MT4, MT5, cTrader and proprietary apps, plus leverage, lot sizing, slippage and order execution.
25 questions and answers in this section, reviewed monthly.
MT4 remains the best-supported platform for expert advisors and third-party indicators and is the safest default if you rely on existing tools. MT5 adds more timeframes, an economic calendar, depth of market and genuine multi-asset support including stocks. cTrader offers the cleanest order book, level-II pricing and better fill transparency for scalpers. Pick based on the strategy you already run, not on the platform's feature list.
Regardless of the maximum a broker offers, size positions so a single loss risks no more than 1% of the account. On a $2,000 account with a 30-pip stop that means roughly 0.06 lots — effective leverage of about 1:3, even if the account allows 1:500. High advertised leverage only changes your margin requirement; it never changes prudent position sizing.
Slippage happens when the market moves between your order and its fill, and is normal around news releases and at the session open. It becomes a warning sign when it is consistently one-directional — always against you — or when it occurs on liquid pairs in quiet hours. Log fills for two weeks; if negative slippage outweighs positive by a wide margin, that is a pricing problem, not market conditions.
Partly. Demo pricing and charting match live, but demo fills are usually idealised and there is no emotional cost to a loss. Use demo to learn platform mechanics and validate a strategy's logic for two to four weeks, then move to the smallest live size you can trade to test execution and your own discipline.
FP Markets supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), cTrader, IRESS, TradingView, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Exness supports MT4, MT5, WebTerminal, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:2000. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
FXTM supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), FXTM Trader App, with maximum leverage up to 1:1000. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Tickmill supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), TradingView, Tickmill App, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
HFM supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), HFM App, with maximum leverage up to 1:2000. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Pepperstone supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), cTrader, TradingView, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Vantage supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), Vantage App, TradingView, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
IC Markets supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), cTrader, TradingView, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Admirals supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), Admirals Platform, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
XM supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), XM WebTrader, XM Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:1000. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Capital.com supports MT4, MT5, WebTrader, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:30. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Equiti supports MT4, MT5, WebTrader, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
XTB supports xStation 5, MT4, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
AvaTrade supports MT4, MT5, AvaTradeGO, AvaOptions, WebTrader, with maximum leverage up to 1:400. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
ADSS supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), ADSS Live, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Plus500 supports Plus500 WebTrader, Plus500 Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:30. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Evest supports MT5, WebTrader, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:400. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
Octa supports MT4 (MetaTrader 4), MT5 (MetaTrader 5), OctaTrader, with maximum leverage up to 1:1000. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
eToro supports eToro WebTrader, eToro Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:30. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
HEDG supports MT5 (MetaTrader 5), WebTrader, Mobile App, TradingView, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
AFAQ Trade supports MT5 (MetaTrader 5), WebTrader, Mobile App, with maximum leverage up to 1:500. Maximum leverage is a margin limit, not a position-sizing guide: risking more than 1% of your balance per trade is what causes most retail accounts to fail, regardless of the leverage available.
