Educational content. This article compares the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms and explains what the differences mean for a CFD trader. It does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation. CFD trading carries significant risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors.
MT5 differs from MT4 in order types, execution modes, account modes and data. MetaQuotes lists 21 timeframes, 6 pending order types and a depth of market for MT5, against 9 timeframes and 4 pending order types for MT4. MT5 also supports hedging and netting; MT4 positions work like hedging. Vanto accounts run on MT5, and Vanto states that hedging is allowed.
This article shows each difference with a worked example, then uses the Vanto feed to show the symbol rules that MT5 displays for every instrument. Costs, leverage and stop-out come from the account, not from the platform version.
What Are MT4 and MT5?
MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are two separate trading platforms from MetaQuotes, and MT5 is not an upgrade of MT4 in the sense of one program replacing the other. They use different programming languages (MQL4 and MQL5), different order engines and different file formats, so an account, a chart template or an Expert Advisor from one does not open in the other.
MT4 is the older platform and is built around hedging accounts in forex and CFDs. MT5 was designed to also serve exchange-traded markets, so it carries features such as netting accounts, depth of market and exchange-style order filling. A CFD broker uses the same platform for both worlds, and which parts matter depends on the account setup.
MT5 vs MT4 at a Glance
The main differences are counts of features and a few structural ones. The figures below come from the MetaQuotes platform pages for MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4, checked on 10 October 2026.
| Feature | MetaTrader 4 | MetaTrader 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Chart timeframes | 9 | 21 |
| Built-in technical indicators | 30 | 38 |
| Built-in analytical objects | 23 | 44 |
| Pending order types | 4 | 6 |
| Execution modes | 3 | 4 (adds Exchange) |
| Depth of market | Not listed | Yes |
| Position accounting | Hedging style (separate positions) | Hedging or netting, set by the broker |
| Programming language | MQL4 | MQL5 |
Source: MetaQuotes platform pages, 10 October 2026. MetaQuotes also quotes larger totals elsewhere on the same pages ("more than 65" tools for MT4, "more than 80" for MT5); the counts above are the ones given for the built-in indicators and objects.
Counts alone do not decide anything. A trader who uses one timeframe and market orders will notice little. The differences matter where a rule in the platform changes the result of a trade, and four of them do.
How Do the Order Types Differ?
MT5 has six pending order types and MT4 has four. Both have buy limit, sell limit, buy stop and sell stop, which are explained in buy limit vs buy stop. MT5 adds the buy stop limit and the sell stop limit.
A stop limit is a two-step order. First a stop price is set; when the market reaches it, a limit order is placed at a second price. The second price caps how much worse than planned the fill can be.
Worked example (illustrative prices). EURUSD trades at 1.1500. A trader places a buy stop limit with a stop price of 1.1550 and a limit price of 1.1545.
- Nothing happens while the price stays below 1.1550.
- When the price reaches 1.1550, MT5 places a buy limit order at 1.1545.
- A buy limit fills at 1.1545 or lower, so the order cannot fill at 1.1550 or above.
- If the market keeps rising without returning to 1.1545, the limit order stays unfilled.
A plain buy stop at 1.1550 would fill at the first available price at or above 1.1550, which can be worse during a fast move (see slippage). The stop limit swaps the risk: slippage is capped at the cost of possibly no fill, and a trade that never opens is a trade that also never gets its stop-loss or take-profit.
MT5 also gives each order an expiration type: good till cancelled, good till the end of the day, good till a specified time, or good till a specified day (MQL5 documentation, order properties).
How Do Execution and Fill Policies Differ?
MT5 has four execution modes (Instant, Request, Market and Exchange) and MT4 has three. The extra mode, Exchange, is meant for exchange-traded instruments. Which mode applies to a symbol is set by the broker and shown in the symbol specification.
MT5 also exposes order filling policies, which say what happens when the full volume cannot be filled at once. According to the MQL5 documentation, they are:
| Policy | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fill or Kill (FOK) | The order fills in the full volume or not at all |
| Immediate or Cancel (IOC) | The order fills as much as is available now; the rest is cancelled |
| Book or Cancel (BOC) | The order is placed in the depth of market only, and is cancelled if it could fill immediately; applies to limit and stop limit orders |
| Return | On a partial fill the remaining volume stays active; not allowed in Market execution mode |
Source: MQL5 documentation, order properties, 10 October 2026.
For a trader this means a large order can be tested against a rule: "all of it at this price, or nothing" (FOK) or "whatever is available" (IOC). MT4 does not list these policies on its platform page. Which policies a given symbol accepts is set by the broker, so check the symbol specification before relying on one.
Hedging and Netting: Why the Account Mode Matters More Than the Version
MT4 positions work like hedging, while MT5 supports hedging and netting, and the broker sets one of them for each account. In a hedging account every trade opens a separate position; in a netting account all trades on one symbol merge into a single position.
Because the mode is a server setting, "MT5" does not by itself tell you how positions behave. An MT5 netting account behaves like an exchange account: buying 1 lot and then selling 1 lot leaves no position. An MT5 hedging account behaves like MT4: the same two trades leave a long and a short position open. The full comparison with tables is in hedging vs netting in MT5.
Vanto states that hedging is allowed on its MT5 accounts. For a trader coming from MT4 this keeps the familiar behaviour: separate positions, a stop-loss and take-profit per position, and Expert Advisors that open several positions on one symbol. Margin for opposite positions follows the broker's rules and is not stated here.
What Does MT5 Add for Analysis?
MT5 adds depth of market, an economic calendar and 21 timeframes. Depth of market (DOM) is a window that lists the pending buy and sell volume at price levels near the market; it appears in MT5 and is not listed on the MT4 platform page. How much volume it shows for a CFD depends on the broker's liquidity feed, so for many CFD symbols it is thinner than on an exchange.
The 21 timeframes in MT5 are 12 more than the 9 in MT4 (MetaQuotes platform pages). The practical use is matching a chart period to the plan, so a trader who reviews trades every few hours has more periods to choose from than the standard 1-hour and 4-hour charts.
MT5 also includes an economic calendar of macroeconomic indicators by country (MetaQuotes platform page). Automated testing is covered in what is an Expert Advisor, including what a backtest cannot show.
What Does MT5 Show for Each Vanto Instrument?
MT5 shows the rules of every symbol in its specification window: contract size, minimum volume, volume step, maximum volume and the day with triple swap. These rules come from the broker and are the same whichever platform version displays them, but MT5 is where Vanto traders read them. The table below is built from the Vanto feed, using 77 symbols.
| Class | Symbols | Contract size | Minimum volume | Volume step | Maximum volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | 42 | 100,000 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 200 |
| Indices | 18 | 1 | 0.01 to 10 | 0.01 or 1 | 100 to 1,000 |
| Metals | 2 | 100 (gold), 5,000 (silver) | 0.01 | 0.01 | 20 |
| Energies | 3 | 100 | 0.1 or 1 | 0.1 or 1 | 100 |
| Crypto | 12 | 1 | 0.01 to 50 | 0.01 or 1 | 5 to 10,001 |
Source: Vanto feed snapshot, 10 October 2026. Volumes are in lots; see what is a lot and contract size.
Three readings follow from the table. First, "1 lot" is not a fixed quantity: it is 100,000 units for a forex pair, 100 ounces for gold and 5,000 ounces for silver, so the same order size means very different exposure. Second, the minimum volume is the smallest position and the step is the smallest change, which is why some symbols accept 0.01 lot and others need whole lots (see minimum lot size). Third, the triple swap day differs by class in the same feed: Wednesday for forex and metals, Friday for indices and energies, and none for crypto, which has no triple day.
Which Account Rules Do Not Change Between MT4 and MT5?
Leverage, margin call and stop-out are account rules, so they do not depend on the platform version. On Vanto accounts, maximum leverage is 1:500 for forex and metals, 1:100 for indices and energies, and 1:10 for crypto. The margin call is at 100% and the stop-out at 50% on both account types.
Worked example (illustrative price). One lot of EURUSD at a price of 1.1500 has a notional value of 100,000 x 1.1500 = USD 115,000. At 1:500 leverage the required margin is 115,000 / 500 = USD 230. The account's stop-out level is 50%, meaning positions are closed when equity falls to half of the margin in use; the mechanics are in stop-out level and margin.
Leverage amplifies losses as well as gains. A platform with more features does not change that arithmetic: the same position loses the same amount per pip in MT4 and in MT5.
Does MT5 Change Trading Costs?
No. The spread, commission and swap come from the account and the instrument, not from the platform version. The same account on either platform pays the same costs, and the full picture is in why trading costs are more than the spread and the spread. The type of execution model, for example STP or ECN, is a broker setting described in STP vs ECN.
When Does MT5 Not Help? Common Mistakes
MT5 features help only when the trader uses them, and some mistakes come from assuming too much.
- Assuming MT5 means netting. The account mode is set by the broker. On a hedging account, opposite positions stay open and both pay swap.
- Copying an MT4 Expert Advisor. MQL4 code does not run in MT5. An EA must be rewritten or replaced by an MQL5 version, and tested again on a demo account before live use.
- Reading depth of market as an exchange order book. On CFDs the visible volume reflects the broker's price feed, not the whole market.
- Using a stop limit without a plan for no fill. The order caps the price and gives up the guarantee of entry.
- Ignoring the symbol specification. Volume step, contract size and filling policy differ by symbol, so a lot size that works on EURUSD may be rejected on an index or a crypto CFD.
- Expecting a better result from the platform. Neither platform predicts prices or reduces risk of loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MT5 better than MT4?
MT5 has more features, but better depends on the use. It offers 21 timeframes, 6 pending order types and depth of market, while MT4 has 9 timeframes and 4 pending order types. A trader who needs none of the extra features will trade the same way on both, and neither platform changes the risk of a trade.
Can I use my MT4 Expert Advisor in MT5?
No, not without changes. MT4 Expert Advisors are written in MQL4 and MT5 runs MQL5, so the code must be rewritten or replaced with an MQL5 version. Test the new version on a demo account first.
Does MT5 allow hedging?
Yes, if the broker sets the account to hedging mode. MT5 supports both hedging and netting, and the broker chooses per account. Vanto states that hedging is allowed on its MT5 accounts, so on a hedging account a buy and a sell on one symbol stay open as separate positions.
Is MT5 only for forex?
No. MetaQuotes describes MT5 as supporting both hedging and the netting system used on exchange markets, and a CFD broker can offer forex, indices, metals, energies and crypto on the same platform. In the Vanto feed snapshot of 10 October 2026 that means 77 symbols across five classes.
Do spreads and swaps differ between MT4 and MT5?
No, they come from the account and the instrument. The same symbol on the same account has the same spread, commission and swap rules in either platform, so choose a platform for its tools, not for cost.
Why does Vanto use MT5?
Vanto accounts run on MT5, which combines hedging support, depth of market, six pending order types and four execution modes in one platform. These are platform features and not a statement about trading results.
Calculate the Numbers Before You Trade
Contract size, volume step and margin for each Vanto instrument are in the trading calculator, and the platform itself is described on the trading platforms page. Check a symbol's specification in MT5 before sizing a position.
Risk warning. Trading securities, futures, options, and contracts for differences are complex financial instruments that require knowledge and understanding. Prices can fluctuate significantly and securities may become valueless. Investors may incur losses exceeding the potential for profits. Trading on margin can result in losses greater than the amount initially deposited. Past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance. The information in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any financial instrument. Consider whether CFD trading is appropriate for your circumstances and seek independent advice if necessary.