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Why one broker can price differently on its MT4 and MT5 servers

Some traders run MT4 and MT5 accounts with the same broker and notice the prices aren't identical. Spreads are slightly different, fills differ, sometimes even the candles look different at the same moment.

There are a few reasons this happens. The two platforms usually run on separate servers, sometimes in different locations, with separate price feeds and settings. The broker might connect them to different liquidity providers, or apply different markups. MT5 accounts are sometimes on newer infrastructure, with different execution models.

The account types can also differ. A broker might offer raw spread accounts only on MT5, or have different commission structures on each platform. Even when the account name sounds the same, the details can vary.

Chart data can differ too. The history on each server is stored separately, and if one server had a feed problem at some point, its candles for that period might look different.

For scalpers, the practical point is to compare them rather than assuming they're the same. Run both side by side during your trading hours for a few days and compare spreads and fills on similar trades. You might find one is consistently better for what you do.

If you only use one platform, this doesn't matter much. If you're choosing between them, it's good to check rather than guessing.

Symbol specifications can differ between the two servers as well. Contract size, swap rates, stop levels and trading hours are set per server, and they don't always match. If you move an EA or a position size calculator from MT4 to MT5 with the same broker, check the specs on the new server rather than reusing the old values. The symbol names might also be different, with suffixes added or removed, which can break code that looks for a specific name. Treat the second server like a new broker for the first week, even if the brand is the same.

There's a common assumption that MT5 always has better execution because it's newer. Sometimes that's true, sometimes not. It depends entirely on how the broker set things up. Some brokers have put more effort into their MT4 setup because most of their clients are on it. The platform itself matters less than the broker's infrastructure behind it. Comparing actual fills over a few days is the only reliable way to know which is better for you with a particular broker. A few days of side by side comparison during your normal hours tells you more than any marketing page, and it only costs a bit of attention while you trade as usual.

Separate MT4 and MT5 servers often connect to different price aggregators or use different markup settings, even at the same broker. The spread on MT5 can be tighter on one pair and wider on another.

For scalpers with accounts on both, a quick test is to log the spread on both servers at the same times for a week. The difference is often small but consistent, and it can decide which platform is cheaper for the pairs and hours you trade.

Swap rates and trading hours can differ between the MT4 and MT5 servers too, not just pricing. If you move a strategy from one to the other, checking the symbol specifications side by side helps. Even small differences, like a slightly different rollover time or swap calculation, can affect a strategy that holds positions overnight or trades near the daily close. It's easy to assume they're identical because it's the same broker, but they're often run as separate systems with their own settings. A quick side by side check of the specification windows only takes a few minutes.

If you notice a consistent pricing difference, contacting the broker can help. Ask whether the two servers use the same liquidity providers and the same markup. The answer might explain the difference, or at least confirm that it's expected. Some brokers are open about it, others not so much. In either case, testing your strategy on the server you'll actually trade, rather than assuming results from the other server will transfer, is the safest approach. Small pricing differences add up over hundreds of trades. A month of demo trades on the right server is usually enough to see the difference.