How is cTrader different from MT4?

I think that people who started trading on the cTrader platform (I’m using version 4.0) would never switch to MT4. But those who started with MT4 (like me) will easily jump to cTrader. There are some features that are impossible even to compare. I mean manual trading here, cause I’m not the biggest fan of robots.
I like the way cTrader organized the default view of the initial page. There’s all relevant info in connection to any symbol or asset. So you pick a currency pair and the platform gives you everything you need to make a trading decision (or to avoid the asset at all): news, calendar, market depth, trading signals.
Next, the function of trading from the chart is ready to use and very informative. In contrast to MT4, you don’t need to download and instal plugins like trading central. In c Trader, you open a chart, pick the time frame, and it gives you a target of the asset. If you want to get more info, you just point the cursor on the target and see the details of the forecast.
MT4 does not have a function of reversing or doubling a trading position in one click.
Choosing the volume of trading from the chart is much more informative in cTrader than in MT4. The pop-up window shows you all of the info regarding commission, margin requirement, value of pip and so on.
The charting tool is much more comfortable in cTrader compared to MT4. You can draw objects, hide them with one click. You can create templates that will be used for other assets as default settings. cTrader also contains numerous types of the chart view including even renko and ranges.
Managing positions is also better in cTrader. If you open a trade using the signal from the chart, the platform sets stop-loss and take-profit automatically from the signal. Trailing stop is adjustable, the advanced protection has 4 types of stops executions, you can set stop-loss as pips, profit amount, or % of account balance. There’s also a market range type of orders to limit risks and control slippages.
In my opinion, cTrader developers made the life of traders much easier.

Well, MetaQuotes implemented some of the functions you mention in MT5, but I don’t like it either. Actually it was an attempt to refresh the old-looking interface of MT4, adding some new features. But they were also trying to keep the reliability of the platform, so they decided not to come out from the old C++ language.
Since cTrader was developed from scratch, and much later than both MT, developers were free to choose the programming language, and also free to work on the interface. Indeed, the number of functions for manual trading is much higher in cTrader.
Ctrader has a function of making deposits and withdrawals right from the platform, but that’s a doubtful advantage for traders. I mean they would better leave the withdrawal button, but delete the deposit button, as for me hahaha. It’s really dangerous for addicted traders in volatile moments. But good for brokers ahah.
Another strong point of cTrader is the Automation section. You can create algorithms easily and fast, backtest the performance. That works like an automation for programming automated strategies. ;-)
Nevertheless, the vast majority of brokers do not rush to switch from MT4 and/or MT5 to cTrader. I do not pretend to be an expert in brokerage but it feels like it’s related to the B-booking style of traders somehow.

There’s such a type of sub-brokers that do not have a direct connection to the market, paying fees for White Labels to larger brokers. They have a liquidity bridge to provide the real-time quotes, and a software that allows them to play with their trading positions. That’s a kind of combination of A-booking and B-booking. As a result, they decide which volume they should send to the market, and which is good enough to play against traders. As far as I understand, the cTrader functiona;ity does not allow brokers to do that trick, maybe that is the reason why it’s not so widely used yet. I think, traders should unite and force brokers to stop playing with them, switching to cTrader ))

I agree that it’s worth comparing MT5 with cTrader but not the MT4 platform. If you looked at both, you’d see that the difference is not so obvious. I can see that some brokers offer a choice of different platforms, and cTrader is among them.
It’s very rare to find a broker that does not have MT4/5 at all. But it feels that the number of brokers supporting cTrader is growing, so the terminal deserves attention.
I like conducting my own research on market sentiment, mainly focusing on technical analysis. It’s possible to find developers that offer plugins compatible with both MT4 and cTrader, meaning that such companies also recognize cTrader as a reasonable alternative.

Well, it feels like the MT5 platform has all of the features that the cTrader terminal has. But that’s just on the paper. Once you start trading on cTrader, especially the manual type of trading, you wouldn't jump back to MT5. Many traders did not like the MT5 when it was just released and came back to MT4 as it’s at least reliable. IMO the workspace is much more convenient in cTrader, while the advanced protection is far more smart. Adjusting trailing stops is also a great feature.

Personally I favored cTrader for its chart trading feature. You can create and save templates, charts are detachable, drawing tools remain accurate when zooming in and out.
For instance, you can take a trading signal, click on the target once, and the platform will open the appropriate positions with relevant take-profits and stop-losses. All you need is to add the trading volume. The same story is for setting stops manually, it’s easier. Drag and drop the line to a level that you find safe for your stop-loss.

didn't know that! thanks for sharing. Well, if we all strated sharing the insights on ctrader, mine is the following:
cTrader shows you the history of trades at any time frames. It’s easier to analyse the performance, find the most lucrative assets. You can squeeze charts and see how effective your positioning was in terms of maximizing profits from strong trends.

I too find ct very smooth comparede to mt. The only issue for me that ctrader team didnt correct yet is the re-scaling of the charts when you scrooll it back with the mouse. Thats very annoying.
Unfortunately I've read that its not that simple to modify this because its quite embeded in the system itself