MT4 or MT5 — every broker launching today faces this decision. Both platforms are from MetaQuotes. Both connect to the same ecosystem of traders, EAs, and liquidity providers. But they are different products with different strengths, and choosing wrong can create friction with your target client base.

Why MT4 Still Dominates

MetaTrader 4 was released in 2005 and remains the most widely used retail forex platform in the world. Traders know it, EAs and custom indicators run on it, and brokers have 20 years of operational experience with it. If your target clients are retail forex traders who have traded before, they likely have existing MT4 setups — terminals, EAs, and strategies — that they do not want to migrate away from.

The downside is that MetaQuotes stopped issuing new MT4 licenses to brokers several years ago. If you do not already have an MT4 server license, you cannot get one directly. You need to use a provider that already holds one.

Why MT5 Is the Future

MT5 was designed to address the limitations of its predecessor. Key differences for brokers:

• Multi-asset support — MT5 natively handles forex, stocks, futures, and crypto on the same server. MT4 is forex and CFDs only.
• More order types — Buy Stop Limit, Sell Stop Limit, and more granular pending order management.
• Depth of Market — Real DoM display, useful for clients trading larger sizes.
• MetaQuotes still issues MT5 licenses — New broker operations can get a legitimate MT5 server license directly.
• Better API — A Swagger-based MT5 Manager API is significantly easier to integrate into a custom CRM than the older MT4 manager library.

The Practical Answer for New Brokers

If you are launching a new broker today and cannot source an MT4 license through a provider, MT5 is your path. It is a newer platform with better technology, active licensing, and a growing trader adoption curve. For brokers targeting experienced retail traders who are already MT4 users, offering MT5 alongside an existing MT4 setup via a provider pool is the best of both worlds.

What About the CRM Integration?

The choice of platform affects your CRM integration. Your broker CRM needs to create accounts, update leverage, trigger deposits and withdrawals, and monitor balances on whichever server you run. A well-built MetaTrader Manager API abstracts this into clean REST endpoints that work the same regardless of whether you are on MT4 or MT5.

Can You Run Both?

Yes. Many brokers run MT4 for legacy clients and MT5 for new account openings. Your CRM needs to support connections to both servers simultaneously — which the Forex Full Broker Package handles natively. This way you never force a migration on your existing client base while still offering the newer platform to new traders.