MT4 to MT5 Migration for Brokers: Phases, Cutover and Rollback

Why brokers are moving from MT4 to MT5 now

Brokers are migrating because MetaQuotes no longer sells MT4 licences and puts its development into MT5. Brokers are also starting to set fixed end dates for MT4. The developer says so directly on its broker page:

“The MetaTrader 4 trading platform licenses are no longer available for purchase. We focus our efforts on the development of MetaTrader 5, and further conceptual updates will only be released for this multi-asset platform.”— MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 4 for brokers (accessed October 2026)

The second driver is operational. In March 2026 OANDA Japan announced that it would end MT4 at the close of trading on Friday 27 November 2026. It cited tighter cybersecurity standards and said MT4 is no longer covered by MetaQuotes system maintenance. Earlier, Earn moved its MT4 Standard and MT4 NDD servers to MT5 over two weekends in September 2025. A planned migration costs much less than a forced one. TakeProfit Tech describes a broker that lost MT4 access in October 2022 and had three working days and one weekend to move accounts, history and MAM data.

MT5 also removes several hard limits of an MT4 server. The table below uses MetaQuotes' own broker comparison.

Hedging or netting: choosing the account mode for migrated clients

Put migrated MT4 forex clients on MT5 hedging accounts unless you have a clear reason not to. MT4 only supports hedging, so traders and their EAs expect several positions on the same symbol, including opposite ones. MetaTrader 5 lets the broker choose the mode:

“Two position accounting systems are supported in the trading platform: Netting and Hedging. The system used depends on the account and is set by the broker.”— MetaTrader 5 Help, Basic Principles (accessed October 2026)

In netting mode a symbol can have only one position. A buy and a sell of the same size close each other instead of opening a hedge. If you import a hedged MT4 book into netting groups, open positions merge and margin changes. Clients will see a different account from the one they left. In hedging mode, MetaTrader 5 keeps separate positions and offers a hedged-margin setting, which is closer to MT4 behaviour.

Netting suits exchange-traded instruments, so new futures or stock groups can use it after go-live. Decide the mode per group in the group-mapping sheet and test margin on imported positions before cutover.

Plugins, bridges, CRM and MAM/PAMM: the parts that need code

Everything that talks to the MT4 server through an API must be rebuilt for MT5. This is usually the longest part of the project, so it starts in phase 1. MetaQuotes lists separate Manager, Gateway and Report APIs for MT5, and the MT4 versions are not drop-in replacements.

• Server plugins. Spread, swap, margin, risk or bonus plugins written for MT4 are rewritten for the MT5 Server API with the same business rules, then tested on demo. If a plugin came from a vendor, ask that vendor whether an MT5 version exists before you build your own. See MetaTrader plugin development.
• Bridge and liquidity. Your bridge needs an MT5 gateway. For example, PrimeXM describes its “MT4 Bridge and MT5 Gateway” as a server-side plugin that connects both platforms to XCore. Routing rules, markups and A/B-book settings are rebuilt and compared against MT4 fills. See forex bridge solutions and PrimeXM XCore integration.
• CRM and client portal. Deposits, withdrawals, account opening and IB rebates move to the MT5 Manager or Web API. MT5 has more balance operation types (bonus, commission, agent, interest), so it is worth remapping flows that used to be squeezed into “balance” and “credit”. See forex CRM solutions and MetaTrader API integration.
• MAM/PAMM and copy trading. Master–follower links and allocation history must be moved to the MT5 version of the module. This is the step that made the 2022 TakeProfit Tech case take a further week of manual work. See MAM/PAMM setup.
• Risk and reporting. End-of-day reports, toxic-flow lists and session or DST checks must point at the MT5 database before the first trading day. See forex risk management.

Cutover weekend and rollback plan

Run the cutover over a weekend so client trading downtime falls inside the market close. Make the go/no-go decision before Sunday's open, based on written reconciliation results. MT4 is not shut down until that decision is made, so rollback means reopening MT4 rather than rebuilding it.

Fri close      MT4 set to read-only, final snapshot of accounts, positions, orders
   |
Sat            Import to MT5 -> reconcile balances, equity, positions per group
   |           Bridge / LP gateway test trades, CRM and IB sync checks
   |
Sun (pre-open) Smoke tests -> GO / NO-GO decision
   |                \
  GO                 NO-GO
   |                   |
Send MT5 logins      Re-enable MT4 trading, notify clients,
MT4 stays read-only  fix, re-schedule next weekend

Agree the rollback triggers in advance so nobody has to judge them under pressure on Sunday night:

• Any unexplained difference in balance, credit or open volume after reconciliation.
• Test orders not reaching liquidity, or prices or markups differing from MT4.
• CRM deposits and withdrawals, or IB rebate calculation, not working end to end.
• Margin levels on imported hedged positions differing from MT4 beyond an agreed tolerance.

After go-live, keep MT4 read-only for a period agreed with compliance, so old statements stay available for clients, auditors and disputes.

If you are a trader whose broker is retiring MT4 (MT4からMT5への移行)

If your broker is closing MT4, open an MT5 account with the same broker before the deadline. Move your funds, and replace your EAs and indicators with MQL5 versions, because MT4 programs do not run on MT5. Charts, templates and profiles have to be set up again in the MT5 data folder.

For OANDA Japan clients the official dates are:

• 27 March 2026: new MT4 sub-accounts on the Tokyo server stopped.
• After trading on Friday 25 September 2026: new MT4 orders stopped. From Monday 28 September, MT4 allows closing existing positions only.
• After trading on Friday 27 November 2026: MT4 ends for demo and live accounts, and login is no longer possible.
• Tokyo-server positions and balances still open at the end are moved to MT5 Standard plan accounts on 28–29 November. New York server users continue on fxTrade or TradingView.

Each broker sets its own dates and transfer rules, so check its latest notice. FXSUPPORT does not open trading accounts or convert personal EAs for traders.

If you run a brokerage, these are the same steps your clients will go through, and your side of them is the playbook above. OANDA's staged schedule is a useful template for your own wind-down. If you need help with the server side, see forex broker solutions or contact us.

Frequently asked questions