Best MetaTrader 5 Brokers

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Contributor, Benzinga
April 16, 2024

The MetaTrader platform suite, created by MetaQuotes Software Corporation, includes two popular trading platforms - MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). These platforms are widely used by CFD and forex traders. The revolutionary MetaTrader 4 gave forex traders unprecedented control over trading strategies and timing.

MT5 has gained popularity in the forex broker industry due to its upgrades and improvements over the last decade. It is important to note that MT5, like MT4, is not a broker itself. If you decide to use MT5, you will still need to choose a reliable and regulated forex broker to begin trading. This guide will assist you in selecting the best MT5 forex broker and understanding the key features and functions of MT5.

Quick Look: Best Forex Brokers with MT5

Disclosure: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Best Brokers That Feature MetaTrader 5

As of this writing, only FOREX.com supports MT5 in the United States. Plenty of support remains for MetaTrader 4, so American currency traders can experience the platform. If you want to trade stocks or options on MetaTrader, you’ll generally need to do so outside the United States. Still, plenty of quality brokerage options exist for international traders who wish to use MetaTrader 5. Benzinga has compiled a list of the best MetaTrader 5 brokers based on functionality, reputation and number of tradable markets.

1. Best for U.S. Traders: FOREX.com

  • Forex.com
    Best For:
    U.S. and Global Forex Traders
    securely through Forex.com's website

    CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

    The products and services available to you at FOREX.com will depend on your location and on which of its regulated entities holds your account

FOREX.com is one of the only forex brokers to provide MetaTrader support for U.S. clients. They have an impressive group of pairs to trade and 3 different accounts to choose from. FOREX.com also provides extensive educational materials. They support both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, and are continually ranked the #1 forex broker in the U.S. by Benzinga.

Here is a preview of the types of accounts you can get through FOREX.com.

  • Standard: This is a traditional forex trading account which charges no commissions. The client will only have to worry about the spread cost, which can be higher compared to other account types.
  • Commission: The commission account greatly impacts the spreads by reducing them in exchange for a fee on each trade. These accounts aren't available for MetaTrader users, however. The commission is $5 per 100,000 units traded.
  • Direct market access: Using the DMA account, advanced traders can access the plumbing of the forex market. Traders can match orders to certain liquidity providers and take advantage of rapid price movements. This style of trading is quite advanced and FOREX.com recommends it only to clients with over $25,000 to deposit.

If you're looking for a MetaTrader 5 broker, beginners will greatly benefit from the educational resources. Also, retail traders will love their low account balance and trade minimums. For the more experienced forex traders, there are multiple platforms of varying sophistication to choose from. And active traders earn discounts on high monthly volumes.

Pros

  • Impressive, easy-to-navigate platform
  • Wide range of education and research tools
  • Access to over 80 currencies to buy and sell
  • Leverage available up to 50:1

Cons

  • Cannot buy and sell other securities (like stocks and bonds)

2. Best for Ease of Use: AvaTrade

AvaTrade is a well-known MT5 broker that offers a wide range of trading instruments and advanced trading features. With AvaTrade, traders can trade various asset classes including forex, stocks, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. The broker also offers competitive spreads, leverage options, and a user-friendly interface to enhance the trading experience. Additionally, AvaTrade provides educational resources, market analysis, and customer support to assist traders in making informed trading decisions.

Pros

  • Access to advanced trading tools and feature
  • Ability to analyze the market and execute trades efficiently
  • Competitive spreads and low fees
  • User-friendly platform

Cons

  • Limited account types
  • Inactivity fees
  • Customer support may not always be responsive

3. Best for Copy Trading: Pepperstone

  • Pepperstone FX
    Best For:
    Trading Experience
    securely through Pepperstone FX's website

    Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

With competitive spreads and a simple trading platform, you can use Pepperstone to build your portfolio in any way you like. You can use Autochartist, try algo trading, use API trading and speak to the customer support team at any time. Yes, slippage has occurred in the past, but you will also enjoy benefits like:

  • No minimum deposit
  • Over 60 currency pairs
  • MT4, MT5, cTrader, Web Trading Platforms and Mobile App (if you want more options)
  • Leverage starting at 30:1 for retail clients and up to 500:1 for professional clients

Trading on MT5 is a good way to build your portfolio, and you will find that it’s easy to manage your portfolio if this is the platform you prefer.

Pros

  • You can trade on MT5 and use other platforms if you need
  • There are many currency pairs available
  • Leverage options will help you add to your portfolio quickly

Cons

  • The platform may not offer other support and options that you want

4. Best for Building a Diverse Portfolio: RoboForex

RoboForex Ltd is an international broker with over 1 million clients in 169 countries, and has received recognition from respected financial experts. The company is based in Belize City, Belize.

The online broker received several awards in 2022, such as Best Mobile Trading App from Global Forex Awards, Most Trusted Broker by International Business Magazine Awards, and Most Transparent Broker by World Economic Magazine Awards.

RoboForex offers support for various trading platforms and offers leverage ratios up to 2,000:1, based on your jurisdiction. Besides forex trading, RoboForex allows trading of stocks, CFDs, ETFs, indices, commodities, energy commodities, and metals.

Pros

  • Invest with as little as $1
  • No deposit fees
  • No inactivity fees
  • Negative balance protection
  • Supports multiple trading platforms
  • Copy trading option
  • Free VPS server

Cons

  • May not scale to your needs
  • Does not accept U.S. clients and clients from some other restricted countries

5. Best for Algorithmic Traders: FxPro

  • FxPro International
    Best For:
    Excellent Trading Conditions
    securely through FxPro International's website

    CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 81% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

FxPro offers traders access to the forex and contracts for difference (CFD) market where they can access hundreds of assets, including forex, metals, indices, shares and cryptocurrencies. You can use one of the 8 base currencies, and you will end up saving more money because there are no transaction fees, commissions or account fees. The only fee is the inactivity fee that kicks in after 6 months with no activity.

Multilingual support is offered 24/5, and you can use one of many platforms, including MT5 and MT4, to build your portfolio.

Pros

  • More than 2,100 instruments to choose from
  • Leverage of up to 500:1 is available
  • 24/5 support is offered in multiple languages
  • Demo account available
  • Algorithmic trading systems

Cons

  • The platform is limited to forex and CFDs
  •  Inactivity fee could apply

6. Best for Multiple Platforms: Blackbull Markets

There is a reason that Blackbull Markets won the Best in Class for Offering of Investment from the ForexBrokers.com 2023 Annual Awards – it’s a great platform. It offers traders seven trading platforms to choose from including MetaTrader 4 and 5.

The platform offers tool, resources, and education for beginner, intermediate, and advanced traders. And with 0.0 pips, 500:1 leverage, and an average execution speed of 20 ms, it’s easy to see why the platform is so popular.

Pros

  • 7 trading platforms to choose from
  • Highly regulated
  • 0. 0 pips

Cons

  • Not available in the U.S.

7. Best for Mobile Use: XM

  • XM Group
    Best For:
    Beginner forex and CFD traders
    securely through XM Group's website

    Risk Warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72.89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

XM is part of Trading Group, a U.K.-based firm regulated by the FCA. XM is the forex and CFD wing of the firm and it’s got unprecedented accessibility for MetaTrader users. Not only can MT4 and MT5 be used on any computer, but also any smartphone or tablet too. You’ll be able to trade from pretty much anywhere in the world with MT5 for iOS and Android. XM also gives you more than just a simple trading account.

Customer support stands by 24/5 for live help, its video tutorial library use is unlimited and you’ll get daily technical analysis and market research for free. You also get a personal account manager, too — an actual human being! XM has 55 different currency pairs to trade, along with CFDs on stocks from 17 different countries, commodities and precious metals. Choose from seven different asset classes and thousands of individual products, including indices and cryptocurrencies. XM is a great spot for beginners thanks to its demo account. Newcomers can test out strategies with $100,000 in virtual cash before putting hard-earned money into accounts.

Pros

  • 1,230 CFDs, including 57 forex pairs
  •  research content that includes daily videos, podcasts, and organized articles
  • Offers full MetaTrader suite

Cons

  • Standard account spreads can be expensive compared to other options
  • Average spreads are not published for the commission-based XM Zero account

What is MetaTrader 5?

MetaTrader 5 is the most recent software release from MetaQuotes Software, the Russian firm behind the trading platform. Unlike its previous incarnation, MetaTrader 5 allowed equities and commodities to be traded alongside the usual forex components. Connection times improved and new indicator tools added. Sounds like a must-have program, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

MetaTrader 4 and 5 might look similar, but they aren’t backward compatible. MetaTrader 5’s programming is written in an entirely different language. MetaTrader 4 software is written in MQL4, but MetaTrader 5 introduced the brand-new MQL5. MetaTrader 4 users have entire libraries of expert advisors (which are analytical and trading process automation tools) and other robots, and these became obsolete on the MetaTrader 5 platform.

Naturally, users didn’t want to rewrite or re-purchase robots that worked perfectly fine on the MetaTrader 4 platform.

Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-11.44.15-AM

In the United States, finding a reputable broker that offers MetaTrader 5 is harder than finding a Yankees fan who hates Derek Jeter. Though it opened up to equities, MetaTrader 5 traders represent a very small percentage of the platform’s users. Even the big currency brokers Forex.com and OANDA exclusively support MetaTrader 4. To find a home with MetaTrader 5, you’ll have to venture outside the borders of the United States.

MT5 Mobile App

The MT5 mobile app is a versatile trading tool that offers a range of features and functionalities for traders on the go. It is particularly suitable for monitoring portfolios and managing copy trading settings.

With the MT5 mobile app, users can easily check the status of their portfolios, track their investments and keep up with market movements in real-time. The app also allows for adjusting copy trading settings, making it convenient for those who wish to follow the strategies of successful traders.

While the MT5 mobile app supports most trading functions, its small screen size may limit in-depth analysis. Traders may find it challenging to conduct detailed technical analysis or perform complex charting on the app. However, for basic trading activities and quick portfolio monitoring, the app is highly efficient.

MT5 Desktop Platform

The MT5 desktop platform offers a range of impressive features and benefits that make it a vital tool for traders. One of the standout features of the MT5 desktop platform is its access to over 100 interactive charts. These charts are highly customizable and provide real-time data on various financial instruments, allowing traders to make informed decisions. Additionally, the platform offers numerous analytical tools to assist with market analysis and forecasting.

For technical analysis, the MT5 platform provides 21 available time frames, giving traders a wide range of options to analyze historical price data. This flexibility allows you to identify trends and patterns, aiding in the prediction of future price movements.

MT5 Web Platform

The MT5 web platform provides a convenient way to access trading and account management capabilities directly from the web browser, eliminating the need for software installation. This makes it highly accessible and flexible for traders on the go.

With the MT5 web platform, traders can perform basic trading activities such as placing market orders, setting stop-loss and take-profit levels, and viewing real-time charts. It also provides access to various technical analysis tools and indicators, allowing users to analyze the market and make informed trading decisions.

In addition to trading features, the MT5 web platform offers convenient account management functionality. Traders can view their account balance, transaction history, and manage funding options from the web platform. The MT5 web platform is compatible with different operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. 

MetaTrader 5 vs. MetaTrader 4

MetaTrader 4 is the dominant version of the trading software, but MetaTrader 5 does have some improvements and upgrades. Most prominently, the platform is no longer just for currency traders. MetaTrader 5 added two additional order types and is now open to stocks, bonds, futures, options and forex trading. Popular features like hedging, expert advisors and automated strategies can still be used.

Partial orders are now available on MetaTrader 5, along with the six different order types. Eight technical indicators and 13 graphical objects have also been added. MetaTrader 5 adds 12 extra timeframes, so research can be done more extensively than ever. The MQL5 community is available 24/5 on the new embedded chat feature and emails can now be sent with attachments.

There’s an economic calendar that shows important dates and data releases, but one of the biggest new perks in the ability to transfer funds between accounts. You can send money between your forex and stock trading accounts without logging off. Improvements and new features are plentiful on MetaTrader 5, but the lack of backward compatibility means MetaTrader 4 is still the primary platform. Stocks, options and futures trading is a big step and could open the door for more in the future.

For a deeper dive comparing these platforms, check out MetaTrader 4 vs. MetaTrader 5.

Why Brokers Offer MetaTrader 5

MetaQuotes Software has begun to nudge clients toward MetaTrader 5. The platform is technically superior to MetaTrader 4, but the best forex brokers are hesitant to purchase new licenses and traders don’t want to lose the programming language with which they’ve written so many robots. A tug-of-war is underway and MegaQuotes has increased the pressure.

Support for MetaTrader 4 was recently cut off and new brokers now must choose between MetaTrader 5 or nothing at all. In addition to MetaQuotes’ gentle pushing, equity brokers can now offer the software for stock exchange trading. Most MT 5 brokers offer a variety of different markets to trade in. Previously, only forex brokers used the platform.

Take Your FX Trades to the Next Level with the Best MT5 Brokers

MetaTrader 5 has enough improvements and new features to warrant a download, but the MetaTrader 4 community still fiercely defends its version. All United States forex brokers support MT4 only. Brokers based in Europe and Australia aren’t as closed off and many support both MT4 and MT5. If you want to expand your trading into areas like equities and commodities, MetaTrader 5 is a great tool. Just make sure the broker you want to use actually supports it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

What is the best broker for MetaTrader 5?

A

Benzinga’s top picks for the best MetaTrader 5 brokers are FOREX.com and IG Markets. However any broker listed here is a great option for using MT5.

Q

Is MetaTrader 5 good for beginners?

A

MetaTrader 5 can be used by beginners or expert traders. To get the most out of MetaTrader, it’s beneficial to know when you should use MT4 vs. when to use MT5.

Q

Is MetaTrader 5 allowed in the US?

A
Plenty of support remains for MetaTrader 4, so American currency traders can experience the platform. If you want to trade stocks or options on MetaTrader, you’ll have to do it outside the United States. Still, plenty of quality brokerage options exist for international traders who wish to use MetaTrader 5.

Get a Forex Pro on Your Side

FOREX.com, registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), lets you trade a wide range of forex markets with low pricing and fast, quality execution on every trade. 

You can also tap into:

  • EUR/USD as low as 0.2 with fixed $5 commissions per 100,000
  • Powerful, purpose-built currency trading platforms
  • Monthly cash rebates of up to $9 per million dollars traded with FOREX.com’s Active Trader Program

Learn more about FOREX.com’s low pricing and how you can get started trading with FOREX.com.

About Dan Schmidt

Dan has written about a wide range of topics including stocks and investing, cryptocurrencies, banking, student loans, and credit cards.