MetaTrader 4 has been the most popular trading platform for about twenty years. Now more brokers are switching it off. FOREX.com Japan closed its MT4 service on 16 October 2026 (FX News Group). OANDA Japan will close MT4 at the end of trading on 27 November 2026 (Finance Magnates). And Axi says more than 60% of its clients already trade on MetaTrader 5 (MetaQuotes).

When your broker moves you to MT5, your money moves with you. Your trading history may not. This guide shows how to keep every old trade, in four short steps.

Why brokers are leaving MT4

MT4 is old software. OANDA Japan says it no longer gets maintenance from MetaQuotes, the company that makes MetaTrader, and that it is hard to meet new security rules with it. So brokers move their clients to MT5.

For you, MT5 feels familiar. The charts, the indicators and the order window look almost the same. The big change is the account: often you get a new MT5 account with a new number.

What moves to MT5, and what may not

Every broker does it a little differently, so read your broker's emails carefully. In general:

  • Your balance moves. At FOREX.com Japan, balances went to MT5 without any change.
  • Pending orders may not move. At FOREX.com Japan, clients had to place them again on MT5.
  • Your trade history depends on the broker. Deltastock copies the history to MT5 and keeps the account number. At tastyfx, MT4 history stays in MT4 and MT5 starts fresh.
  • After the shutdown you cannot log in. Anything you did not save is gone from your screen.

Your history is your best teacher. It shows which setups make money, which hours cost you money and how often you break your own rules. Save it before the switch.

1. Save your MT4 history before the switch

Open MT4 and find the Account History tab at the bottom of the screen. Right-click, choose All History, then right-click again and pick Save as Detailed Report. MT4 saves an HTML file with every closed trade. Do this for each MT4 account and keep the files in a safe place.

2. Import the report into your trading journal

In SetupBook, first create an account for the old trades in Accounts, for example "MT4 old". Then open Trades, click Import and choose the HTML file and this account. Pick the time zone of the file (MetaTrader reports use the broker's server time, often UTC+2 or UTC+3), check the preview and confirm. Trades that are already in the journal are skipped, so importing the same file twice does no harm. The import guide explains every format.

3. Connect your new MT5 account

Your new trades can arrive by themselves. In Accounts → Connections, add a MetaTrader 5 connection and install the small read-only SetupBookSync Expert Advisor. From then on, every MT5 trade lands in your journal within seconds while MT5 is open. Leave the account on automatic, and SetupBook creates it from your MT5 account with the right currency. The MetaTrader 5 guide shows every click with pictures.

4. Look at old and new trades together

Choose All accounts in the top bar. Your MT4 history and your new MT5 trades now share one equity curve, one calendar and one set of numbers. If the two accounts use different currencies, SetupBook converts them at the ECB reference rates. Your win rate, profit factor and the cost of your mistakes continue without a gap.

Import, sync and the All accounts view are part of Pro, and every journal starts with 14 days of it, enough to bring in the MT4 report and connect MT5. Start 14 days free and import your MT4 report today, before the switch.

Frequently asked questions

Will my MT4 trade history move to MT5 by itself?

Sometimes. It depends on your broker. Some brokers copy the history and keep your account number. Many give you a new MT5 account without the old trades. To be safe, save an MT4 report before the switch.

Can I still open MT4 after my broker closes it?

No. When the service ends you cannot log in, so you cannot export anything either. Save your history while MT4 still works.

Is MetaTrader 5 harder to use than MetaTrader 4?

Not really. The screens look very similar. MT5 has more timeframes and more markets, and it shows history as deals. A good journal groups those deals into trades for you.

Do I need a new trading journal for MT5?

No. SetupBook works with MT4 and MT5, by file import or by live sync, both part of Pro. You keep both accounts in one journal and compare them.