Beginner question. I want MT4 and clear costs without digging through twenty pages.
For anyone who started with either broker recently:
- which one was easier to set up and place the first micro trade?
- any hurdles with account type choice, base currency, or verification?
- did funding and withdrawal work as expected, and how long?
- how did you calculate your real cost per trade, and did cashback credit without issues?
If you were starting again today with small size and MT4, which one would you pick and what made it simpler?
For a clean start, confirm MT4 availability by region first. Open one demo on each and place 20 micro trades to test order handling, spread, and slippage. Choose a base currency that matches your funding card or wallet to avoid conversion. Do a small live deposit and a small withdrawal to check process and fees. Track your cost per trade in a sheet: spread plus commission minus rebate. If one platform feels clunky or support is slow during setup, drop it early.
Keep it simple. Use one pair like EURUSD and one time window for all tests. Note verification documents needed and how long approval takes. Check minimum lot size, stop distance, and margin on both. If cashback shows pending within a day and posts on the next cycle, that is good enough. Pick the broker that gives smooth installs, quick funding, and consistent pricing on your pair.
I would start with demo first on the platform you want.
If setup feels easy and pricing looks clean, then fund a small amount.
Do a tiny withdrawal to be sure the pipeline works.
Base currency matters more than people think.
Match it to your funding currency and you avoid extra conversion costs.
That alone can save you a few dollars per month.
MT4 setup felt quicker on AvaTrade for me. Check your region though.
I helped a friend start on MT4. AvaTrade account opened the same day and MT4 install was straight. First micro trade went through fine.
We tracked spread and rebate on a small sheet. Costs made sense after a week. Cashback posted without any problem.