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06 / Platforms

Trading Platforms

Install a full trading terminal or work straight from the browser. Your positions, balance and risk rules stay in sync because all three are looking at the same account.

The institutional standard

MetaTrader 5

The platform most traders already know, connected to our bridge with full expert-advisor support and no execution restrictions.

Best for

Algorithmic traders and anyone migrating an existing MT5 workflow

  • Expert advisors and custom indicators
  • 21 timeframes and 38 built-in indicators
  • Depth of market and one-click execution
  • Strategy tester with real tick data
  • Desktop, mobile and web builds
Trading charts open on a laptop on a dark desk
MetaTrader 5
Order types
6
Charting timeframes
21
Automation
MQL5 / EAs
Hedging
Permitted

Connects to

The same live account as the other two platforms, on the same bridge, with the same risk limits evaluated server-side.

Depth-of-market native

cTrader

Level II pricing, precise partial fills and a cleaner order ticket. The choice when execution quality matters more than plugin breadth.

Best for

Discretionary scalpers and order-flow traders

  • Full Level II depth of market
  • cBots written in C#
  • Detachable multi-monitor charting
  • Advanced take-profit and stop laddering
  • Native macOS build
Trading charts open on a laptop on a dark desk
cTrader
Order types
8
Charting timeframes
26
Automation
cAlgo / C#
Hedging
Permitted

Connects to

The same live account as the other two platforms, on the same bridge, with the same risk limits evaluated server-side.

Nothing to install

Web Terminal

A browser terminal that connects to the same live account. Open a position from any machine without carrying a platform install with you.

Best for

Traders on locked-down or shared machines

  • Runs in any modern browser
  • Shared watchlists with the desktop platforms
  • Integrated economic calendar
  • Live drawdown headroom in the header
  • Touch-optimised on tablets
Trading charts open on a laptop on a dark desk
Web Terminal
Order types
4
Charting timeframes
12
Automation
Not supported
Hedging
Permitted

Connects to

The same live account as the other two platforms, on the same bridge, with the same risk limits evaluated server-side.

Side by side

Every capability, compared.

Execution quality is identical across the three — they share a bridge and a liquidity panel. What differs is the tooling wrapped around it.

MetaTrader 5, cTrader and the Web Terminal compared across execution, automation and access
CapabilityMetaTrader 5The institutional standardcTraderDepth-of-market nativeWeb TerminalNothing to install
Order types684
Charting timeframes212612
AutomationMQL5 / EAscAlgo / C#Not supported
HedgingPermittedPermittedPermitted
Custom indicatorsUnlimitedUnlimitedBuilt-in set
Strategy testerReal tick dataTick and bar dataNot available
Depth of marketAggregated bookFull Level IITop of book
Desktop buildWindowsWindows and macOSNone needed
Native macOS appNoYesRuns in the browser
Mobile appiOS and AndroidiOS and AndroidAny mobile browser
Install requiredYes, for desktopYes, for desktopNo
Multi-monitor chartingDetached chart windowsDetachable workspaceSingle window
Live drawdown headroomClient portalClient portalIn the header

Spreads, commissions, leverage and risk limits do not vary by platform. Every plan includes all three at no extra cost.

MetaTrader 5

Access by device.

Official MetaQuotes installers for Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android. Server address and login still come from the client portal after you open an account.

Desktop Terminal

Download the MT5 desktop application for Windows.

Download Desktop

Mobile iOS

Get the MT5 app for your iPhone or iPad.

Download for iOS

Mobile Android

Get the MT5 app for your Android device.

Download for Android

Links open MetaQuotes’ official MT5 destinations. Credentials and the trading-server address are issued in the portal — these downloads only install the terminal.

Need an account?

Live accounts get the same platform access the moment your first deposit clears — on card and crypto that means immediately.

Create account
Connectivity

The account is the constant.

A platform is a window onto your account, not a copy of it. That is what makes running two of them at once, or switching mid-session, a non-event.

One account, three front ends

Your positions, balance, equity and margin live on the bridge, not in the terminal. Open a position on the desktop platform and it is already there when you sign into the browser.

Switch platforms whenever you like

Changing platform on a live account is permitted at any time, and it does not reset your positions, your balance or your open orders.

Colocated execution

Our matching infrastructure sits in Equinix LD4 in London, with points of presence in NY4 in New York and TY3 in Tokyo. Choose the closest one when you connect a VPS.

Encrypted end to end

Every platform session is TLS-encrypted, and the portal supports two-factor authentication on both sign-in and payout requests.

London

Equinix LD4

Primary matching engine and the shortest path for European and Middle Eastern traders.

New York

Equinix NY4

Point of presence for the Americas, closest to the index and share CFD venues.

Tokyo

Equinix TY3

Asia-Pacific point of presence, covering the Sydney and Tokyo sessions.

Still deciding

Not sure which platform fits your style?

Every plan includes access to all three, and switching costs nothing at any point. Start with the one you already know and change your mind later.