We rewrite NinjaScript strategies as MT4 Expert Advisors and NinjaScript indicators as MT4 custom indicators — rebuilding positions as MT4 order tickets, adapting sizes and sessions to your MT4 account, and checking the result against criteria agreed with you.
EMA(Close, 21)[0]iMA(NULL, 0, 21, 0, MODE_EMA, PRICE_CLOSE, i)AddPlot(Brushes.DodgerBlue, "EMA")SetIndexBuffer(0, EmaBuffer)AddDataSeries(BarsPeriodType.Minute, 60)iClose(NULL, PERIOD_H1, shift)EnterLong(qty, "LE")OrderSend(Symbol(), OP_BUY, lots, Ask, …, magic)Same two entries — one strategy position in NinjaTrader, two order tickets in MT4
NinjaTrader to MT4 conversion means rewriting NinjaScript in MQL4: a NinjaScript strategy becomes an MT4 Expert Advisor and an indicator becomes an MT4 custom indicator. MT4 brokers mostly offer forex and CFDs, so the move often changes the market as well — for example from ES futures to a US500 CFD. If the instrument changes, trade sizes, price distances and sessions are adapted too.
A NinjaScript strategy and an MT4 Expert Advisor automate the same kind of trading, but they track positions, size trades and react to new data differently. Converting a strategy keeps its trading rules and rebuilds its trade handling for MT4.
Managed or unmanaged NinjaScript order logic is rebuilt with MT4 orders — including scaling in, partial exits, exits tied to specific entries by signal name, and reversals: a managed entry against an open position reverses it in NinjaScript, while in MT4 the EA closes the opposite tickets itself before opening the new one.
MT4 keeps every entry as a separate order ticket, and the EA finds its own trades by magic number. Named NinjaScript entries are mapped to tickets with their own exits, and how the EA works alongside other EAs, manual trades and orders already open at start is agreed in advance — as are FIFO rules, if your broker applies them.
Contract or unit sizing becomes lots for the MT4 symbol, rounded to its lot step and checked against your risk rules.
Trade management that relies on NinjaTrader ATM strategies — stops, targets, trailing and scaling out — is rebuilt as the EA’s own rules, since MT4 has no ATM strategies.
Each NinjaTrader instrument is matched to an MT4 symbol. If the instrument changes, the EA is adapted to its tick size, tick value and sessions in your broker’s server time. Since a trading hours template decides which data the chart uses, the RTH or ETH data set, bar and trading-day boundaries and session resets are checked too.
On-bar-close logic runs once per new bar. On-each-tick and on-price-change logic is rebuilt for MT4’s tick events — on-price-change with an explicit filter that skips updates at an unchanged price. An MT4 EA receives ticks only for its chart symbol, and ticks that arrive while one is being processed are skipped, so the agreed calculation mode is reproduced and intrabar behaviour is checked.
MT4 Strategy Tester results won’t match the Strategy Analyzer exactly: the platforms use different data — sometimes for a different instrument — and model fills differently, and the MT4 tester runs one symbol at a time on ticks modelled from 1-minute bars. We check that entries and exits follow the agreed rules. ATM-based logic doesn’t run on history in NinjaTrader, so its original behaviour is compared on Simulation or Playback.
Converting a NinjaTrader indicator to MT4 means rebuilding its calculations in MQL4 and how it draws on the chart. We convert standard, custom and multi-series indicators, as well as panels and dashboards.
Calculations are rebuilt in MQL4; plots become indicator buffers, and colours that change from bar to bar are drawn with separate buffers. Any visual differences are agreed in advance.
Charts drawn with SharpDX are redrawn with MT4 chart objects; the agreed information is kept and the look is agreed separately.
Extra data series become data read from other timeframes or symbols, keeping the original’s behaviour — from the forming bar or from confirmed bars only. MT4 has nine standard timeframes, so other periods are built from them.
Tick, range or Renko bars are built on an offline chart or in the code’s own calculation; for strategies, signals come from these bars while orders go to the broker’s real symbol. Volume bars need traded volume, which MT4 doesn’t provide — it shows tick volume — so building them from tick volume changes the original logic and is agreed separately.
Indicators built on volumetric data need trade prices, volumes and trade direction. MT4 provides only tick volume, so such indicators usually can’t be rebuilt one to one; the closest approach is agreed before work starts.
Calls to NinjaTrader’s built-in indicators use MT4’s own indicators where their values match — otherwise we write the calculation — and alerts become MT4 alerts and notifications.
NinjaTrader and MetaTrader 4 trade different instruments and run code in different ways. These are the differences that decide whether a converted script behaves like the original — and what we do about each of them.
Futures, forex or stocks from your NinjaTrader connection
Mostly forex and CFDs from your MT4 broker
If the instrument changes, we agree which one replaces each NinjaTrader instrument and adapt sizes, price distances and sessions.
Contracts or units
Lots, rounded to the symbol’s lot step
Sizes are recalculated for the MT4 symbol and checked against your risk rules.
The strategy’s own position, tracked separately from the account’s
A separate order ticket for every entry, found by magic number
We map each entry and its exits to tickets, and agree how the EA works alongside other EAs, manual trades and orders already open at start — and with FIFO rules, if your broker applies them.
The trading hours template and the platform time zone
Your broker’s server time and the symbol’s sessions
We compare sessions, bar timestamps and the time zone each version’s logic uses — matching chart clocks alone isn’t enough.
Calculation mode per script: on bar close, on each tick or on price change
An EA reacts to ticks of its chart symbol; ticks that arrive while one is being processed are skipped
We reproduce the agreed calculation mode and check intrabar behaviour — for multi-symbol strategies, also how data for other symbols is read.
Tick, volume, range, Renko and other bar types
Nine standard time-based timeframes; other bars through offline charts or code
We agree how non-time bars are built — and, for strategies, that signals use them while orders go to the broker’s real symbol.
Strategy Analyzer, with order fill resolution settings
Strategy Tester: one symbol at a time, ticks modelled from 1-minute bars
We agree the tester settings and history, so both backtests are compared on similar assumptions.
Some things depend on the platform itself: NinjaTrader add-ons and third-party indicators the code relies on need their source or a replacement; .NET libraries need an MQL4 equivalent or a DLL — MT4 is a 32-bit platform, so each is checked one by one; and order-flow data, which MT4 doesn’t provide. We point these out before work starts and agree the closest MT4 equivalent with you.
A converter or an AI pass can produce MQL4 code quickly. The risk is not the tool but an unchecked result: code can compile and still trade differently, because NinjaTrader and MetaTrader work with different instruments, sizes and positions. We start from how the NinjaTrader version behaves and rebuild it for MT4.
| Automatic conversion | Manual conversion at Nordman Algorithms | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Often the C# code translated, statement by statement | How the NinjaTrader version behaves |
| Platform differences | Often found later, if at all | Identified before work starts and agreed with you |
| Positions and sizes | Contracts and signal names copied as they are | Rebuilt for MT4 lots and order tickets |
Send it to us — we review it and give you a fixed price and timeline before work starts.
We run the NinjaTrader original and the MT4 version on the same timeframe, with matching trading sessions and bar timestamps, and compare them against acceptance criteria agreed with you:
If the instrument stays the same, we compare values and signal timing directly. If it changes — say, from a futures contract to a CFD — the data differ, so we check that the agreed rules are followed and the risk is recalculated correctly, rather than expecting identical values or trades. If something doesn’t match, we find the cause — price data, platform behaviour or the code.
Share the .cs files, any custom indicators or add-ons the code uses, and your strategy settings or ATM templates — plus a short description.
You sendSource + dependenciesWe analyse the code, agree the MT4 symbol and sessions — the same market or a new one — and agree settings, acceptance criteria, price and timeline.
You getFixed price + criteriaThe strategy or indicator is rebuilt as an MT4 Expert Advisor or custom indicator, 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 strategy 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 strategies: order methods, ATM-based management, positions, scaling and partial exits.
Non-time bar types and additional data series the code relies on.
Charts drawn with SharpDX that need MT4 chart objects.
NinjaTrader add-ons, third-party indicators or .NET libraries the code uses — each is checked and replaced where needed.
Conversion needs the .cs source. Without it, recreating the strategy or indicator from your description is assessed separately.
If your strategy already works in NinjaTrader and you want its trades on an MT4 account, you may not need a conversion at all.
Copies trades from your NinjaTrader account to MetaTrader 4. Your strategy keeps running in NinjaTrader.
No. MetaTrader 4 runs MQL4; NinjaScript code has to be rewritten.
Yes. The strategy’s rules are kept and its trade handling is rebuilt for MT4 — lots, order tickets, protective orders and any extra trade management — with sizing and risk agreed with you.
If its logic suits the new instrument, yes. Sizes, price distances and trading sessions are adapted, and how the EA behaves on the new instrument is checked against the agreed rules — a different market can give different results.
MetaTrader 4 has no ATM strategies. Trade management that relies on them — stops, targets, trailing and scaling out — is rebuilt as the EA’s own rules. Because ATM strategies don’t run on history in NinjaTrader, the original behaviour is compared on Simulation or Playback.
MetaTrader 4 charts use nine standard time-based timeframes. Tick, range or Renko bars can be built on an offline chart or in the code itself, and a strategy calculates its signals on these bars and places orders on your broker’s real symbol. Volume bars need traded volume, which MT4 doesn’t provide, so they are agreed separately.
On the same market, values can come close but not always match exactly: your NinjaTrader connection and your MT4 broker provide different data, and some built-in indicators are calculated slightly differently. If the instrument changes, identical values aren’t the goal — we check that the agreed rules are followed and the risk is recalculated correctly.
Yes, in the MT4 Strategy Tester, which tests one symbol at a time on ticks modelled from 1-minute bars. Results won’t match the Strategy Analyzer exactly — the platforms use different data and model fills differently — so we agree the tester settings and check that entries and exits follow the agreed rules.
Yes — that’s the reverse route, MT4 to NinjaTrader conversion. The same approach applies, with instruments, sizes and positions mapped the other way.
It depends on the size of the code, the trade handling, custom drawing, bar types and any add-ons the code relies on. After reviewing your NinjaScript code we give you a fixed price and an estimated timeline before work starts.
Share the .cs files with any custom indicators or add-ons they use, and a short description of what the strategy or indicator does and which MT4 symbol it should trade. We will review it and give you a fixed price and timeline before work starts.