Launch a new forex brokerage on MT5: a turnkey setup with a clear

What does a turnkey forex broker solution include, and what does it not?

A turnkey forex broker solution includes the technology a new brokerage needs to accept, onboard and trade clients; it does not include your licence, bank account, payment provider contracts or marketing. Providers that blur this line are the main source of disappointment we hear about from founders who come to us after a first attempt elsewhere.

On the technology side, a complete package covers MT5 platform access, client groups and symbols, a branded WebTrader, iOS and Android apps, a broker CRM with KYC, deposits, withdrawals and IB commissions, and liquidity integration. On the business side, the regulated company, its licence, its bank and PSP relationships, its staff and its marketing remain yours. A good provider helps you prepare for those, but cannot own them.

Grey label, white label or your own licence: which route should a new broker pick?

Most new brokers start on a grey label or white label and move to their own MT5 licence once volumes and licensing justify it. An MT5 grey label is a brokerage set up inside another company’s licensed MetaTrader 5 server: you get your own client groups and your brand on the WebTrader, mobile apps, CRM and client portal, while the MT5 server licence stays with the provider. It is the fastest route and suits founders who want to test a market or are waiting for a licence.

An MT5 white label gives you a dedicated environment with more control over symbols, groups and conditions. Availability of new white labels depends on MetaQuotes’ current approach; trade press reported in 2022 that MetaQuotes had tightened its conditions, so we check each request individually rather than promising one. Your own MT5 licence, bought directly from MetaQuotes in Entry (1,000 real accounts), Standard (25,000) or Enterprise (200,000) tiers, gives full control and full responsibility. In the applications we handle, MetaQuotes charges a monthly fee that depends on the tier, and asks for three months upfront when the Entry tier is chosen; as a consulting firm we handle the MetaQuotes requirements and application for clients, for a fee. Our white label vs grey label comparison and the grey label guide explain the trade-offs, and MT5 licence support covers the direct route.

New broker launch checklist: who provides what?

The launch checklist splits into three columns: what FXUP delivers, what you as the broker provide, and what comes from third parties such as regulators, banks and app stores. Writing it down at the start prevents the most common delay, which is a technical set-up that is ready while a business item nobody owned is still missing.

What documents does a new broker need before setup starts?

Before setup starts you need the company documents, licence or licence application, ownership and director details, and the branding and trading conditions you want. Grey label and white label providers, liquidity providers and payment providers all run due diligence, and most ask for overlapping documents; preparing one pack saves weeks.

• Certificate of incorporation, articles, register of directors and shareholders, and proof of registered address.
• Licence, or evidence of the licence application and the planned licence category.
• Passports and proof of address for directors and ultimate beneficial owners, plus source-of-funds information.
• A short business plan: target countries, restricted countries, client type, expected clients and volume in year one.
• Trading conditions: account types, instruments, leverage per group, commission or spread model, swap policy.
• Brand assets: name, logo files, colours, domain names for the website, WebTrader and client portal.
• App store developer accounts in your company’s name (Apple Developer Program and Google Play Console).
• Contacts for your chosen KYC, payment and liquidity providers, or a request for our suggestions.

What does a new broker launch timeline look like?

A new broker launch runs on two tracks in parallel: a technical track that FXUP leads, typically about one to two weeks for a grey label and two to four weeks for a white label, and a business track you lead, which covers banking, PSPs, liquidity onboarding and app store approval and often takes longer. The table shows a typical sequence; your dates depend on documents and third-party approvals.

Apple’s review is usually quick once you submit: it says it reviews “at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours”. The slow part is getting the developer account set up in the company’s name, which needs a legal entity and a D-U-N-S number, so start that in the first week.

Which app store and marketing rules apply to a new broker?

A new broker’s trading apps must be submitted by the broker itself, and its marketing must follow the rules of every country it targets. Apple’s guideline 3.2.1(viii) requires trading apps to be submitted by the financial institution performing the service with the necessary licensing in each location, and guideline 4.2.6 rejects template apps submitted by the provider on the client’s behalf. That is why FXUP’s apps are publishable on the App Store and Google Play under your own developer accounts, not ours. Google Play also requires a Financial features declaration.

On marketing, the essentials are the same in most markets: show your full company details and licence on the website, display the risk warnings your regulator requires, publish the list of countries you do not accept, and do not offer incentives where they are restricted. Our app store approval guide and start a forex brokerage guide cover these in more depth.

What does it cost to launch a new forex brokerage on MT5?

The cost depends on four choices more than on any provider’s price list: the platform route (grey label, white label or your own MT5 licence), the scope of the technology package, the licence and company you need, and the people you hire. We do not publish prices, because a figure without your scope is misleading; message us with your route, markets and launch date and we will send current figures for your set-up.

The platform route sets the recurring cost. On a grey label you pay the provider for space on its server. On your own MT5 licence you pay MetaQuotes directly: in the applications we handle, the monthly fee depends on the tier (Entry, Standard or Enterprise), and choosing Entry means three months paid upfront. MetaQuotes does not publish its prices, so ask us what we are currently seeing.

Do not compare headline monthly fees alone. Ask every provider for the full list of what is included, which add-ons are charged separately, and what changes when you pass a number of accounts. If you have offers already, send them on WhatsApp and we will lay them side by side.

How should a new broker compare technology quotes?

Compare quotes line by line, on the same scope and the same contract term, rather than by the headline monthly figure. Two offers that look far apart can turn out close once you add the items one of them left out, and two that look close can differ widely in what you can change without paying again.

• Is the MT5 platform fee inside the quote, or billed separately by the provider or MetaQuotes?
• Which front ends are included: WebTrader, iOS, Android, desktop access, and in which languages?
• Is the CRM the provider’s own or a partner’s, and are KYC checks and PSP integrations priced per item?
• What happens to the price when you pass a number of accounts or add a new entity?
• Which changes after launch (new symbols, groups, languages, features) are included, and which are billed?
• What notice period applies, and can you take your client and IB data with you if you leave?
• Who supports you out of hours in the first weeks, and through which channel?

Which go-live tests should a new broker run?

A new broker should test trading, risk management, client onboarding, client funds and marketing before the first real client, using real staff and small real amounts where possible. MetaQuotes’ own launch guide lists exactly these five checks, and we use the same structure with every client.

1. Trading platformPlace market and pending orders (limit, stop, stop limit) on every account type; check SL/TP, partial close, expiry, swaps and history on the WebTrader, apps and desktop.
2. Risk managementConfirm leverage per group, margin call and stop-out levels, exposure reports and the routing of each group to liquidity or internal books.
3. Client onboardingRegister test clients from different countries, run KYC including rejections, and check that restricted countries are blocked.
4. Client fundsDeposit and withdraw through each PSP, check that balances appear in MT5 automatically, and confirm approval workflows and reconciliation.
5. Marketing and brandingReview the website, app listings, risk warnings and IB materials with compliance; confirm tracking links credit the right introducing brokers.

What delays a new broker launch most often?

The most common delays are business items, not technology: bank accounts, payment provider onboarding, developer accounts and missing documents. In our projects the technical set-up is rarely the item that decides the launch date.

• Bank account opened too late, often because the application started after the platform contract.
• PSPs that do not accept clients from one of the main target countries, discovered after marketing was planned.
• Apple or Google developer accounts registered in a founder’s personal name instead of the company.
• Trading conditions changing after configuration because the liquidity provider’s symbol list differs from the plan.
• Website without full company details, risk warnings or restricted-country list, which PSPs and app stores check.
• No owner for IB commission rules, so the CRM cannot be configured until sales and finance agree.

Can a new broker upgrade from grey label to white label or its own licence later?

Yes. Starting on a grey label and moving to a white label or your own MT5 licence is a common path, and planning for it from day one keeps the move simple. The client-facing parts, meaning your WebTrader, apps, CRM and client portal, can stay the same; what changes is the MT5 server behind them and the accounts on it.

The work in an upgrade is mainly data and timing: moving client accounts and history, re-mapping groups and symbols, reconnecting liquidity and payments, and telling clients about new server details. If you plan to move later, keep your own records of clients, IB structures and trading conditions in your CRM rather than relying on the grey label provider’s reports. Our full licence vs white label guide explains when the switch pays off.

How does FXUP work with new brokers?

We work as your technology team for the launch and afterwards. That means one written scope, one point of contact on WhatsApp, Telegram or email, and the same people supporting you after go-live when you add symbols, groups, languages or features such as copy trading. FXUP has worked on MetaTrader 5 infrastructure since 2023. We are a technology provider and consulting firm, not a broker, and FXUP is not affiliated with MetaQuotes. For the back office we have our own CRM and also work with partner CRMs, and we propose whichever fits your onboarding flow, payment providers and IB plans.

The WebTrader and mobile app ship in English, Turkish and Arabic, with full right-to-left layout for Arabic, and include quotes, charts with MT5-formula indicators, drawing tools, market and pending orders, SL/TP, partial close, history and account switching. You can try both on the WebTrader demo and the mobile app demo, which run on a real MT5 demo environment.

Questions buyers ask

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