Why your candles never match another broker's
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2026 7:51 pm
Three reasons that get overlooked when two charts disagree:
- Different feeds. Each broker blends its own liquidity sources, so highs and lows differ by a pip or so, especially on fast spikes.
- Different bar timing. Server time zones and daily rollover hours vary. A daily candle at one broker may open at a different hour than another, which changes the whole shape of the bar.
- Different sides of the quote. Charts typically draw bid prices, but spread widening can still alter where a wick ends, and some platforms render the ask side or a mid price instead.
Gaps in tick history matter too, since missing ticks flatten wicks and hide spikes.
None of this means a chart is wrong. It just means indicator values and level touches are not portable from one platform to the next.
Do you keep a chart from the exact broker you trade on, or do you switch between sources?
- Different feeds. Each broker blends its own liquidity sources, so highs and lows differ by a pip or so, especially on fast spikes.
- Different bar timing. Server time zones and daily rollover hours vary. A daily candle at one broker may open at a different hour than another, which changes the whole shape of the bar.
- Different sides of the quote. Charts typically draw bid prices, but spread widening can still alter where a wick ends, and some platforms render the ask side or a mid price instead.
Gaps in tick history matter too, since missing ticks flatten wicks and hide spikes.
None of this means a chart is wrong. It just means indicator values and level touches are not portable from one platform to the next.
Do you keep a chart from the exact broker you trade on, or do you switch between sources?