MetaTrader 4 was released in 2005 and still dominates retail forex in 2026 despite its age. It supports 9 timeframes (M1 through MN1), custom indicators and expert advisors written in MQL4, one-click trading, and dozens of built-in indicators. Nearly every retail broker offers MT4 alongside their own web trader.
MT4 is lightweight, stable, and battle-tested. Its limitations show in multi-asset trading (poor stocks/futures support), mobile UX, and the MQL4 language which is awkward compared to modern alternatives. MetaQuotes stopped major MT4 development in 2018 in favour of MT5, though most brokers continue to offer both.