DXtrade is a web and mobile trading platform built by Devexperts that brokers and prop firms use to give traders access to forex, crypto, indices, commodities, and other markets. If you have signed up with a funded account provider in the last two years and were handed a browser-based platform instead of MetaTrader, there is a good chance it was DXtrade. This guide explains what DXtrade is, why so many prop firms moved to it, how it compares to MetaTrader and cTrader, and what to expect when you trade on it.
Highlights of this article
- DXtrade is a browser and app based multi-asset trading platform from Devexperts, the same firm behind dxFeed and thinkorswim technology.
- It became the default prop firm platform after MetaQuotes cracked down on unlicensed MetaTrader use by prop firms in early 2024.
- DXtrade runs in any browser with no download, streams live prices over WebSocket, and exposes a full REST and WebSocket API for automation.
- It is not owned by any single broker, so the same platform looks similar across many firms while each firm sets its own instruments and rules.
- Velotrade runs on DXtrade across crypto, forex, stocks, indices, and commodities, with full API access on every account.
What Is DXtrade?
DXtrade is a trading platform developed by Devexperts, a technology company that has built trading and market-data infrastructure for brokers, exchanges, and proprietary trading desks for over two decades. Rather than sell to retail traders directly, Devexperts licenses DXtrade to brokers and prop firms, who brand it and offer it to their own clients.
That is why DXtrade feels familiar across different firms. The core platform is the same: a clean, web-based order ticket, real-time charts, a positions and orders panel, and account metrics down the side. What changes from firm to firm is the instrument list, the leverage, the fees, and the rules layered on top.
DXtrade comes in two main flavors. DXtrade CFD is aimed at forex and CFD brokers and is the version most prop firms use. DXtrade XT is a more full-featured version used by multi-asset brokers. For a trader, the day-to-day experience is similar: place, modify, and cancel orders, manage positions, and monitor risk, all from a browser or a mobile app with no software to install.
Why Prop Firms Moved to DXtrade
For years, most retail prop firms ran on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. That changed fast in early 2024. MetaQuotes, the company behind MetaTrader, began terminating the licenses of the grey-label brokers that many prop firms relied on to offer MT4 and MT5, in part because those firms were serving clients in jurisdictions, including the United States, without the required local authorization.
The result was a scramble. Firms that lost MetaTrader access overnight had to migrate clients to a platform they could actually license and control. DXtrade, cTrader, and Match-Trader became the main destinations. Large firms including FundingPips and Instant Funding publicly moved to DXtrade and other non-MetaTrader platforms during this period.
For the full background on the MetaTrader restrictions and what they mean for traders in the United States specifically, see can you use MT5 in the US.
DXtrade vs MetaTrader (MT4 and MT5)
The most common question traders ask is how DXtrade stacks up against the MetaTrader platforms they may already know.
| Feature | DXtrade | MetaTrader 4 / 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Browser and mobile app, no download | Desktop app, plus browser and mobile |
| Automation | REST and WebSocket API, any language | MQL4 / MQL5 Expert Advisors |
| Existing EAs | MT4/MT5 EAs need porting or an adapter | Native EA support |
| Prop firm availability | Widely available post-2024 | Restricted for many prop firms |
| Learning curve | Light, familiar web interface | Heavier, more built-in tooling |
| Charting | Solid built-in charts, TradingView-friendly | Deep built-in charting |
The honest summary: MetaTrader still has the deepest built-in charting and the largest library of ready-made Expert Advisors. DXtrade wins on accessibility (nothing to install), on a modern API that any language can call, and on simply being available where MetaTrader is not. If you are building automation from scratch, DXtrade's REST and WebSocket API is often cleaner to work with than MQL. If you rely on an existing MT4 or MT5 Expert Advisor, you will need to port it or run a bridge.
DXtrade vs cTrader
cTrader is the other platform prop firms adopted after the MetaTrader crackdown. cTrader has a strong reputation for charting and a dedicated automation language (cAlgo, in C#). DXtrade's advantage is its lighter, browser-first footprint and its language-agnostic API, which lets you connect a bot written in Python, JavaScript, Go, or anything else that can speak HTTP and WebSocket. Which is better depends on your workflow: cTrader for a rich desktop-style charting experience, DXtrade for fast web access and flexible programmatic control.
Key Features of DXtrade
- No download. DXtrade runs in any modern browser on desktop and mobile. Your account is reachable from any machine without installing anything.
- Real-time streaming. Prices, positions, and account metrics stream over WebSocket, so the platform reacts the instant the market moves.
- Full order toolkit. Market, limit, and stop orders, with stop-loss and take-profit management on open positions.
- API access. A documented REST API handles orders and account data, and a Push (WebSocket) API streams live data, so you can automate strategies without touching the interface.
- Live risk metrics. Equity, drawdown, and margin are shown in real time, which matters when a prop firm rule set depends on staying inside a drawdown limit.
Is DXtrade Good for Prop Trading?
For prop trading specifically, DXtrade is a strong fit. Prop firms live and die by risk rules, and DXtrade surfaces the exact account metrics (equity, drawdown, margin) that those rules depend on. Its API makes it straightforward to build a bot that reads account state and halts before a limit is breached, which is the safe way to automate on an evaluation account. And because it is browser-based, a trader can manage a funded account from anywhere without carrying a specific machine.
The one adjustment for MetaTrader veterans is automation. You cannot drop an MT5 Expert Advisor onto DXtrade and expect it to run. New automated systems are built against the DXtrade API instead. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see how to use DXtrade for crypto prop trading and the DXtrade API setup guide.
DXtrade at Velotrade
Velotrade runs entirely on DXtrade. Every evaluation challenge and funded account uses the platform to trade crypto, forex, stocks, indices, and commodities from one account, in a simulated environment with real-time market pricing. Because Velotrade uses DXtrade rather than MetaTrader, it is available to traders in regions where MetaTrader-based prop firms pulled out, including the United States, though it is a simulated, educational evaluation rather than a regulated brokerage account.
Full REST and WebSocket API access is included on every account at no extra fee and with no approval step, so the same platform you evaluate on is the one you trade funded capital on. For the product overview, see the DXtrade platform page, and to put it to work, view the challenge options.
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About the author
Vittorio De Angelis
Executive Chairman
Former equity-derivatives trader at JP Morgan, Dresdner Kleinwort and Bank of America in London. Later Head of Brokerage at a global broker in Hong Kong.
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