Platform Comparison

Stop Trading
in 2005.

The industry standard (MT4) was built before the iPhone existed. Vertex cTrader is built for today's volatility. Experience the difference between 'Legacy Software' and 'Modern Infrastructure'.

MetaTrader 4 - EURUSD,H1
Spread: 2.0 pips | Ping: 245ms | Windows XP
Est. 2005
EURUSD • H1
0.8ms LD5
1.08456
Spread: 0.0Ping: 0.8msLevel 2: Active
Built for 2026
Legacy MT4
cTrader Vertex cTrader
EURUSD
DoM: OFF
Limited View
MT4 shows only the price your broker wants you to see
1.08450
VWAP (Single Price)
Spread0.0 pips
Visible Liquidity$847M
Market Transparency

Don't Trade Blind.

MetaTrader gives you the price the broker wants you to see. Vertex cTrader gives you the market.

Access Level 2 Pricing (Depth of Market) natively. See the liquidity walls, the volume spikes, and the real institutional order flow.

Liquidity Ladder

See volumes at every price tick to size your positions perfectly.

Institutional View

The same depth data that institutional desks use to make decisions.

Algorithmic Freedom

Code in a Real Language.

Why learn a niche language like MQL just to trade? Vertex cTrader Automate runs on C# (.NET). Use the world's most powerful development tools.

MQLstrategy.mq4
// MQL4 - Proprietary Script
extern int FastMA = 12;
extern int SlowMA = 26;

int OnInit() {
   // Limited documentation
   // Dead language ecosystem
   return INIT_SUCCEEDED;
}

void OnTick() {
   double fast = iMA(NULL,0,FastMA,0,
      MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,0);
   double slow = iMA(NULL,0,SlowMA,0,
      MODE_EMA,PRICE_CLOSE,0);
   // Basic functionality only
}
MetaEditor 4Limited IDE

C# Advantages

Access to Visual Studio & JetBrains Rider
Millions of NuGet packages available
Full .NET 8.0 framework power
Strong typing & IntelliSense support
Massive developer community
Enterprise-grade debugging tools

MQL Limitations

Proprietary language (no transferable skills)
Limited external library support
Basic IDE with poor debugging
Small, shrinking community
No modern async/await patterns
Outdated documentation
Server-Side Protection

Protection That Never Sleeps.

On legacy platforms, your Trailing Stops live on your PC. If your internet cuts out, your risk management fails. On Vertex cTrader, they live on our Equinix Cloud Servers.

📊
Your Device
ONLINE
Internet
CONNECTED
EQUINIX LD5
ALWAYS ON
Vertex Servers
99.99% UPTIME
MT4 Outcome
Client-Side Execution
  • Trailing Stop dies with PC
  • Trade runs without protection
  • Potential catastrophic loss
Vertex Outcome
Server-Side Execution
  • Trailing Stop stays active
  • Trade closes at target
  • Capital protected 24/7
Equinix LD5
London Datacenter
99.99% Uptime
Redundant Systems
Cloud Stops
Always Executing

The Kill Sheet.

A side-by-side comparison of legacy MT4/5 versus modern cTrader infrastructure.

Programming Language
MT4/5:
MQL4 / MQL5
Vertex:
C# (.NET)
Access millions of developers & libraries.
Market Depth
MT4/5:
Plugin Required
Vertex:
Native Level 2
See institutional liquidity instantly.
Trailing Stops
MT4/5:
Client-Side (Risky)
Vertex:
Server-Side
Risk management works offline.
Platform Access
MT4/5:
Desktop Heavy
Vertex:
Web/Mac Native
Same performance on Chrome as Desktop.
Copy Trading
MT4/5:
Signals (Basic)
Vertex:
Equity-to-Equity
Mathematical precision for investors.
Backtesting
MT4/5:
Single Thread
Vertex:
Visual & Multi-Thread
Test algos 10x faster.
Execution Speed
MT4/5:
~200ms Average
Vertex:
<12ms Average
Institutional-grade latency.
21
Years Old (MT4)
2026
cTrader Latest
16x
Faster Execution
NuGet Libraries
Visual Comparison

The Interface Gap.

Drag the slider to see the difference in UI fidelity between legacy MT4 and modern cTrader.

MetaTrader 4 - EURUSD,H1
FileViewInsertChartsTools
1.09001.08501.08001.0750
Spread: 2.0Ping: 245ms
MT4 Interface
EURUSD • H1
0.8ms
M1M5H1H4D1
1.08456
1.09001.08501.08001.0750
cTrader cTrader Interface

Drag the slider to compare • Left: MT4 (2005) • Right: cTrader (2026)

Leave the Legacy
Behind.

You wouldn't drive a car from 2005. Why trade on software from 2005?

C# Native
Modern Language
Level 2 DoM
Full Transparency
Server-Side
Stops Protected
<12ms
Execution Speed

Migrating from MT4?

Our team will help you transfer your EAs, indicators, and trading history.Contact support for a guided migration.