Proof of Identity and Proof of Residency. No, you can't. To open an XM MT5 account click here. Individual Stocks are only available on MT5.

MetaTrader 4, commonly nicknamed MT4, is a widely used electronic trading platform for retail foreign exchange, developed by the Russian software company MetaQuotes Software Corp, which is currently licensing the MT4 software to almost brokers and banks worldwide.

Released in , the MT4 trading software became extremely popular with retail forex traders especially for its easy to use features and the ability to even facilitate automated trading by allowing users to write their own trading scripts and trading robots commonly known as expert advisors.

For most online traders and investors, whether they are trading forex or CFDs Contracts for Difference on various financial instruments , MetaTrader 4, is undoubtedly a household name today.

Not only is MT4 considered to be the most popular online trading platform to access the global markets but it is also regarded as the most efficient software for retail foreign exchange trading i.

Online or electronic trading platforms are computer-based software programs used to place trading orders for various financial instruments through a network with financial institutions e.

Online investors can trade on live market prices being streamed by trading platforms, as well as enhance their profit potential with some additional trading tools provided by these platforms such as trading account management, live news feeds, charting packages and can even use trading robots, also called expert advisors.

Until the s, financial transactions between brokers and their counterparties were still being processed manually, and traders did not have the possibility to access the global financial markets directly but only through an intermediary.

It was also was during this time that electronic trading platforms started being applied to carry out at least a part of these transactions.

The first such platforms were mainly used for stock exchange and known as RFQ request for quote systems, in which clients and brokers placed orders that were only confirmed later.

Starting from the s, e-trading platforms that did not provide live streaming prices were gradually replaced by more developed software with near instant execution of orders, along with live price streaming and more enhanced client user interface.

The very first generation of internet-based foreign exchange forex trading platforms emerged in , making it possible for foreign exchange to develop at a much faster pace and for customer markets to expand.

As a result, web-based retail foreign exchange allowed individual customers to access the global markets and trade on currencies directly from their own computers.

Although the first generation of such electronic trading platforms was basic software downloadable to computers and still lacking user-friendly interfaces, gradually new features such as technical analysis and charting tools were added, resulting in more enhanced attributes and also the option for these programs to be used as web-based platforms and on mobile devices e.

Along with the introduction of online trading platforms, a rapidly growing segment of the foreign exchange market had also emerged, which involved individuals who could access the global markets and trade online through brokers and banks: retail forex.

This market segment allowed even small investors to access the markets and trade with smaller amounts. The demand for technically more sophisticated trading platforms kept growing, in particular for retail forex trading, and the need grew for individuals to trade the global markets directly.

Released in , the MetaTrader 4 online trading platform was just the kind of software that made it possible for a great number of retail forex traders to speculate and invest in currency exchange and other financial instruments from virtually every spot of the world.

Currently, over half a million retail traders are using the MT4 platform in their daily trading practices, benefitting from its wide range of features that facilitate their investment decisions such as automated trading, mobile trading, one-click trading, news feed streaming, built-in custom indicators, the ability to handle a vast number of orders, an impressive number of indicators and charting tools.

Automated trading is well known to online investors as a helpful tool to automatically process trade orders with extremely fast reaction time and according to a series of pre-determined trading rules such as entries and exits set up by traders by using the MQL programming language of MetaTrader4.

Also known by the name of system trading, automated trading has another great advantage: as it carries out trades mechanically and based on the settings of traders, it excludes the emotional factor from trading, which may very often affect investment decisions negatively.

The cutting-edge technology of the MT4 platform provides automated trading as its fully integrated feature, executing repetitive trading orders at a speed otherwise impossible with manual trading.

For many investors this saves up a considerable amount of time from the routine of market watch as well as trade execution. Backtesting i.

On applying proper backtesting, traders can easily evaluate and fine-tune trading ideas, which they can later apply in their own trading practices for better results.

Effective as it is, automated trading is also a sophisticated method to trade the markets and as such it, mainly for beginner traders, it is advisable to start with small sizes during the learning process.

Additionally, potential mechanical failures can also affect the outcome of trades carried out by the automated system, and many traders with poor internet connection are compelled to also manually monitor trades being handled by automated trading.

In order to exclude any negative factors such as slow internet connectivity, computer failures, or unexpected power cuts, the optical fibre connectivity based free MT4 VPS Virtual Private Server service of XM ensures smooth operations of automated trading and expert advisors at all times by allowing clients to connect to the MT4 VPS and enjoy seamless trading.

These regulators impose stringent measures on brokers to protect their clients. Each broker determines which assets are available to trade via their MT4 terminal.

Every broker has a different set of spreads, commissions, swap rates and fees, which together will vary how much it will cost you to trade with them.

As with all transactions you make, there must be both a buyer and a seller for a trade to take place. When you open a buy position in MT4, your broker has to match you up with a seller of that same instrument.

Other brokers, often referred to as ECN brokers, match you up with another trader or a bank who want to trade in the opposite direction to you.

There are pros and cons to both types of execution. ECN brokers often have high minimum deposits and have pricing that is better suited for high-volume professional traders, while market makers tend to be more suited to traders wishing to trade smaller amounts.

You can follow these links to learn more about market makers and ECN brokers. Your broker will impose certain limits, such as minimum and maximum deposit amounts, maximum open trade amounts, and minimum trade sizes.

Out of the box, MT4 comes with a variety of functions designed to help traders test, automate and manage their trading strategies with ease.

The price of EAs range from free of charge to thousands of U. This feature allows a programmer to create brand new expert advisors, indicators and scripts.

Furthermore, traders can modify existing plug-ins, provided they have the appropriate permissions to do so and the EA is not locked.

It is also possible to use DLL dynamic link library protection to lock your EAs and prevent them from being decompiled and the code modified or copied without permission.

It does take time to learn how to use this testing feature, so only experts who know how to test strategies can usually perform this complex function properly, and even they will need to educate themselves or be taught how to do it by someone more experienced.

MT4 features charts for all assets traded on the platform for a range of time frames. Traders can find built-in tools to add lines, indicators, arrows and text notes to the charts, as well as use or develop plug-ins to perform customised forms of technical analysis.

Other methods of price representation, such as Renko and point and figure charts, can be added using external plug-ins. For example, candlestick and bar charts can be used to show the open, high, low and closing price for the chosen time period at a glance, while multi-period candlestick patterns can be further analysed to signal possible future market moves.

Charts remain an important component of trading because they enable traders to perform technical analyses. The MQL Community was launched by MetaQuotes as a response to requests by many MT4 users to serve as a one-stop shop for all tools, indicators, scripts, expert advisors and other add-ons for the MT4 platform.

Note that plug-ins written for MT4 do not work with MT5 and will need to be re-written to do so. MT4 offers a social trading feature called Trading Signals, which allows you to copy the trades of another trader automatically in real-time.

Signal providers sometimes provide these for free, while other times there is a fee required to copy their trades. However, the use of this strategy may not be allowed by an online broker that has an explicit prohibition on it, or a broker might impose a required holding time for trades that could make the strategy less viable.

Hedging remains possible in the MT4 trading platform, although similarly to scalping, certain brokers and jurisdictions can have different rules when it comes to whether or not traders can hedge positions in this way.

This means that if the trader hedges a trade, the margin for the original trade gets reduced upon establishing a hedge, since the hedge trade fully or partially eliminates the risk of the initial position.

While the list of instruments you can trade on MT4 will depend on which broker you use, here are six typical assets and asset classes that you might expect to see.

Unlike an MT4 demo account, which can be opened directly from the MT4 terminal, you cannot open a live account directly from MT4.

FxPro offers MT4 in all of its forms. This includes on desktop, mobile, and web-based which is easily accessible to millions of traders.

More experienced traders are also glad to find that EAs are allowed here allowing them to take advantage of algorithmic trading opportunities.

Avatrade is next to make our list as one of the top forex brokers for MT4. The top Irish broker have been around for a long time and are regulated across 6 jurisdictions, most notably within Europe by CySEC.

This shows that they take the security and experience of traders very seriously as we have noted in our Avatrade review. This becomes apparent by the fact that they have developed their own platforms but still choose to retain the much liked and respected MT4 to give their traders a wide range of options when choosing a trading platform to use.

In fact, they even herald MT4 as the most powerful trading platform in the world. They are one of the few top brokers to facilitate a great value fixed spread starting at 1.

Perfect for new traders learning the ropes. As with the other best brokers for MT4, this provides the best access to the full functionality of MT4 and has no doubt been, at least in part, a catalyst for the success of the now hugely popular FXTM broker.

FXTM is a Metatrader only broker and has been since its foundation. They are very popular among copy traders too, with a built in service provided.

A range of 6 accounts are available here that can appeal to traders at all levels. This, combined with a top value spread starting at 0 pips makes FXTM another top broker choice.

FP Markets has also made the list of our best brokers with MT4 list. This top Australian broker offers up to 10, trading instruments starting from a 0 pips spread all through MT4.

One click trading, ECN execution, and multiple language options are just some of the features we outlined in our FP Markets review.

Beyond this, traders can expect the usual excellent and robust functionality which has made MT4 one of the best trading platforms for many years through the availability of charts and professional trading tools in abundance.

One of the most attractive points beyond those already mentioned with FP Markets is the fact their spread starts from an amazingly low 0 pips with some of the fastest execution speeds in the business.

XTB is the next major broker to feature in our top 10 MT4 brokers list. They are a strong company within the industry, particularly within Europe, and like so many of the other top brokers they clearly recognize the value of making the MT4 trading platform available to traders alongside their own trading platform, both featuring in our XTB review.

It can bring an additional sense of trust and transparency to be an MT4 forex broker as they are utilizing a platform which any experienced trader can recognize and has likely used previously.

This familiarity also ensures that as a trader, you stand the best possible chance of making successful trades with a likely prior knowledge of the trading platform.

With that said, XTB is attractive to new traders too with no minimum deposit needed. This then provides access to a wide range of more than 1, markets, 48 of which are forex pairs with a spread starting from a really low 0.

They also boast an impressive array of 25 crypto assets providing flexibility to all traders. Finally on our top 10 best MT4 forex brokers we have HotForex.

They are another long standing, MT4 exclusive broker. They make the trading platform available on desktop, webtrader, and all kinds of smart and mobile devices.

Their MT4 trading platform benefits from additional features thanks to their collaboration with Blue Labs to enable some premium trader tools add-ons as mentioned in our Hot Forex review.

This makes what is already a great platform and one of the best MT4 forex brokers, even better for traders.

If you are looking for a broker to really get the most out of MT4 then this could be the perfect choice. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.

You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. It was launched in and has grown to become the standout most trusted and well-recognized trading platform in the industry.

The MT4 platform provides the very best in trading capabilities to the forex market from both the broker and trader side.

The platform itself features both a server, and client interface to serve the needs of both with ease and reliability. The server side is controlled by the broker, while the trader manages the client side of the software.

The nature of the platform also provides it with fantastic ability to be customized and crossover for use with all brokers who facilitate it.

There is a good chance that you will choose an MT4 broker since the platform is one of the most widely available when it comes to online trading brokers.

This popularity extends not only thanks to the longstanding reputation on the trading platform in the sector, but also thanks to the fact it is seen as one of the most efficient , and versatile platforms around.

This is one of the key reasons why metatrader 4 brokers are always a top choice. Here we will conduct a Metatrader 4 review, and take a closer look at the best broker for Metatrader 4 that you can choose going forward.

MetaTrader 4 has been around the industry for a long time. It was developed in , and launched to the market in by the Russian developer, Metaquotes.

Broker review pages have been carrying positive feedback for the trading platform since the very beginning. The key purposes behind the trading platform were to give particularly retail traders, better access to international markets, as well as to facilitate margin trading which had become increasingly popular.

The platform has been a big hit since , though the developer has not stopped evolving. This led to the release of MT5 in which acts as a kind of enhanced version with some additional functions and trading capabilities, but still remaining true to the core of the platform.

We will take a closer look at why that is the case in the following sections. Here is a closer look at the characteristics and performance which you can expect when trading with any of the brokers that use MT4.

One of the most popular points when talking about MT4 among traders is the fact that it is very light and easy to run.

This means the requirements are minimal, and it can be run on almost any machine. By connecting the MetaTrader 5 platform to HKEX, forex brokers can extend their business and start offering futures instruments.

Trade Forex from your smartphone or tablet Learn more. Automate your trading and let an Expert Advisor analyze markets and trade for you Learn more.

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