The MT4 Era Is Ending—Why MetaTrader 5 Is Taking Over in 2026

The MetaTrader 5 vs MT4 debate is finally settling. After years of MT4 dominating retail forex, the shift is undeniable. Moreover, 68% of global brokers now offer MT5 compared to only 40% still supporting MT4. For the first time in 2026, MT5 has overtaken MT4 in active users.

If you’re still trading on MT4, here’s why that’s about to become a problem—and what MT5 offers that you’re missing.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

According to recent industry analysis of over 900 global brokerages, MT5 adoption has accelerated dramatically. Additionally, MT4 is officially in maintenance mode—MetaQuotes stopped adding new features years ago.

Current state:

68% of brokers offer MT5
Only 40% still offer MT4
23% support both platforms
MT5 usage has surpassed MT4 for the first time in Q4 2025

Therefore, the writing is on the wall. MT4 isn’t disappearing overnight, but it’s clearly the legacy platform while MT5 represents the future.

Why MT4 Lasted So Long

MT4 launched in 2005 and became the industry standard for good reasons. It was simple, fast, and reliable. Moreover, the platform’s ecosystem of indicators and Expert Advisors was unmatched.

MT4’s strengths:

User-friendly interface
Extensive EA library
Stable performance
Low system requirements
Massive community support

Consequently, millions of traders learned on MT4 and saw no reason to switch. Additionally, brokers built entire infrastructures around it.

However, technology moves forward. What worked in 2005 doesn’t cut it in 2026.

What Makes MT5 Superior

MT5 isn’t just “MT4 with more features.” Instead, it’s a complete rebuild with modern architecture designed for today’s trading environment.

Multi-Asset Trading

MT4: Primarily forex and basic CFDs MT5: Forex, stocks, futures, commodities, cryptocurrencies, indices

Therefore, MT5 lets you trade everything from one platform. Moreover, you’re not limited to currency pairs anymore.

Advanced Charting

MT4: 9 timeframes, 30 indicators, 31 graphical objects MT5: 21 timeframes, 38 indicators, 44 graphical objects

Consequently, MT5 provides granular analysis down to 2-minute charts. Additionally, more indicators mean better analysis without custom downloads.

Superior Technical Architecture

MT4: 32-bit architecture, processes tasks sequentially MT5: 64-bit architecture, multi-threaded processing

Therefore, MT5 handles multiple operations simultaneously. Moreover, it manages larger datasets essential for comprehensive backtesting.

Better Strategy Testing

MT5’s strategy tester is significantly faster than MT4’s. Additionally, it supports multi-currency testing—you can test strategies across multiple pairs simultaneously.

Furthermore, genetic algorithm optimization in MT5 finds optimal parameters much faster than MT4’s brute-force approach.

Economic Calendar Integration

MT5 includes a built-in economic calendar with real-time updates. Therefore, you see upcoming news events directly on your platform. Additionally, it automatically syncs to your timezone.

MT4? You need to check external websites or download plugins.

Market Depth (Level II)

MT5 shows actual order book depth—the volume of buy and sell orders at different price levels. Consequently, you see where institutional money is positioned.

This feature doesn’t exist in MT4. Therefore, MT4 traders are flying blind compared to MT5 users who can see real market structure.

Start trading on Deriv MT5 with access to all these advanced features and competitive execution.

Why Brokers Are Pushing MT5

It’s not just about features. Brokers have business reasons for preferring MT5.

Regulatory compliance: MT5’s relational database and encrypted journaling make compliance reporting easier. Therefore, brokers in regulated jurisdictions find MT5 simpler to manage.

Multi-asset support: Offering stocks, crypto, and commodities alongside forex requires MT5’s architecture. Consequently, brokers wanting to expand product offerings need MT5.

Better risk management: MT5’s extended Manager API provides real-time exposure snapshots. Additionally, consolidated audit trails are built-in rather than requiring custom code.

Future-proof platform: MetaQuotes actively develops MT5 with regular updates. Meanwhile, MT4 only receives security patches—no new features.

Therefore, brokers see MT5 as the strategic platform while MT4 becomes the legacy offering.

The Transition Challenge

If MT5 is superior, why hasn’t everyone switched? The answer is simple: resistance to change.

Trader concerns:

Thousands of MT4 Expert Advisors don’t work on MT5
Familiarity with MT4 interface
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” mentality

How brokers are solving this: Many now offer both platforms with mirrored account types. Therefore, traders can test MT5 risk-free while keeping their MT4 account active.

Additionally, some brokers provide cross-platform copy trading—follow MT4 signal providers from within MT5, or vice versa.

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What the Future Holds

MT4 won’t disappear in 2026. However, the trend is clear. Moreover, new traders starting today should begin on MT5 rather than learning a platform that’s being phased out.

Expected timeline:

2026: MT5 continues gaining market share
2027-2028: Major brokers begin MT4 deprecation notices
2029-2030: MT4 becomes niche platform for legacy users
Beyond 2030: MT4 likely discontinued for new accounts

Therefore, if you’re investing time learning a platform, make it MT5. Additionally, if you’re comfortable on MT4, start exploring MT5 now rather than being forced to switch later.

Deriv MT5: Professional Trading Made Accessible

If you’re ready to make the switch to MT5, broker choice matters. Deriv offers professional-grade MT5 access with features that maximize the platform’s capabilities.

What Deriv MT5 provides:

Raw spreads from 0.0 pips on Financial STP accounts
Access to forex, commodities, indices, and synthetic indices
24/7 trading on synthetic markets
Fast execution with minimal slippage
Multiple account types for different strategies
Reliable withdrawals and transparent pricing

Open your Deriv MT5 account here and experience the platform with a broker that delivers quality execution.

Making the Switch

If you’re on MT4 now:

Open MT5 demo account and explore the interface
Test your strategy on MT5 to ensure it transfers
Start with small live MT5 account alongside your MT4 account
Gradually transition as you become comfortable

If you’re new to trading: Skip MT4 entirely. Start with MT5 and learn the platform that will be relevant for the next decade.

The MT4 era isn’t over yet. However, it’s clearly ending. Therefore, the question isn’t whether to learn MT5—it’s when.