Meta Trader
MetaQuotes Ltd develops MetaTrader 4 and 5, the world's most widely adopted forex and multi-asset trading platforms. The Cyprus-headquartered firm licenses its technology to 750+ brokers and banks globally, serving millions of retail and institutional traders via a B2B2C distribution and an integrated marketplace ecosystem for trading robots, indicators, and copy-trading signals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersCalifornia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Meta Trader does
MetaQuotes Ltd, headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, develops MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, the world's most widely deployed retail forex and multi-asset trading platforms. The platforms support trading in forex, CFDs, stocks, futures, options, and ETFs, and are built around a proprietary MQL4/MQL5 programming stack - including MetaEditor IDE and Strategy Tester - that enables trader-developers to build, backtest, and deploy Expert Advisors (algorithmic trading robots). An integrated marketplace (MetaTrader Market) distributes 1,700+ trading robots and 2,100+ technical indicators, while a Signals service supports social/copy trading across 2,000-3,200+ providers. Native clients exist for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Huawei, with the interface localized in 38 languages, and a documented API suite (Server, Manager, DataFeed, Report, WebServices) enables broker-side integration.
The company operates a B2B2C distribution model. End-traders download MetaTrader free of charge; MetaQuotes monetizes by licensing the platform technology to forex brokers and financial institutions, who then provide the platform to their clients. Over 750 brokers and banks globally license the platform, with named partners spanning regulated CySEC brokers (Pepperstone, LegacyFX, FIBO Group), emerging-market brokers (MercadosG in Chile, QuickTrade in South Africa), and institutional integration partners (Brokeree Solutions for risk management, ManafSoft for exchange connectivity). Operational presence spans seven regional offices: Cyprus (HQ), UAE, Pakistan, Mexico, Turkey, Malaysia, and Bahamas, supporting compliance and broker onboarding across emerging and established FX markets. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or public listing.
The ecosystem extends well beyond trading clients: a developer community is hosted on MQL5.com, payment integrations include Visa, MasterCard, UnionPay, PayPal, WebMoney, and Neteller for marketplace transactions, and the platform integrates with major news and quote feeds (Bloomberg, Reuters, Trading Central, Dow Jones). Trading signals leverage the in-platform community for social trading, and a VPS offering supports uninterrupted automated trading. MetaQuotes does not provide investment or brokerage services itself; it is a pure-play trading infrastructure vendor monetized through broker licensing and marketplace revenue share.
Meta Trader firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Meta Trader
- Legal name
- MetaQuotes Ltd
- Website
- https://metatrader4.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MetaQuotes Ltd develops MetaTrader 4 and 5, the world's most widely adopted forex and multi-asset trading platforms. The Cyprus-headquartered firm licenses its technology to 750+ brokers and banks globally, serving millions of retail and institutional traders via a B2B2C distribution and an integrated marketplace ecosystem for trading robots, indicators, and copy-trading signals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Meta Trader industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trading Platform Software
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Commodity Contracts Intermediation (52316)
- SIC
- Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure (FSAGABAE)
Keywords
Where Meta Trader is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- California
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Meta Trader business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Broker Licensing: MetaQuotes licenses the MetaTrader platform to forex brokers and financial institutions. Brokers pay licensing fees to offer the platform to their trading clients. This is the primary revenue model as MetaQuotes is a software development company that does not provide investment or brokerage services directly.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free platform for traders; licensing fees for brokers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Meta Trader product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MetaQuotes Ltd develops and licenses the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) electronic trading platforms, which are licensed to forex brokers and financial institutions that in turn provide trading access to millions of retail and institutional traders. The platforms support forex and multi-asset trading with advanced technical analysis, algorithmic trading via Expert Advisors built using the proprietary MQL4/MQL5 programming languages, an in-platform Market for trading robots and indicators, and a Trading Signals service for social/copy trading. Revenue is generated primarily through broker licensing fees; the platform itself is free for end traders to download.
Product overview
MetaTrader is a comprehensive forex and multi-asset trading platform ecosystem developed by MetaQuotes Ltd. The core product is MetaTrader 4 (MT4), a widely-adopted platform for forex trading and technical analysis, complemented by the more advanced multi-asset MetaTrader 5 (MT5). The ecosystem includes MetaTrader Market for purchasing/renting 1700+ trading robots and 2100+ technical indicators, Trading Signals for social/copy trading with 3200+ signals, Expert Advisors for algorithmic trading, and a complete API suite (Server API, Manager API, DataFeed API, Report API, WebServices API) for broker integration. Supporting tools include MQL4 IDE/MetaEditor for custom indicator and EA development, Strategy Tester for backtesting, mobile apps for iOS/Android, web-based trading, and VPS hosting for uninterrupted automated operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MetaTrader Market: The built-in marketplace for trading robots and technical indicators within MetaTrader platforms, offering 1700+ trading robots and 2100+ technical indicators.
- MetaTrader Signals
- MQL5.community
Products and services
- MetaTrader 4 Proprietary electronic trading platform for forex and financial market trading, offering advanced technical analysis, flexible trading systems, algorithmic trading via Expert Advisors, integrated Trading Signals and Market services, and native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. Licensed to forex brokers and banks; free to download for end traders.
- MetaTrader 5
Quantifiable outcome
- 12,000+ financial instruments accessible through broker partnerships
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Meta Trader
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Meta Trader technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
Meta Trader partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.
- Just2Trade Online LtdcoreInternational broker launched MetaTrader 5 Global account type providing access to 12,000+ financial instruments across 12 global exchanges including NYSE, NASDAQ, LSE, Euronext, and Xetra. Enables retail and institutional clients to trade stocks, futures, options, and ETFs through MetaTrader 5.
- Brokeree SolutionsstrategicTechnology partner that developed Exposure Manager for MetaTrader 5 - a risk management tool allowing brokers to hedge positions to clearing parties or other MetaTrader servers via FIX protocol. Enables smart hedging and position synchronization across gateways.
- MercadosGcoreChilean broker (member of FinteChile since 2011) offering 10,000+ trading symbols via MetaTrader 5 to Latin American traders including stocks, exchange indices, commodities, and ADRs.
- QuickTradecoreSouth African broker (FSCA regulated since 2014) offering MetaTrader 5 for web, desktop, and mobile with 190 trading symbols including Forex, international stock indices, commodities, and Johannesburg Stock Exchange instruments.
- ManafSoftstrategicIntegration partner that collaborated with MetaQuotes to present MetaTrader 5 integration with Amman Stock Exchange at JFEX Expo 2019. Developed gateway enabling MENA brokers to expand into new markets via ASE connectivity.
- PepperstonecoreAward-winning forex broker offering US share trading with after-market access via MetaTrader 5, without data fees. Clients can trade Tesla, Alibaba, Apple and other major stocks. Pepperstone serves 73,000+ clients globally with 150+ instruments.
- Admiral MarketscoreInternational broker offering new index and commodity futures derivatives including CrudeOilUS, EURO50, FRANCE40, GER30, USNASDAQ100 on MetaTrader 5 accounts with no commissions and swaps for futures derivatives trading.
- FIBO GroupcorePart of International Financial Holding FIBO Group (founded 1998) offering MetaTrader 5 web terminal and mobile apps for trading forex pairs and precious metals. Company is authorized and regulated by CySEC and FSC.
- LegacyFXcoreInternational broker (operating since 2017) offering 200+ financial instruments via MetaTrader 5 desktop and mobile platforms. Regulated by CySEC and National Bank of the Republic of Belarus with features including one-click trading and spreads from 0.6 pips.
- GBE brokerscoreCySEC licensed financial services company offering MetaTrader 5 with hedging option. Provides 200+ forex, index, stock, commodity and energy instruments with STP market access, high order execution speed, and professional analysis tools.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Meta Trader competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Trading Technologies (TT): Trading Technologies provides institutional-grade trading platform software across futures, options, and FX. Comparable as a multi-asset trading infrastructure provider but targets institutional and professional clients rather than retail.
- Interactive Brokers (Trader Workstation): Interactive Brokers' Trader Workstation is a proprietary multi-asset trading platform from a leading online broker. Comparable as a trading platform serving retail and institutional traders across asset classes, though IB owns the customer relationship rather than licensing to third-party brokers.
Direct peers
- Spotware (cTrader): Spotware's cTrader is a direct competitor to MetaTrader, offering a forex/CFD trading platform licensed to brokers with similar algorithmic trading and copy-trading features. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping B2B2C broker-licensing model.
- eToro: eToro is a multi-asset broker with its own social/copy trading platform competing directly with MetaTrader's Signals and Market offerings. Comparable as a social-trading-first platform targeting retail traders, though eToro is also a broker rather than a pure platform provider.
- TradingView: TradingView is a web-based charting and multi-asset trading platform increasingly adopted by retail traders and brokers. Competes directly with MetaTrader's charting and brokerage integration layer, and is the fastest-growing alternative to MT4/MT5.
- cTrader (Spotware): cTrader is the consumer-facing brand of Spotware's platform and the most direct head-to-head competitor with MetaTrader among retail forex brokers. Overlapping feature set including EAs/cBots, copy trading, and broker licensing model.
- NinjaTrader: NinjaTrader provides futures and forex trading platform software licensed to brokers and used by active traders. Comparable as a broker-licensed trading platform with algorithmic trading capabilities, though more weighted toward futures.
- Dukascopy (JForex): Dukascopy operates the JForex platform as both a proprietary platform and a white-label offering for other brokers. Comparable as a Java-based forex trading platform with algorithmic trading capabilities and broker licensing.
Emerging players
- ATAS (Order Flow Trading): ATAS is an order-flow and volume-analysis trading platform focused on futures and CFDs. Comparable as a niche trading platform targeting active traders with charting and analytics, though smaller and narrower in scope than MetaTrader.
Others
- MT5 White-Label Providers (e.g., Brokeree Solutions): Brokeree Solutions builds risk-management and integration plugins on top of MetaTrader 5 (e.g., Exposure Manager with FIX protocol). Adjacent ecosystem partner that enhances MetaTrader's broker value proposition rather than competing with it.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Meta Trader financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Meta Trader leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Meta Trader funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Meta Trader M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Meta Trader
What does Meta Trader do?
MetaQuotes Ltd develops and licenses the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) electronic trading platforms, which are licensed to forex brokers and financial institutions that in turn provide trading access to millions of retail and institutional traders. The platforms support forex and multi-asset trading with advanced technical analysis, algorithmic trading via Expert Advisors built using the proprietary MQL4/MQL5 programming languages, an in-platform Market for trading robots and indicators, and a Trading Signals service for social/copy trading. Revenue is generated primarily through broker licensing fees; the platform itself is free for end traders to download.
Is Meta Trader a public or private company?
Meta Trader is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Meta Trader founded?
Meta Trader was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Meta Trader based?
Meta Trader is headquartered in California, United States, in the North America region.
How does Meta Trader make money?
One revenue line is on record: broker Licensing.
Who are Meta Trader's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Trading Technologies (TT) and Interactive Brokers (Trader Workstation). Direct peers are Spotware (cTrader), eToro, TradingView, cTrader (Spotware), NinjaTrader and Dukascopy (JForex). ATAS (Order Flow Trading) is listed as an emerging player. MT5 White-Label Providers (e.g., Brokeree Solutions) is listed as an others.
Does Meta Trader have an API?
Yes. MetaTrader 4 offers a comprehensive set of open interfaces (APIs) including: Server API for creating server plugins for configuration, order base management, and trade request processing; Manager API for creating custom manager terminals with additional features and platform integration; DataFeed API for developing custom news and quote data feeds; Report API for generating custom financial transaction and trader account reports; WebServices API for integrating the platform with websites for creating personal pages and broadcasting quotes. Developer documentation is at www.metatrader4.com/en/brokers/api.
What industry is Meta Trader in?
Meta Trader's product category is Trading Platform Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGABAE, Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 5231 and its SIC code is 6221.