MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 – Which One Is Ideal For Forex Trading?

When you trade Forex, it is imperative to be familiar with MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) as these two are the most used trading platforms nowadays. They are rank on top for providing a range of technical tools and resources. Based on their names, you might think that the MT5 is just a newer and more updated version of MT4 when in fact, it is not. They have different functions and caters to different markets. It is much better to pick one based on your trading background, your goals, and other factors that affect your trades.

The Type of Assets That You Can Trade

One of the biggest differences between MT4 and MT5 is the set of markets that they are designed to cater to. In MT4, it is particularly designed for Forex trading because of its overall features and other functionalities. For this reason, MT4 is the trading platform famous among Forex traders.

As for MetaTrader 5, it covers broader markets including futures trading, stock trading, and CFD trading. Because of this, MT5 might have other features that are irrelevant to other traders who may not be trading multiple assets. It is true that you can use MT5 to trade Forex but unlike MT4, the features and technical tools present in MT5 aren’t that strong. If you use this trading platform on Forex trading, you will be sacrificing the performance.

What is FIX API?

Financial Information eXchange (FIX) API is a useful tool that seeks to provide real-time info regarding financial securities. Both traders and regulators in the market use FIX API in sharing relevant details before and after a trade. Information related to executed traders and new orders is also being confirmed using this tool.

Chart Timeframe

Traders who were able to use MT4 can attest that this trading platform is less complicated and simple to use. This is a good thing among beginners and casual traders who are not into complex time frames. MT4 is a much simpler option than MT5 and the features it has are not complicated as well.

In MT4, there are nine different time frames to choose from but in MT5, there are 21-time frames which represents a massive expansion as the ones offered in MT4 trading. But some of these options might not be necessary for a lot of traders as they are more likely to benefit experienced traders that need a considerable amount of information to execute well-thought trades.

Order Types

MetaTrader 4 has the basic order types – the buy stop, sell stop, buy limit and sell limit. And these four types are enough for most Forex traders. These order types are basically what they need to execute their trading strategies without the need to expose themselves to risks as they gain control of the entry and exit points of their positions.

But MT5 is more precise as it offers additional 2 order types to traders – the sell stop limit orders and the buy stop-limit orders. With the addition of these two, traders are given the chance to have more flexibility when it comes to the price movement that could trigger the buy and sell.