doesn't slow down your platform. It is a fully fledged 64-bit, multi-threaded platform, whilst MT4 is a 32-bit, mono-threaded platform with a 2GB (or a 4GB memory limit if you use it on a 64-bit operating system). MT5, being the latest version of the software, runs excellent on 64-bit operating systems, whereas MT4 is ideal for a 32-bit operating system.

You will need the set-up execution file to install the software. It is important to note that MT5 can run on the 32-bit operating systems, too. However, when it comes to running MT4 on 64-bit systems you will notice that it does not work as fast as on 32-bit systems. It's not always the case, but if you use MT4 on a VPS server with multiple CPU cores, it will not work efficiently.

MT4 and MT5 have different server built-ups. MT4 has only one dedicated server that is restricted in its communication with other servers. MT5, on the other hand, deploys jobs to other servers, and they work together, provide synergy, and are able to achieve hardware utility, as well as improving results, because of the different servers communicating and working together, leading to resource optimization.

There are four main servers that MT5 uses: the access server, the trade server, the history server, and the backup server. This is in contrast to MT4, which uses only one server engine. On the MT4 platform, reports that you can pull from the software are only available in the HTML format. With MT5, the reports are available both in the HTML and Open XML table formats.

MT4 is still straightforward and simple. It has about 30 in-built indicators and 33 analytical objects. It allows for two types of market orders, four types of pending orders, two different execution modes, two stop orders, and a trailing stop function. It is still easy to navigate through it, and many traders simply love to use it.

MT5 has 38 in-built indicators. It offers a separate economic calendar tab with features like 'news event', 'schedule', 'impact', 'forecast', 'previous', and more. It offers 6 types of pending orders, DOM access (Depth of Market), and data on time, as well as sales from the exchange. The number of analytical objects that help identify financial instrument price trends is limited to 31 on MT4, is 44 on MT5.

Those objects may detect cycles and support/resistance levels, build channels, and more. We can also spot a difference in the log files. On MT5, log files are automatically compressed, whereas with MT4, this is not the case. On MT5, you can receive codes from the code base, as compressed zipped folders are available on the MT5 platform, and you can store them on your local drive.

MT5 allows for partial orders, if, for instance, the maximum volume of a trade is met and the trade is not filled, traders can select 'partial edit' to allow for the remaining volume to be cancelled. The industry is advancing, evolving, and moving towards MT5. According to MetaQuotes, the focus is shifting to MT5.

If you are interested in trading with Admiral Markets, there are several options available for professional traders. Traders can gain access to custom indicators, and an extended range of useful trading tools with the MetaTrader Supreme Edition plugin for MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. Alternatively, if traders do not want to download any trading platforms, they can also trade with the MetaTrader Webtrader platform, directly in their browser!

• MetaTrader 4 (MT4)
• MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
• MetaTrader Supreme Edition plugin (for MT4) and (MT5)
• MetaTrader WebTrader

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Other articles you may find interesting:

• The Ultimate MetaTrader 5 Guide
• How to Open a MetaTrader 5 Account
• Overview of the Best MT5 Indicators

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