cTrader or MetaTrader Which Is Best for a Beginner?

For beginners, I think MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is a better option than cTrader because more brokers offer MT5 than cTrader.

MT5 is better so that even if you want to change from your old broker to a new broker, you will still get to use the same MT5 platform.

Every serious forex broker offers MT5 so beginners can start with MT5

As yokoyi has said most brokers offer MT4 and MT5 so it makes sense to get comfortable with that in case you are going to be switching brokers. You likely will change brokers many times as you evolve in your trading career.

Plus you can use tradingview for charting they offer free version, and just use the platform to trade.

Good luck.

C trader is definitely better than MT5

C trader is way better than MT5,though most brokers do not offer it.But I would say its the future and any serious broker should have it.

I agree with @patrader on this "use tradingview for charting they offer free version, and just use the platform to trade."

But I would add, I've a different take on this.

I use Tradingview for charting (with some custom scripts).

I use my broker's own proprietary platform for placing/closing orders only, because their spreads are very low on their proprietary web platform, as compared to if you use Metatrader with that same broker.

a. I care more about the cost of trading than a platform. I don't want to pay 0.3-0.4 pips higher on large lot size just so I can use Metatrader or any other platform.

For example, if you are trading $100 a point, you are paying $100 extra per pip of spread(s). It does not make sense at all, if you imaging trading 20, 40 lot size on a trade. Definitely not if you trade more than 1 trade a day.

The cost will add up in a month & an year, just because you want to use one particular platform.

b. From what I know, brokers that offer both cTrader & MT4/5, the trading cost on cTrader is lower (spreads & commissions).

I think that's because brokers have to pay more to MetaQuotes for using Metatrader than to Spotware Systems for cTrader, it must be the backend cost, but that's just my guess.

Overall, I'm on the side that I'm okay with using any platform, if the cost of trading is very low & the broker is well regulated.

I was more used to using MT4 at my old broker, but I have not found any issues using any other platform also. Maybe because I now use Tradingview for charting, and broker's platform only for order execution.

It may be, but the broker should be chosen based on reliability and spreads not solely based on platform.

For a beginner I think MetaTrader is the best forex trading platform to start with.

I notice many beginner forex traders are scared of using MetaTrader because the user interface is not user-friendly so it looks like one complicated app to use. But trust me, MetaTrader is the simplest forex trading app to use.

MetaTrader installation is easy (about 3 minutes installation time) then the tools are very easy to use. Every tool is displayed on the toolbar for you to pick and use.

My favorite MetaTrader tools are Trailing Stop Loss, Line drawing tools, & Bollinger band indicator, and economic calendar.

@lawanf Yes when i was a beginner i was scared of MetaTrader too!!

But as time went on I discovered it was rather simple to use

I think MetaTrader has a simple user interface that beginners will be comfortable with. cTrader has a very complex user interface and can scare a beginner away because theres simply too much going on when you look at a cTrader screen.

See attached screenshot of a cTrader screen

cTrader has better features but in the hands of a beginner, cTrader can do more harm than good because it is too complex and is like flying a jet vs flying a conventional plane.

i agree with @arista, cTrader is better for a beginner because it is self explanatory, you can easily understand how to use it. It also does a lot of the calculations for you (such as pip value, trade value etc.)