Copy trades from MT4 to cTrader when your EA or manual trading lives on MT4 and the account you want to grow, at an ECN broker or a prop firm, runs cTrader. cTrader runs cBots, not MT4 Expert Advisors, so copying is how an MQL4 strategy reaches a cTrader account without being rewritten. Heron Copier reads the MT4 master and repeats every open, modification, partial close and close on the cTrader slave.
Size is the first thing to check. MT4 trades in lots, while cTrader stores volume in units, which the copier converts and shows as lots. Each cTrader broker sets its own minimum volume and volume step, and a size below the minimum is not copied, so test the sizing on a small account. Position model is the second. MT4 is hedging only, but a cTrader account can be hedging or netting, and on a netting account trades on the same symbol merge into one position. If your EA holds a buy and a sell on one symbol, use a hedging cTrader account. Symbol names usually get simpler on the way, for example GBPUSD.m on MT4 and GBPUSD on cTrader, which a suffix or aliases on the slave handle.
On the cTrader side you sign in with your cTrader ID and pick the broker and account number. The pair runs in the Heron Copier cloud, with no VPS to rent, or locally on your own VPS. Both come with every paid license.
How to set up MT4 to cTrader copying
- Add your MT4 account as the master in the dashboard. Connect it with your MT4 account number, password and broker server.
- Add your cTrader account as the slave and pick the master it copies from. Connect it with your cTrader ID (username or email) and password, plus the broker and account number.
- Choose one of the six volume sizing methods for the slave and, if the brokers name symbols differently, add a symbol suffix or aliases.
- Launch. Cloud accounts are usually online in under 60 seconds, and the dashboard shows every copied trade, balance and position live.
About MT4 and cTrader
MetaTrader 4 came out in 2005 and is still the most common retail forex platform. Brokers and prop firms keep offering it because of its large library of Expert Advisors and indicators written in MQL4.
cTrader is Spotware's trading platform, popular with ECN brokers for its depth of market and detailed order handling. One cTrader ID gives access to accounts at different brokers, and automated strategies run as cBots written in C#.
For everything else about each platform, see the MT4 Trade Copier and cTrader Trade Copier pages.
MT4 vs cTrader
| Detail | MT4 (master) | cTrader (slave) |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | MetaQuotes | Spotware |
| Markets | Forex, CFDs on indices, metals and commodities, and crypto CFDs, depending on the broker | Forex and CFDs on indices, metals, commodities and crypto, depending on the broker |
| How Heron Copier connects | MT4 account number, password and broker server | cTrader ID (username or email) and password, plus the broker and account number |
| Position model | Hedging: every trade is a separate ticket | Hedging or netting, set per account |
| Trade size | Lots (usually 0.01 lot steps) | Volume in units, shown as lots in the copier |
| Symbol names | Broker-specific, often with suffixes such as EURUSD.m or US30.cash | Broker-specific; usually plain names such as EURUSD or US30 |
| API speed | 500+ requests per minute | 500 requests per minute |
| Partial closes sent to slaves (as master) | Yes | Yes |
| Partial closes received (as slave) | Yes | Yes |
| Position resync on its slaves | Yes | Yes |
| Local version | Yes, plus the cloud version | Yes, plus the cloud version |
| EA / cBot hosting | Yes, .ex4 Expert Advisors | Yes, .algo cBots |
Things to check before you start
- MT4 and cTrader brokers rarely use the same symbol names. Set a suffix or explicit aliases on the slave, for example US30.cash=DJ30. Auto symbol mapping catches what is left as a last resort.
- Minimum volume and volume steps can differ between the two platforms. The default Equity-to-Equity sizing keeps risk in proportion, and per-symbol lot caps stop oversized trades.
- Turn on Position Resync if you want the cTrader slave to check that every copied position is still open on the master.
- Trades opened by your EAs are copied too. Use the magic number whitelist or blacklist on the slave to copy only some EAs.
- cTrader brokers set their own minimum volume and volume step. Sizes that fall below the minimum are not copied, so check the volume sizing on small accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Can one MT4 master copy to several cTrader accounts?
Yes. Add as many cTrader slaves as you need, each with its own volume sizing, symbol mapping and risk limits. In the cloud every account uses one cloud seat, and the local version has no account limit.
What if my MT4 and cTrader brokers name symbols differently?
Add a suffix such as .m, or explicit aliases such as US30.cash=DJ30, with a per-symbol lot multiplier where contract sizes differ. Symbols that still don't match go through auto symbol mapping as a last resort.
Can I copy from cTrader to MT4 instead?
Yes. Every trading platform Heron Copier supports can be a master or a slave. See the cTrader to MT4 trade copier.
What happens if a trade fails to copy?
Turn on failed trade copy notifications to get an e-mail alert. The account logs in the dashboard also show the reason, for example a symbol that doesn't exist on the slave or a size below the minimum.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, 7 days with 2 cloud accounts. During the trial a slave copies every trade at a fixed 0.01 lot; a paid license unlocks the other sizing methods.
