Your broker or prop firm offers only MT4? We rewrite MT5 Expert Advisors and indicators in MQL4 — emulating netting, trade events and other MT5-only features where MT4 has no equivalent, and checking the result against criteria agreed with you.
iMA(…, MODE_EMA, …) + CopyBuffer(…)iMA(NULL, 0, 21, 0, MODE_EMA, PRICE_CLOSE, i)#property indicator_type1 DRAW_COLOR_LINE2 × DRAW_LINE — up and down bufferstrade.Buy(lots, _Symbol)OrderSend(Symbol(), OP_BUY, lots, Ask, …)PositionSelect(_Symbol)OrdersTotal() loop, filtered by symbol & magicSame colour-changing line — one colour buffer in MT5, a buffer per colour in MT4
MT5 to MT4 conversion means rewriting MQL5 code in MQL4 — usually because a broker or prop firm offers only MT4, or because the rest of your setup runs there. The languages are close, but MT4 has no netting accounts, no trade transaction events, fewer timeframes and simpler plotting, so the parts of the code that rely on them are emulated or agreed with you.
| MT5 feature | In MT5 | In MT4 |
|---|---|---|
| Netting positions | Yes | PartlyEmulated with order tickets |
| Trade transaction events | Yes | PartlyRequest results handled when orders are sent; later changes tracked through orders and history |
| Timeframes such as M2, M10 or H6 | Yes | PartlyBuilt from a lower timeframe |
| Stop-limit orders | Yes | PartlyThe EA places a limit order when the stop price is reached; the terminal has to stay running |
| Multi-symbol backtesting | Yes | NoThe tester runs one symbol at a time |
| Order-book access and exchange volume | Yes | PartlyAssessed separately — MT4 has no MT5-style programmatic order book, and real volume depends on your broker |
| Economic calendar functions | Yes | NoAn external data source is needed |
Converting an MT5 Expert Advisor to MT4 keeps its trading rules and rebuilds its trade handling for MT4’s order tickets — including the parts MT4 doesn’t have built in.
MT5 hedging logic maps naturally to MT4’s separate tickets; netting logic — one position per symbol, partial closes, reversals — is emulated in the EA’s own code. How it works alongside other EAs, manual trades and positions already open at start is agreed in advance.
Trade calls built around positions, orders and deals become MT4 order operations, with MT4’s error handling and retries.
The result of the EA’s own trade request — the ticket or an error code — is handled where the order is sent; later changes, such as pending orders filling or positions closing at a stop or target, are tracked through open orders and history. The strategy’s reactions are carried over with agreed limits — MT5’s full sequence of trade transactions isn’t reproduced.
Stop-limit orders are emulated by the EA, which places the limit order when the stop price is reached — so the terminal and connection have to stay active until then. Stops and pending orders respect your broker’s stop and freeze levels.
Lot sizes keep the symbol’s volume step and limits and are checked against your risk rules.
EAs that trade several symbols run live in MT4, but its tester covers one symbol at a time, so how they are tested is agreed.
MT4 Strategy Tester results won’t match MT5 exactly: MT4 models ticks and tests one symbol at a time, while MT5 can test on real ticks. We check that entries and exits follow the agreed rules.
Converting an MT5 indicator to MT4 keeps its calculations and rebuilds how it reads other indicators and draws on the chart, since MT4’s plotting is simpler.
Colour buffers are split into one buffer per colour, and filling or candle plots are emulated with histograms or chart objects. Any visual differences are agreed in advance.
Calls through handles and CopyBuffer become direct MT4 indicator calls that return the value for a bar.
Indicators that use M2, M10, H6 or other MT5-only timeframes get them built from a lower timeframe.
MQL5 arrays are often read oldest-first, MT4 price arrays newest-first; each array’s direction is checked so values line up bar by bar.
Chart objects, labels and panels are carried over and checked in MT4.
Alerts and notifications are kept, and new settings or functions can be added on request.
MQL5 and MQL4 look alike, but MT4 is missing parts of MT5. These are the differences that decide whether a converted script behaves like the original — and what we do about each of them.
Hedging or netting account: positions, orders and deals
Each trade is a separate order ticket
Netting behaviour is emulated with tickets where needed; we agree how the EA works alongside other EAs, manual trades and positions already open at start.
Trade transaction events, several per trade operation
No trade events; request results and order history are checked in the code
Request results and errors are handled where orders are sent, and later changes are tracked through open orders and history — the reactions the strategy needs are carried over with agreed limits.
Handles, with values copied once the indicator has calculated
Direct calls that return the value for a bar
Each call is rebuilt for MT4, and the bar it reads is checked.
21 timeframes, including M2, M10 and H6
9 standard timeframes
Non-standard timeframes are built from a lower timeframe, as agreed.
Colour buffers and plot types such as fillings and candles
One colour per buffer; no filling or candle plot types
Colours are split into separate buffers and fillings are emulated; the look is agreed with you.
Real ticks, multi-symbol tests and cloud optimisation
Modelled ticks, one symbol per test
We agree how the MT4 version is tested; multi-symbol logic is checked on a demo account where the tester can’t cover it.
64-bit DLLs
32-bit DLLs
Each DLL needs a 32-bit version or a replacement; checked one by one.
Some things depend on the platform itself: MT5’s order-book access and logic that depends on exchange volume need a separate data and feasibility assessment for MT4, and tick volume is no equivalent; the economic calendar functions have no MT4 counterpart; symbols your MT4 broker doesn’t offer; and logic that relies on multi-symbol testing. We point these out before work starts and agree the closest MT4 equivalent with you.
MQL5 and MQL4 look alike, so it is tempting to copy the code and fix compile errors. The risk is an unchecked result: code can compile and still trade differently, because MT4 has no netting accounts, no trade events and simpler plotting. We start from how the MT5 version behaves and rebuild it in MQL4.
| Automatic conversion | Manual conversion at Nordman Algorithms | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Often the MQL5 syntax, statement by statement | How the MT5 version behaves |
| Platform differences | Often found later, if at all | Identified before work starts and agreed with you |
| Positions and events | Netting and trade events dropped or copied as they are | Emulated for MT4’s order tickets |
Send it to us — we review it and give you a fixed price and timeline before work starts.
We run the MT5 original and the MT4 version on the same symbol and timeframe, with matching trading sessions and bar timestamps, and compare them against acceptance criteria agreed with you:
If something doesn’t match, we find the cause — price data, platform behaviour or the code — and check the result against the agreed specification.
Share the .mq5 source with its .mqh include files, the source of any custom indicators it calls and your .set file if you have one — plus a short description.
You sendSource + dependenciesWe analyse the code, point out the MT5-only features it uses and how they work in MT4, and agree your MT4 broker and account, settings, acceptance criteria, price and timeline.
You getFixed price + criteriaThe EA or indicator is rebuilt in MQL4, including any extra features you asked for.
We buildThe MT4 versionThe MT4 version is checked against the acceptance criteria agreed in step 2.
We checkValues, signals, tradesBugs and differences from the agreed specification are fixed after delivery.
You get.mq4 + .ex4 filesEvery EA and indicator is reviewed before we quote. These are the main factors.
How much logic the code contains and how many parts depend on each other.
For EAs: positions, netting emulation, trade events and order types.
Non-standard timeframes and the symbols the code uses.
Colour buffers, filling and candle plots, objects and panels.
64-bit DLLs that need 32-bit versions, and standard library classes that MT4 doesn’t have.
Conversion needs the .mq5 source. Without it, recreating the EA or indicator from your description is assessed separately.
No. MT4 can’t run .ex5 files, and MQL5 code doesn’t compile in MT4 — positions, trade calls, indicator access and plotting work differently, so the code has to be rewritten in MQL4.
MT4 keeps each trade as a separate order ticket, so netting behaviour — one position per symbol, partial closes and reversals — is emulated in the EA’s own code. How it works alongside other EAs and manual trades is agreed before work starts.
The reactions a strategy needs from trade events, stop-limit orders and non-standard timeframes are emulated in MQL4, with agreed limits — an emulated stop-limit, for example, needs the terminal running. Order-book access and logic based on exchange volume are assessed separately, since MT4 has no MT5-style order book and tick volume is no equivalent; the economic calendar functions and multi-symbol backtesting have no MT4 counterpart. We point these out before work starts and agree what replaces them.
On the same symbol and broker, values can come close but not always match exactly: MT4 and MT5 servers can provide different history, and MT5 builds some symbols on last prices while MT4 uses bid. How closely values must match is agreed before work starts, and any difference is traced to its cause.
Yes, in the MT4 Strategy Tester, which models ticks and tests one symbol at a time. Results won’t match the MT5 tester exactly, and logic that trades several symbols is checked on a demo account where the MT4 tester can’t cover it.
Conversion needs the .mq5 source code. Without it, we can assess recreating the EA or indicator from your description, settings and examples of how it behaves — but an exact match with the original can’t be promised in advance.
No. Our developers write the MQL4 version themselves, based on how the MT5 version behaves.
Yes — that’s the reverse route, MT4 to MT5 conversion. The same approach applies, with positions, trade calls and indicator access mapped the other way.
It depends on the size of the code, the trade handling, the MT5-only features it uses, plotting and any DLLs. After reviewing your .mq5 code we give you a fixed price and an estimated timeline before work starts.
Share the .mq5 source code with its include files and the custom indicators it uses, and a short description of what it should do in MetaTrader 4. We will review it and give you a fixed price and timeline before work starts.