Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4
Forex trading with MetaTrader 4 (MT4) software is popular among UK traders due to the reliability and powerful tools on offer. The platform supports a variety of forex trading strategies, with its vast library of indicators and Expert Advisors (EAs). This guide will provide some tips on how to start forex trading with MetaTrader 4, plus a tutorial on charts, signals and more.
Start Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4
Find A Forex Broker
To start trading, you need to find a good online broker that offers forex trading with MetaTrader 4. The broker is the intermediary between you and the interbank market, where you can trade through their platform and they earn a commission for facilitating trades.
There’s a wide range of brokers offering the MT4 platform and other tools. You can take a look at some of our best forex trading broker reviews here.
Top UK Forex Brokers with MT4
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Pepperstone provides forex spreads on the EUR/USD averaging just 0.12 pips with their Razor account. This is highly competitive. Their extensive portfolio includes over 100 currency pairs, which exceeds what most rivals offer. Furthermore, Pepperstone stands out by offering three unique currency indices: USDX, EURX, and JPYX, which are rare on other platforms. They have been recognised with our 'Best Forex Broker' award twice.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.4 0.1 0.4 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 100+ Yes MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade, Quantower -
FXCC champions its competitive forex trading environment. ECN spreads can drop to an impressive 0.0 pips during busy trading periods. Offering more variety than many competitors, it supports over 70 currency pairs. Furthermore, traders benefit from MT4, renowned for its exceptional charting capabilities, specifically designed for forex trading.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 1.0 0.2 0.5 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 70+ No MT4, MT5 -
Vantage provides over 55 currency pairs, exceeding the industry norm, giving traders ample opportunities. With a robust liquidity pool, forex spreads start at 0.0 pips on the ECN account, often beating other options. Additionally, there are no commissions, deposit fees, or hidden charges.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.5 0.0 0.5 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 55+ Yes ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, DupliTrade -
IC Markets remains dedicated to offering tight 0.0-pip spreads on major currency pairs like EUR/USD, ensuring outstanding execution with an average speed of 35 milliseconds. Ideal for traders seeking high performance, those dealing in large volumes can also enjoy rebates of up to $2.50 per forex lot.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.23 0.02 0.27 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 75 No MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower -
FxPro provides over 70 currency pairs, though minors are excluded, and is renowned for its rapid execution and tight spreads, averaging 0.45 pips on EUR/USD. Traders can design, evaluate, and implement short-term strategies using the top-tier MT4 platform with expert advisors for algorithmic trading.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.6 0.45 0.73 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 70+ Yes FxPro Edge, MT4, MT5, cTrader, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower -
IG provides an extensive selection of over 80 currency pairs through its own web platform, mobile app, or MetaTrader 4. For advanced charting and forex analysis, the ProRealTime software is available. Testing shows forex spreads are competitive, beginning at 0.1 pips on major pairs such as EUR/USD.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.9 0.8 0.9 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 80+ Yes Web, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, ProRealTime -
FOREX.com maintains its status as a leading foreign exchange broker, providing access to more than 80 currency pairs at highly competitive rates. Standout features include EUR/USD spreads starting at 0.0 and a $5 commission per $100k traded. Additionally, its SMART Signals feature aids traders by pinpointing price trends in major global markets.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 1.3 1.2 1.4 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 84 Yes WebTrader, Mobile, MT4, MT5, TradingView
Pepperstone
FXCC
Vantage FX
IC Markets
FXPro
IG Index
Forex.comSafety Comparison
Compare how safe the Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 are and what features they offer to protect traders.
| Broker | Trust Rating | FCA Regulated | Negative Balance Protection | Guaranteed Stop Loss | Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| FXCC | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| Vantage FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| IC Markets | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| FXPro | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| IG Index | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Forex.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
Payments Comparison
Compare which popular payment methods the Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 support and whether they have trading accounts denominated in British Pounds (GBP).
| Broker | GBP Account | Debit Card | Credit Card | Neteller | Skrill | Apple Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FXCC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Vantage FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| IC Markets | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| FXPro | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| IG Index | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| Forex.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Mobile Trading Comparison
How good are the Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 at mobile trading using apps or other mobile interfaces.
| Broker | Mobile Apps | iOS Rating | Android Rating | Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| FXCC | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Vantage FX | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| IC Markets | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| FXPro | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| IG Index | iOS & Android | ✔ | ||
| Forex.com | iOS & Android | ✘ |
Beginners Comparison
Are the Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 good for beginner traders, that might want an affordable setup to get started, along with good support and educational resources?
| Broker | Demo Account | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Trade | Support Rating | Education Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| FXCC | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| Vantage FX | ✔ | $50 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| IC Markets | ✔ | $200 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| FXPro | ✔ | $100 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| IG Index | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| Forex.com | ✔ | $100 | 0.01 Lots |
Advanced Trading Comparison
Do the Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 offer features that allow for more advanced trading strategies?
| Broker | Automated Trading | Pro Account | Leverage | VPS | AI | Low Latency | Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| FXCC | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:500 | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Vantage FX | Myfxbook AutoTrade, Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:30 | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| IC Markets | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade | ✘ | 1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| FXPro | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| IG Index | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, build your own on ProRealTime | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Forex.com | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:30 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Detailed Rating Comparison
Use this heatmap to compare our detailed ratings for all of the Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4.
| Broker | Trust | Platforms | Mobile | Assets | Fees | Accounts | Support | Research | Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | |||||||||
| FXCC | |||||||||
| Vantage FX | |||||||||
| IC Markets | |||||||||
| FXPro | |||||||||
| IG Index | |||||||||
| Forex.com |
Our Take On Pepperstone
"Pepperstone is a premier trading platform, providing tight spreads, swift execution, and sophisticated charting tools for seasoned traders. Beginners benefit from no minimum deposit, comprehensive learning materials, and outstanding 24/7 support."
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer
Pros
- In recent years, Pepperstone has significantly enhanced the deposit and withdrawal process. By 2025, clients can use Apple Pay and Google Pay, while 2024 saw the introduction of PIX and SPEI for customers in Brazil and Mexico.
- Pepperstone offers rapid execution speeds of approximately 30ms, enabling swift order processing and execution, making it ideal for traders.
- The award-winning customer support can be accessed through phone, email, or live chat. During tests, response times have consistently been under 5 minutes.
Cons
- Pepperstone doesn't offer cTrader Copy, a favoured feature for copying trades found in the cTrader platform, which is available on other platforms such as IC Markets. However, Pepperstone has launched its own user-friendly copy trading app.
- Pepperstone's demo accounts expire after 30 days, which may not provide sufficient time to explore various platforms and evaluate trading strategies.
- Although its market range has improved, its crypto offerings remain limited compared to brokers specialising in this sector, lacking real coin investment options.
Our Take On FXCC
"FXCC remains a top choice for forex traders, offering over 70 currency pairs, very tight spreads from 0.0 pips in tests, and high leverage up to 1:500 with the ECN XL account."
Pros
- FXCC offers competitive and transparent ECN spreads starting from 0.0 pips, with no commissions. This makes it one of the most cost-effective forex brokers available.
- FXCC is a trusted and licensed broker under the regulation of CySEC, a leading European authority ensuring excellent safeguarding standards.
- The complimentary education section, featuring the 'Traders Corner' blog, provides a wide array of resources suitable for traders of all experience levels.
Cons
- The range of research tools, such as Trading Central and Autochartist, is quite limited. Leading platforms in this category, like IG, offer more advanced features.
- While the MetaTrader suite excels in technical analysis, its outdated design detracts from the overall trading experience, particularly when contrasted with contemporary platforms such as TradingView.
- The variety of currency pairs surpasses most options, but the choice of other assets is limited. Notably, stocks are absent.
Our Take On Vantage FX
"Vantage is an ideal choice for CFD traders looking for a well-regulated broker with access to the dependable MetaTrader platforms. With a swift sign-up process and a minimum deposit of $50, starting trading is simple and fast."
Pros
- The trading software suite is outstanding, featuring the acclaimed MT4 and MT5 platforms.
- The broker recently expanded its range of CFDs, offering more trading opportunities.
- Vantage has enhanced its trading tools for experienced traders, introducing AutoFibo EA to pinpoint potential market reversals.
Cons
- Regrettably, cryptocurrencies are accessible solely to clients in Australia.
- To access optimal trading conditions, a substantial deposit of $10,000 is required. This includes a commission of $1.50 per transaction per side.
- It's unfortunate that some clients must register with the offshore firm, which provides reduced regulatory safeguards.
Our Take On IC Markets
"IC Markets provides excellent pricing, swift execution, and easy deposits. With cutting-edge charting tools like TradingView and the Raw Trader Plus account, it continues to be a preferred option for intermediate and advanced traders."
Pros
- As a well-regulated and reputable broker, IC Markets focuses on client safety and transparency to provide a dependable global trading experience.
- Access over 2,250 CFDs across diverse markets like forex, commodities, indices, shares, bonds, and cryptocurrencies. This variety enables traders to employ diversified strategies.
- In 2025, IC Markets earned DayTrading.com's accolade for 'Best MT4/MT5 Broker' due to its top-tier MetaTrader integration. This achievement highlights the broker's continuous refinement over the years to enhance the platform experience.
Cons
- Interest is not paid on idle cash, a feature gaining popularity with alternatives such as Interactive Brokers.
- Certain withdrawal methods incur fees, including a $20 charge for wire transfers. These costs can reduce profits, particularly with frequent withdrawals.
- Although there are four top-tier third-party platforms available, the absence of in-house software or a trading app tailored for novice traders is notable.
Our Take On FXPro
"FxPro is an excellent choice for traders, offering swift execution speeds under 12ms, reduced fees since 2022, and outstanding charting platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and FxPro Edge."
Pros
- FxPro uses a 'No Dealing Desk' (NDD) model for swift and transparent order execution, usually within 12 milliseconds, making it well-suited for short-term trading strategies.
- FxPro provides four dependable charting platforms, including the user-friendly FxPro Edge. It features more than 50 indicators, 7 types of charts, and 15 different timeframes.
- FxPro's Wallet is a notable feature enabling traders to securely manage their funds. It ensures additional protection and ease by separating unused funds from active trading accounts.
Cons
- FxPro, with its $10M funded demo account and expanding Knowledge Hub, mainly caters to experienced traders. Beginners might find its account and fee structure challenging to understand.
- FxPro offers customer support five days a week around the clock, accessible via various platforms, and the service quality is reliable based on tests. However, the absence of weekend support can be a drawback for traders requiring help beyond standard market times.
- There are no passive investment options such as copy trading or interest on cash. While traders might not find these essential, competitors like eToro, which accommodate both active and passive investors, offer more extensive services.
Our Take On IG Index
"IG offers a complete package with an intuitive online platform, top-tier beginner education, advanced charting tools through its TradingView integration, real-time data, and swift execution for seasoned traders."
Pros
- The web-based platform supports traders at every level, offering advanced charting tools and real-time market data vital for trading. Additionally, IG now includes TradingView integration.
- IG stands out with its extensive range of instruments, offering stocks, forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Additionally, it has recently introduced US-listed futures and options, along with an AI Index. These options enhance opportunities for diversification in trading.
- As a seasoned broker, IG adheres to stringent regulatory standards across various regions, ensuring significant trust.
Cons
- Based on tests, stock and CFD spreads remain less competitive than the lowest-cost brokers, such as CMC Markets.
- Beginners may find IG's fees complicated, as they vary depending on the trades or services. This could cause confusion and unexpected costs.
- IG imposes a monthly inactivity fee of $12 after two years, discouraging occasional traders.
Our Take On Forex.com
"FOREX.com excels in serving traders of all levels, offering more than 80 currency pairs, spreads starting at 0.0 pips, and competitive commissions. Its robust charting platforms provide over 100 technical indicators and comprehensive research tools."
Pros
- The in-house Web Trader remains a standout platform, excellently crafted for budding traders. It features a sleek design and offers more than 80 technical indicators for thorough market analysis.
- With more than two decades of expertise, strong regulatory governance, and numerous accolades, including a second-place finish in our 'Best Forex Broker' awards, FOREX.com is globally renowned as a reliable trading platform.
- An abundance of educational resources is available, such as tutorials, webinars, and an extensive YouTube channel, designed to enhance your understanding of financial markets.
Cons
- Funding choices are restricted when compared to top options such as IC Markets. Many popular e-wallets, including UnionPay and POLi, are noticeably absent.
- FOREX.com's MT4 platform provides around 600 instruments, a notable reduction compared to the more than 5,500 options on its other platforms.
- Although FOREX.com has expanded its range of instruments, its product offering is confined to forex and CFDs. Consequently, there are no investment options for actual stocks, ETFs, or cryptocurrencies.
We highly recommend that you try before you buy with a demo MT4 account. The simulator within MT4 allows traders to trial the platform without risking real capital.
Install & Set Up
Once you’ve registered for an account, your broker will provide you with details on the MT4 download process for Windows or Mac PCs.
Alternatively, you can trade forex directly through an internet browser, with the MetaTrader 4 WebTrader, or the MT4 mobile app.
Exploring The Platform
Once you have registered and logged in, you can start browsing the user-friendly terminal which provides everything you need on one screen.
Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4
The left-hand Market Watch window indicates all the currency pairs available, which can be hidden if preferred. Above the main chart window, you can find a selection of technical studies and drawing tools.
Along the bottom of the terminal, your forex orders will be displayed in detail, showing the order size, price and profit of each entry. Across the top, you will find additional features, such as the economic calendar and news, signals and the MetaTrader Market.
Orders
In MT4, you can set either an instant order or a pending order by clicking on the ‘New Order’ in the standard toolbar at the top. A dialogue box will appear, where you can select a currency pair from the drop-down list and select other parameters such as order type and position size.
Volume is expressed in standard lot sizes. A standard lot is worth 100,000 units, so if you want to buy 1,000 units of EUR/USD, for example, you would enter 0.01 in the volume field.
Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 Orders
You can then set your stop loss (SL) and take profit (TP) levels, which help you manage your risk and prevent your FX trades reaching margin call. SL and TP essentially define the price levels for when a position should be closed, to either minimise losses or to lock in your profits.
You can always modify your order later, which we will cover below.
If you want to enter a forex trade via a pending order, follow the same steps but select ‘Pending Order’ in the Type drop-down. You will then be presented with 4 pending order options:
- Buy Limit – Taking a long position at a lower level than market price
- Sell Limit – Taking a short position at a higher level than market price
- Buy Stop – Taking a long position at a higher level than market price
- Sell Stop – Taking a short position at a lower level than market price
Forex Trading With MT4 Pending Order Types
Once you’ve selected the type of order, enter the price you wish to enter the market, your position size and SL and TP fields. You can also set an expiry date on a pending order.
To modify a trade, simply right click on your order and select ‘Modify or Delete’ to open up the dialogue box again. Then adjust your SL and TP to the desired levels and click ‘Modify’, which will confirm your order.
To close an open trade, right-click on the trade and select ‘Close Order’. Once you close, your balance will adjust and will be reflected in the profit field in your order window.
Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 EAs
Expert Advisors (EAs) are forex trading robots which are programmed to automatically place trades once a certain criterion has been met. Automated forex trading is ideal if you don’t have time to manually monitor trades yourself, but be aware that not all EA programmes are trustworthy and reliable.
You can find a vast portfolio of thousands of forex robots for automated trading in the Market section of the MetaTrader 4 platform. Simply select one to install onto your PC and look for the trading robot in your navigator panel in the MT4 Terminal.
Forex Trading Robots With MT4
Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 Indicators
When forex trading, you can enhance your strategies on MT4 using the 30 pre-included indicators and 24 graphical objects for technical analysis.
One of the best features of MetaTrader 4 is the customisable charts, which allow you to add multiple indicators and objects in various colours. To access these, click on ‘Insert’ in the top toolbar and choose from the selection in the drop-down.
Forex Trading Using MT4 Indicators
Once you’ve selected the one you want to use, a dialogue box will appear where you can set the parameters of the indicator. Trading forex with indicators like the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) and Bollinger Bands, is also popular among traders.
Moving Average Convergence Divergence identifies moving averages which are indicating a new trend, consisting of two converging lines and a histogram to indicate the difference. Bollinger bands indicate the market’s volatility by measuring the variation of prices over time, creating a band with a simple moving average (SMA) in the middle.
You can see how these two studies can be overlaid onto the standard candlestick chart below.
Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 MACD Indicators
If you want to start trading forex with divergence on MT4, you can access a number of useful guides online, including the Jim Brown downloadable PDF.
MetaTrader also offers thousands of custom forex indicators within the MetaTrader Market and CodeBase.
Additional Features
News & Education
To assist your fundamental analysis, the pre-included economic calendar collates real-time data from public news sources. The calendar can also be filtered by date, event importance and countries.
Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 Economic Calendar
From the top menu, you can also access information for forex trading strategies, tips and education, including published articles and a MetaTrader 4 community forum.
Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 Market
The Market page not only contains thousands of indicators and EAs, but also utilities, which includes risk management, analysers and even forex trading games.
Copy Trading & Signals
MetaTrader 4 also offers FX trading signals, which allows traders to automatically copy another provider’s trades. Copy trading can boost efficiency if you have limited time, but it can also be a great strategy-learning tool for beginners.
To choose a provider, click on Signals in the top menu bar and browse the available options. Clicking on one will take you through to the provider’s performance stats.
Forex Copy Trading Signals With MetaTrader 4
Note that not all providers are reliable and you do have to pay a monthly fee to subscribe. It’s worth spending time researching a few forex providers before choosing.
Final Word On Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4
Forex platforms like MetaTrader 4 are a top choice among traders, offering a powerful interface with customisable charts, indicators and education tools. For beginners still learning how to trade forex in MT4, there’s also a forex demo account and a community forum. To start trading forex with MT4 today, head to your chosen broker to register.
FAQ
How Do I Start Forex Trading Using MetaTrader 4?
To begin forex trading with MT4, you will need to sign up with an online MT4 forex broker. Once you have registered for a live or demo account, you can then download the platform, or access it straight from your internet browser.
Is Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 Easy?
The software used in MT4 is user-friendly and easy to navigate, though implementing technical studies and forex analysis will take some practice. We highly recommend you sign up to a demo tutorial in MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and make use of the forum and resources, before trading in a live account.
Is Forex Trading With MetaTrader 4 Safe?
The MetaTrader 4 platform meets the highest security standards, including a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption system to protect data exchange between servers. MT4 also supports the use of RSA digital signatures. Make sure to check that your broker also offers robust security features
What Forex Trading Features Are Included In The MT4 Platform?
For traders of any level using MT4, there is an array of powerful tools and useful features on offer. Features include over 30 technical indicators and 24 graphical objects, with thousands of custom indicators and EAs available in the Market. There are also 3 chart types and 9 time frames, plus educational articles, a forum, signals and an economic calendar.
When Can I Trade Forex In MetaTrader 4?
Standard forex trading hours typically run from Sunday night to Friday night GMT but due to international overlapping timezones, it is possible to trade 24 hours a day. You can access forex trading hours indicators in the MT4 Market, which will indicate all market sessions in one view.