Many traders have accounts on both MetaTrader 5 and cTrader—sometimes by choice, sometimes because their preferred brokers only support one platform. MirrorLink bridges the two so you can copy trades in either direction without friction.
Why run both platforms?
- Broker access: Some of the best spreads on gold are on Broker A (MT5 only), while Broker B (cTrader only) has the tightest FX spreads. Running both lets you pick the best venue per instrument.
- Strategy tools: cTrader’s cAlgo ecosystem offers different indicator and bot capabilities compared to MT5’s MQL5. Cross-platform routing lets you run each strategy on its native platform.
- Redundancy: If one platform has downtime, the other can continue operating independently.
Symbol mapping
The most common pain point when copying between platforms is symbol naming. MT5 might list “EURUSD.raw” while cTrader calls it “EUR/USD”. MirrorLink’s route settings include a symbol mapping table where you define these translations. Set it up once and every future trade resolves automatically.
| Master (MT5) | Slave (cTrader) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EURUSD.raw | EUR/USD | Standard FX pair |
| XAUUSD.raw | XAU/USD | Gold spot |
| US500.cash | US500 | S&P 500 CFD |
| BTCUSD | BTC/USD | Bitcoin (if supported) |
Lot size conventions
MT5 and cTrader sometimes use different lot definitions for the same instrument. For most FX pairs, 1 lot = 100,000 units on both platforms. But for indices and commodities, contract sizes can differ. Always verify by placing a small test trade and checking that the notional exposure matches between master and slave.
Order type translation
MirrorLink handles the mapping between platform-specific order types. A market order on MT5 becomes a market order on cTrader. Stop-loss and take-profit levels are attached to the slave order at the same price levels. Pending orders (limit and stop) are also supported and translated automatically.
Session and timezone alignment
MT5 servers often run on UTC+2 or UTC+3, while cTrader typically uses UTC. MirrorLink normalises all timestamps to UTC internally so session windows work consistently regardless of platform. Your route’s session filter says “08:00–16:00 UTC” and both sides respect it.
Troubleshooting cross-platform routes
- Trade not copied: Check the Logs page for symbol resolution errors. Usually means you need to add a mapping.
- Wrong lot size: Verify contract size matches between brokers. Adjust the multiplier in route settings if needed.
- Delayed fills: Check if one broker has significantly slower execution. The Logs page shows timestamps for each pipeline stage.