# MetaTrader 4 vs MetaTrader 5 vs cTrader vs TradingView

> The four platforms most forex traders choose between, compared on charting, order types, automation and broker availability.

- Canonical URL: https://forextradingcommunity.com/news/metatrader-4-vs-metatrader-5-vs-ctrader-vs-tradingview/
- Type: Guide
- Published: 2026-09-14
- Updated: 2026-09-14
- Publisher: Forex Trading Community (https://forextradingcommunity.com), FTC Editorial Team
- Currencies: USD, EUR

Your broker decides which platforms you can use, and your platform shapes how you trade. These are the four most widely offered to retail forex traders.

## MetaTrader 4

Released by MetaQuotes in 2005, MT4 is still one of the most common forex platforms.

- **Timeframes:** 9, from one minute to monthly
- **Automation:** Expert Advisors and indicators written in MQL4, with a huge library of existing code
- **Strengths:** familiarity, simplicity and wide broker support
- **Limits:** built mainly for forex; trailing stops run inside the terminal, so they stop working when it is closed

## MetaTrader 5

MetaQuotes released MT5 in 2010 as a multi-asset successor.

- **Timeframes:** 21
- **Automation:** MQL5, with a faster multi-threaded strategy tester
- **Extras:** depth of market, a built-in economic calendar and more pending order types, including stop-limit orders
- **Positions:** supports both hedging and netting account modes, depending on the broker

MT4 code doesn't run on MT5 without rewriting, which is the main reason many traders haven't moved.

## cTrader

Developed by Spotware, cTrader is offered by a smaller number of brokers.

- **Automation:** cBots and indicators written in C#
- **Features:** depth of market, detached charts and detailed trade statistics
- **Strengths:** a modern interface and transparent order information

## TradingView

TradingView started as a charting platform and social network, and many brokers now let you connect an account to trade from its charts.

- **Charting:** widely regarded as among the best, in the browser, desktop and mobile apps
- **Automation:** Pine Script for indicators and strategy testing; automated live execution depends on the broker's integration
- **Community:** published ideas and scripts from other users
- **Availability:** trading from TradingView depends on your broker supporting the integration, and some features need a paid TradingView plan

## Which to choose

- **You use or want Expert Advisors:** MT4 or MT5, depending on what your code or vendor supports.
- **You trade manually and care about charts:** TradingView, if your broker connects to it.
- **You program in C#:** cTrader.
- **You also trade other markets:** MT5 or a broker's own multi-asset platform.

FTC's [broker profiles](/brokers/) list the platforms each broker offers, and the [comparison table](/brokers/compare/) shows them side by side.

## Common questions

### What is the difference between MT4 and MT5?

MT5 has more timeframes (21 against 9), depth of market, a built-in economic calendar, more order types and a faster strategy tester. MT4 Expert Advisors written in MQL4 don't run on MT5 without being rewritten.

### Can I trade forex directly on TradingView?

Yes, if your broker offers a TradingView integration. You connect your broker account and place orders from TradingView's charts.

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This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Trading forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money.