Quick answer: an MT4/MT5 VPS is a Windows server that runs your MetaTrader terminal 24 hours a day, so expert advisors keep trading when your PC is off, your internet drops, or you are asleep. Setup takes about 15 minutes: deploy a Windows VPS, connect over Remote Desktop, install your broker's terminal, and enable auto-trading. Any Windows VPS can do this — what separates a good forex VPS is latency to your broker's servers and uptime you can rely on.
Why run MetaTrader on a VPS at all?
MT4 and MT5 only trade while the terminal is running. If you use expert advisors (EAs), that creates three problems a home PC cannot solve: your machine has to stay on 24/7, your consumer internet connection will drop eventually, and every disconnection is a window where stops don't move and orders don't fire. A VPS removes all three — the terminal runs in a datacenter with redundant power and networking, and you connect only when you want to check on it.
There is also an execution-speed argument. Orders travel from your terminal to your broker's trade server; the shorter that network path, the less your fill price can drift from your intended price. From a home connection that trip is routinely tens of milliseconds. From a VPS in the right facility it can be a fraction of that. Our guide to VPS locations and latency covers this in depth.
Where your VPS sits matters more than its specs
MetaTrader itself is lightweight — its official requirements are far below any modern VPS plan. The variable that actually moves execution quality is location. PetroSky's servers run in Equinix facilities in Paris and Quebec, colocated alongside AWS, Cloudflare, and major ISPs — the same infrastructure many brokers host their trade servers on. Being in the same facility as your broker's infrastructure, rather than across town from it, is a structural advantage: it cannot be optimized away by a faster CPU.
Choose Paris for European and UK brokers, Quebec for US and Canadian brokers. If you are unsure where your broker's servers are, ask their support — most will tell you the datacenter region, and you can then pick the VPS location that matches.
Setting up MT4 or MT5 on a VPS, step by step
1. Deploy a Windows VPS. Deployment on PetroSky takes about 30 seconds; you get Remote Desktop credentials for a Windows Server machine.
2. Connect over Remote Desktop. Use the built-in Remote Desktop client on Windows, or Microsoft Remote Desktop on Mac, iOS, and Android — you can manage the terminal from a phone.
3. Install your broker's terminal. Download MT4 or MT5 from your broker (not a third party), log in to your trading account, and attach your EAs and indicators exactly as you would locally.
4. Enable auto-trading and disconnect. Turn on AutoTrading, confirm your EA shows the green status, and close the Remote Desktop window. The terminal keeps running on the server — disconnecting your screen does not stop it.
Sizing: which plan do you actually need?
For a single MT4 or MT5 terminal with a handful of EAs, our entry Pro plans (from €6.99/month) are sufficient — MetaTrader does not need 3D acceleration or large amounts of RAM. Scale up when you run many terminals side by side, backtest heavily, or load tick-data-intensive tools. All plans include full administrator access, NVMe storage, 99.9% uptime, and unmetered bandwidth on a 10 Gbps port.
MT4 vs MT5 on a VPS: any difference?
Operationally, none — both install and run the same way, and both are supported on every PetroSky plan, as is cTrader. MT5 is the more actively developed platform and handles more asset classes; MT4 remains the default for many EA ecosystems. Run both side by side on one VPS if your strategies span both — they do not conflict.
Conclusion
If you trade with EAs, a VPS is not an optimization — it is the difference between a strategy that runs as designed and one that quietly stops with your home connection. Pick the location closest to your broker, start small on specs, and scale only when your terminal count grows. Our Forex VPS plans deploy in about 30 seconds in Paris or Quebec, with a 7-day refund policy if it does not fit your setup.
