MT4 vs MT5 white label: the technical and commercial comparison for

Should a broker choose an MT4 or MT5 white label in 2026?

A broker starting in 2026 should choose MT5 unless it has a specific, documented reason to stay on MT4. The reason is not fashion. MetaQuotes no longer sells MT4 licences, says further conceptual development goes to MT5 only, and several brokers have already announced dates for switching MT4 off. An MT4 white label bought today is a platform you will very likely have to leave.

There are still situations where MT4 matters: an introducing broker whose clients run years of MQL4 code, or a brokerage already sitting on an MT4 server with a long contract. For those cases we look at timing rather than a blanket answer. If you specifically need MT4, write to us and we will check availability for your case. Everything else on this page compares the two platforms as a broker experiences them, starting with the licensing question that decides most projects.

What can you actually license on MT4 and MT5 in 2026?

On MT5 you can license a full server directly from MetaQuotes, take a white label under a provider’s agreement subject to MetaQuotes’ current position, or run an MT5 grey label; on MT4 you can only join a server that was licensed before sales stopped. The table sets out the four positions side by side.

The MT5 white label row needs a caveat, because the public record points both ways. MetaQuotes’ MT5 licence page lists Entry (1,000 real accounts), Standard (25,000) and Enterprise (200,000) and does not mention white labels, while its metaquotes.net broker page still says that “MetaTrader 5 supports White Label licensing”. TradeInformer reported in July 2022 that white labels had become much harder for new brokers to obtain, mainly through heavier documentation, and B2Broker wrote in April 2026 that MetaQuotes halted new MT5 white label licences in late 2022. White label arrangements still exist through some licensees, so we check availability case by case. We cover the detail, with dates, in our MetaQuotes white label policy guide.

How do MT4 and MT5 compare technically for brokers?

MT5 is ahead of MT4 on every broker-side figure MetaQuotes publishes, from account groups and symbols to order fill policies and SQL export. The table below takes the values from MetaQuotes’ MT5 vs MT4 comparison page for brokers, row for row. Where MetaQuotes shows a feature only as a tick, we have not invented a number.

Two caveats. These are platform capabilities, not what any particular white label host gives you; a host can expose fewer groups or symbols than the server supports. And they describe the server and terminal, not your CRM, apps or bridge, which sit on top.

Which MT5 differences matter most to a broker’s back office?

The differences that change daily operations are group and symbol limits, server architecture, balance operation types and integration options. Charting improvements matter to your clients; these matter to your dealing desk, finance team and developers.

Does MT5 support hedging like MT4?

Yes. MT5 supports both netting and hedging accounts, chosen per account group, and the hedging mode behaves the way MT4 clients expect. MT5 was originally built for netting only, which is where the old “MT5 can’t hedge” objection comes from; MetaQuotes added hedging in March 2016.

For a broker migrating forex clients from MT4, hedging accounts are the default choice because positions, partial closes and opposite trades on the same symbol behave as they did before. Netting is useful for exchange-style products and for clients who want one net position per instrument. You can run both on one server.

What do traders notice when a broker moves from MT4 to MT5?

Traders notice more timeframes, more indicators, more pending order types and a much faster strategy tester; they also notice that their MQL4 Expert Advisors stop working until converted. MetaQuotes lists 21 timeframes on MT5 against 9 on MT4, 38 technical indicators against 30 and 44 analytical objects against 31.

The strategy tester is often the feature that wins over algorithmic traders: MetaQuotes describes MT5’s as multi-threaded and multi-currency with real ticks, against single-threaded on MT4. The friction point is code. MetaQuotes’ own article on migrating from MQL4 to MQL5 states that programs written in MQL4 need converting, and the trade functions are structured differently, so plan help for clients who depend on EAs.

• Timeframes: 21 on MT5, 9 on MT4.
• Technical indicators: 38 on MT5, 30 on MT4.
• Analytical objects: 44 on MT5, 31 on MT4.
• Pending order types: 6 on MT5, including stop limit orders, against 4 on MT4.
• Internal email: with attachments on MT5, without on MT4.
• Expert Advisors: MQL4 code must be converted to MQL5; compiled MT4 files do not run on MT5.

How do MT4 and MT5 white labels compare commercially?

Commercially, MT4 is the platform with no new supply and a shrinking user base, and MT5 is the one with active licensing, published capacity tiers and continued development. That difference shows up in contract length, negotiating power and exit costs more than in the headline monthly fee.

On MT5 the licence fee structure is at least clear in shape. MetaQuotes charges a monthly fee that depends on the tier, Entry, Standard or Enterprise, and does not publish its prices. In the applications we handle, choosing Entry means MetaQuotes asks for three months upfront. A white label host passes some version of its own licence cost on to you, so ask how its fee is built and how MetaQuotes changes reach your invoice. On MT4 there is no new licence to price at all; you are negotiating with a host whose capacity is fixed.

We do not publish price figures on this site. Our MT4 white label cost and MT5 white label cost guides explain what drives each line and what a quote should contain. If you want current figures, ask us on WhatsApp and we will send them for your set-up.

Which platform fits which kind of brokerage?

MT5 fits every new brokerage, multi-asset broker and prop firm; MT4 only fits a broker already on a stable MT4 server with clients who would leave over a platform change. The table is the short version of the conversation we have with most founders.

How do you move from an MT4 white label to MT5?

You rebuild your trading environment on MT5, move accounts and history in a planned cutover and help clients with new logins, apps and EAs. The order below keeps risk low; the full item-by-item list is in our MT4 to MT5 migration checklist.

1. Map MT4 to MT5List every group, symbol, swap and commission setting on MT4 and decide its MT5 equivalent, using hedging accounts for forex clients.
2. Connect the stackPoint liquidity, bridge, CRM, IB commissions and front ends at the MT5 server and test them with real staff workflows.
3. Plan the data moveAgree which balances, credit and history move automatically, and whether open positions are transferred or closed before cutover.
4. Prepare clientsSend a first notice weeks ahead, then reminders with new credentials, app links and guidance for EA users.
5. Cut over on a weekendFreeze MT4, migrate, reconcile and open MT5 for Monday, with a written rollback plan if reconciliation fails.

How does FXUP set up an MT5 brokerage instead?

We start from the route that fits your situation: an MT5 grey label for speed, an MT5 white label where it is available, or support with your own MT5 licence. On top of the server we deliver the parts your clients and staff use every day: a branded WebTrader built in Flutter with a Go back end on the MetaTrader 5 Web API, iOS and Android apps publishable under your own developer accounts, and a CRM with KYC, payments and IB commissions synced to MT5, either our own or a partner CRM, whichever fits your operation. FXUP also works as a consulting firm on MetaQuotes requirements and applications, for a fee.

Clients get the MT5 features traders ask about: quotes, charts with MT5-formula indicators, drawing tools, market and pending orders including stop limit, SL/TP, expiry, partial close and history. You can test it on the WebTrader demo before any commitment.

FXUP is independent and not affiliated with MetaQuotes; where we describe MetaQuotes’ products, we quote its pages. If you are weighing an MT4 offer against MT5, message us on WhatsApp with both and we will compare them line by line.

Questions buyers ask

Not covered here? Ask us on WhatsApp, message @FXUPCK on Telegram or write to [email protected].