MT5 Gateway / Liquidity Gateway / MT5 Bridge

Liquidity gateway or MT5 gateway is a technology introduced by MetaQuotes that gives forex brokers access to liquidity providers, as well as stock and crypto exchanges. It plays the role of a liquidity bridge.

Liquidity gateways in MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading platforms are different and have their own peculiarities. However, usually when forex professionals say “liquidity gateway” they mean “MT5 gateway” and “MT5 liquidity bridge”. Why? We’ll see in this post.

Liquidity Gateway in MetaTrader 4

In MetaTrader 4 trading platform the liquidity gateway functions as this platform’s built-in liquidity bridge. It specifically works only between MetaTrader servers. And if the liquidity provider uses FIX protocol, then this “bridge” won’t work. That is, the liquidity provider should only be working on an MT4 or MT5 server.

So within MT4 liquidity gateway is not a “gateway” in the full sense of the word, as it can’t connect broker to any liquidity provider.

Liquidity Gateway in MetaTrader 5

MT5 Gateway Concept

MetaQuotes introduced a new type of a plugin for the MetaTrader 5 trading platform. While all the plugins were literally functioning as plugins in the past, in 2013 gateways and plugins were united by the Liquidity Aggregation concept as solutions that can get quotes and execute trades.

Thus, the liquidity gateway in MetaTrader 5 platform or MT5 gateway is a native technical means that enables data exchange between the trading platform and the liquidity provider or exchange. A gateway makes it possible for a broker to get connected to a provider and get his market data, such as quotes, depth of market and reports. In addition, a gateway allows brokers to execute clients’ deals on the LP’s side.

You may also find that MetaQuotes sometimes calls the gateway an “integration gateway”. And forex professionals call it “MT5 liquidity bridge” or “MT5 bridge”.

MT5 Gateway Features

Through different configuration tools, the gateway can be configured to satisfy the specific requirements of a broker. For example, a broker can set leverage rules, configure trade request routing, rename trading pairs, convert price data, etc. After a broker configures the rules, the MT5 trading platform starts automatically sending traders’ orders to the liquidity provider according to the set rules.

Some of the gateways have been developed by MetaQuotes itself and initially come with Metatrader5 platform. For example, these are the gateways to the well-known liquidity providers like Integral, FastMatch or Hotspot FX, as well as to some of the largest exchanges like Moscow Exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) or Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

According to MetaQuotes the gateways its team has developed are quite simple and secure solutions providing forex brokers with a fast connect to a liquidity provider and maximum speed of executing operations.

Third-party MT5 Gateways

Together with native connectivity solutions from MetaQuotes there are experienced forex software developer companies that can make a product that will technically be implemented in MetaTrader 5 as a gateway and be featured in MetaQuotes “Liquidity Aggregation” list of solutions. One of them is the Market Depth Gateway from Takeprofit Tech. This gateway creates a depth of market for trading pairs and confirms the execution of traders’ orders without sending them to liquidity providers.

MetaTrader 5 Liquidity Gateway API

Public access to the MetaQuotes gateway API allows forex market solution providers like Takeprofit Tech to create a gateway to any liquidity provider or exchange. Particularly, API makes it possible to create a hybrid ECN engine with multiple liquidity providers.

MT5 Liquidity Bridge

Thus, in the world of forex trading, MT5 liquidity bridge is often referred to as a liquidity gateway. However, there several differences between MT5 gateway and MT5 liquidity bridge.

1. Purpose

MT5 gateway: A built-in connection module within MetaTrader 5 (MT5) that allows brokers to connect directly to specific exchanges, liquidity providers, or other MT5 servers. It is primarily used for integration with institutional liquidity sources.

MT5 bridge: An external solution that acts as a trade routing and liquidity aggregation tool, connecting MT5 brokers to multiple liquidity providers (LPs), banks, and ECNs for better order execution and pricing.

2. Liquidity aggregation

MT5 gateway: Provides a single connection to a specific liquidity provider or an exchange. It does not aggregate liquidity from multiple sources.

MT5 bridge: Aggregates liquidity from multiple providers, allowing brokers to access better spreads, deeper liquidity, and reduced slippage.

3. Execution

MT5 gateway: Orders are routed directly to a predefined liquidity source or trading venue, limiting flexibility in execution.

MT5 bridge: Uses smart order routing and risk management tools to dynamically execute trades across multiple liquidity pools for optimal pricing and minimal market impact.

4. Risk management

MT5 gateway: Offers limited customization and does not include advanced execution settings like partial fills, slippage control, or A/B book models.

MT5 bridge: Provides advanced execution customization, allowing brokers to set up order matching, trade filtering, risk management settings, and hybrid execution models.

So, while the MT5 gateway is a simple connection module to a single liquidity source, the MT5 liquidity bridge is a flexible, multi-provider solution that enhances execution quality, pricing, and risk management for brokers.

 

MT5 Bridge from Takeprofit Tech

Setting Up a New Liquidity Provider with MT5 Bridge

To integrate a new liquidity provider or exchange within MetaTrader 5, a forex broker must first negotiate terms and sign an agreement with the chosen liquidity source.

Once the agreement is finalized, the broker can proceed with ordering and implementing a gateway — either directly from MetaQuotes or from a third-party MT5 bridge provider if MetaQuotes does not offer a ready-made solution for the selected liquidity provider.

Takeprofit MT5 Bridge

At Takeprofit Tech, we provide seamless connectivity to 35 liquidity providers, including most famous crypto exchanges.

Custom development of MT5 bridge

We also develop MT5 bridges to connect MetaTrader to new liquidity sources, ensuring a smooth and efficient integration tailored to your brokerage’s needs.

Developing a custom MT5 bridge can take anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the source architecture. Our dev team follows MetaQuotes’ official guidelines and have successfully built multiple MT4/MT5 integration solutions.

Choosing an MT5 Bridge Provider

Key technical aspects to consider when choosing a solution provider include:

• Low-latency execution architecture. Look for millisecond-level execution with optimized data routing and minimal network hops to liquidity venues.
• FIX API & protocol compatibility. Ensure the bridge supports FIX 4.4 or other required protocols for liquidity integration and OMS connectivity.
• Dynamic order routing. Ability to route orders by symbol, volume, or client group dynamically to multiple LPs or internal books.
• Advanced A/B book switching. Real-time configurable risk rules based on trading behavior, volume, or exposure thresholds.
• Depth of market & tick-level data handling. Support for full L2 liquidity streams and high-frequency price updates without throttling.
• Failover & redundancy systems. Redundant infrastructure, load balancing, and backup LP configurations for zero-downtime trading.
• Custom symbol mapping & markup tools. Granular control over symbol aliases, spread markups, and liquidity tiering.
• Real-time monitoring & logs. Access to live logs, bridge health metrics, and customizable alerts via dashboard or API.

 

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