Complete brokerage platform vs trading terminal only
MetaQuotes stopped selling new MT4 licenses in 2022. New brokerages can only license MT5. Existing MT4 brokers pay $100K+ upfront + $15K+ monthly for server maintenance, support, and mobile access.
This is the most important thing to understand: MetaTrader 4 and 5 are trading terminals, not complete brokerage solutions. They're like having a trading interface without the business infrastructure.
Think of it this way: MetaTrader is the steering wheel and dashboard of a car. But you still need the engine (CRM), transmission (operations), fuel system (payments), and everything else to actually run a brokerage business.
Complete, unified brokerage infrastructure that includes everything: CRM for lead management, VoIP for client communication, client portal for onboarding/KYC, and trading platform. It's a true business-in-a-box solution.
World's most popular trading terminal software with 16M+ users. Excellent for client-facing trading operations, but requires you to build or buy everything else separately: CRM, back office, payment processing, compliance tools, etc.