Fair Usage Policy

1. Purpose of This Fair Usage Policy

MetaTrader API is sold as a per-seat plan. Each paid seat allows one (1) MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 account to be connected at a time, billed per billing month as described in Sections 2 and 5 of our Terms.

MetaTrader API operates technical infrastructure with finite computing, memory, network, storage, MetaTrader connection, WebSocket and database resources. The technical limits stated in this Policy and in our API documentation keep that infrastructure stable for every customer.

This Policy is therefore designed to protect:

• the stability and availability of MetaTrader API;
• the performance experienced by all MetaTrader API customers;
• the security and integrity of our infrastructure;
• customers from arbitrary service interruptions;
• MetaTrader API from unusually resource-intensive or abusive usage.

Our intention is to let legitimate customers grow freely within these limits, and to discuss exceptional usage with them individually rather than interrupt it.

2. Plans Covered by This Policy

This Policy applies to the per-seat plan, to private hosting seats, and to individually negotiated agreements that reference it. There is no plan with unlimited accounts: every connected account uses a paid seat. There are no free trials, free seats or test keys.

3. Seats and Connected Accounts

• One seat allows one MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 account to be connected at a time.
• Disconnecting an account frees its seat for the rest of the billing month; connecting another account uses that free seat at no additional charge (see "Seat rotation" in Section 11 for when a seat may change accounts).
• When all paid seats are in use, connecting another account adds a seat, which is charged automatically to the card on file as described in our Terms.
• A customer can hold up to 50 seats. More seats are available on request: contact support@metatraderapi.net and we will raise the limit where the usage profile allows it.

4. Technical Limits

The following limits apply to every customer. They are enforced automatically and are documented in our API documentation (https://app.metatraderapi.net/docs):

• REST requests: bursts of up to 40 requests per API key, refilled at 20 requests per second. Requests over the limit are answered with HTTP 429 and a Retry-After value.
• WebSocket: up to 25 concurrent streams per connected account; quotes are delivered at most once every 200 ms per symbol.
• Seats: up to 50 per customer, more on request.
• Provisioning with a management key: the same 40-request burst and 20 requests per second.
• Uploaded Expert Advisor files: up to about 750 KB per file.
• Failed authentication: repeated failures from one IP address block that address temporarily.

These limits are not a promise of capacity for any particular workload, and they may be adjusted to protect the service, with notice where a change materially affects existing customers.

5. Fair Use of Connections and History Requests

Within these limits, customers must use connections and data requests reasonably. In particular, customers should avoid:

• connecting and disconnecting accounts in rapid cycles, or repeatedly reconnecting the same account;
• repeated authentication attempts with wrong broker credentials;
• repeatedly downloading the complete order or price history of an account where the same data has already been retrieved and an incremental request (by date range) would do;
• polling prices, positions or orders at high frequency where the WebSocket stream delivers the same information;
• opening unnecessary duplicate WebSocket streams, or reconnecting streams without backoff;
• uncontrolled retry loops, duplicate workers and other malfunctioning software.

6. What We Consider When Evaluating Fair Usage

When evaluating whether usage remains reasonable, MetaTrader API may consider factors including:

• API request frequency, volume, and peak/average requests per second;
• number of WebSocket streams and their reconnection frequency;
• account connection and reconnection frequency;
• volume and frequency of historical data requests;
• repeated polling of identical endpoints;
• load caused on our servers and on broker servers;
• frequency of provisioning and deleting accounts, and account rotation;
• usage that materially affects infrastructure available to other customers.

No single factor necessarily determines whether usage is fair. MetaTrader API may assess the complete technical usage profile.

7. Fair Usage Review

Where MetaTrader API identifies unusually high usage, we may contact the customer to understand the use case before taking action. Our preferred approach is to work with the customer on a technical or commercial solution rather than limiting service, for example:

• API usage optimization and better use of the WebSocket stream;
• reduced polling and incremental history requests;
• a higher seat limit;
• private hosting;
• an individually agreed commercial arrangement.

This Section does not apply to abuse, security threats, deliberate attacks, illegal activity, or conduct that creates an immediate risk to MetaTrader API infrastructure (see Sections 12 and 13).

8. No Per-Request or Per-Stream Fees

Usage within the limits of this Policy is covered by the seat price. MetaTrader API does not charge per request or per stream. The only usage-based charge is the seat: an additional connected account uses an additional seat, which is charged automatically to the card on file as described in our Terms.

9. Automated Trading and Copy-Trading Systems

MetaTrader API recognizes that many customers operate automated trading platforms, trading journals, SaaS platforms, analytics systems, copy-trading systems, Expert Advisor integrations and prop trading infrastructure. Such commercial uses are permitted. Automatically generated usage is subject to the same limits and to this Policy, and must comply with your broker's terms and applicable regulations.

10. Commercial Resale and SaaS Usage

Customers may integrate MetaTrader API into their own commercial product, application or service and connect accounts belonging to their own users or customers. A subscription may not be used to resell raw access to MetaTrader API itself to unrelated third parties, or be shared between unrelated companies, unless MetaTrader API has agreed to that arrangement in writing.

11. Prohibited Circumvention

Customers must not attempt to circumvent the limits of this Policy by, among other things:

• creating multiple customer accounts or subscriptions to bypass the seat limit or a restriction we have agreed with you;
• rotating accounts through a seat so that one seat serves more accounts than it is paid for (see "Seat rotation" below);
• creating additional API keys for the sole purpose of multiplying the request limit for one account or workload (separate keys for separate accounts are fine);
• proxying abusive traffic through multiple IP addresses;
• interfering with monitoring systems or providing false information regarding usage.

Circumvention may be treated as a material violation of the Terms.

Seat rotation

A seat is paid for one connected account at a time. Rotating a seat means disconnecting the account on it and connecting a different account in its place. This is allowed and costs nothing extra when it reflects a real change, for example:

• replacing an account that has been closed, funded anew, migrated to another broker server or handed back by a client;
• moving a seat to a new user or client of your product who will stay connected;
• occasionally swapping test or evaluation accounts while you build or support your integration.

Rotation is abuse when a seat is used to serve, one after another, several accounts that each need ongoing access, so that more accounts are kept in use than seats are paid for. Examples are connecting a pool of accounts in turn to read their balances, history or positions and disconnecting them again; scheduling accounts to take turns on a seat; and connecting an account only for the moment it trades and then releasing the seat for the next one. As a guide, a seat that changes accounts many times in a billing month, or that regularly returns to accounts it served before, is treated as serving all of those accounts.

Where we see such a pattern, we will contact you and ask you to hold one seat for each account in ongoing use. If the pattern continues, we may limit how often the affected seats can change accounts, add the seats needed to cover the accounts actually served (charged as described in our Terms), or treat it as a material violation of the Terms. Genuine replacements as described above are never charged.

12. Technical Abuse

The following activities are prohibited regardless of the number of seats:

• denial-of-service attacks or deliberate infrastructure overload;
• penetration testing without authorization (see our responsible disclosure policy, https://www.metatraderapi.net/en/security/);
• exploitation of vulnerabilities or unauthorized access attempts;
• credential stuffing;
• malicious traffic;
• attempts to disable monitoring or security systems;
• use of MetaTrader API for unlawful activities.

MetaTrader API may suspend or restrict such activity immediately where necessary to protect its infrastructure or other customers.

13. Malfunctioning Customer Software and Immediate Intervention

Customer software can create unintended excessive usage through bugs, infinite loops, aggressive retries, failed reconnection logic or duplicate workers. Where practicable, MetaTrader API will notify the customer. MetaTrader API may, without advance notice, temporarily rate-limit, restrict or isolate traffic where usage threatens service availability, creates a security risk, materially affects other customers, or appears fraudulent or malicious.

Such temporary protective action does not terminate the subscription. It does not close or modify open positions or pending orders, which remain with your broker.

14. Temporary Traffic Spikes

Trading applications may see temporary spikes during major market events, news, market opens and closes, bulk onboarding or broker reconnects. Temporary spikes within the technical limits are not a Fair Usage violation by themselves. Fair Usage reviews focus on sustained, repetitive or materially disproportionate resource consumption.

15. Broker-Side Limitations

MetaTrader API connects to servers operated by MetaTrader brokers and other third parties. Brokers may apply their own limits on sessions, requests, logins or operations, and maintenance or routing on their side may affect the service. MetaTrader API is not responsible for third-party restrictions outside its reasonable control.

MetaTrader API is an independent service and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by MetaQuotes Ltd. “MetaTrader”, “MT4”, and “MT5” are registered trademarks of MetaQuotes Ltd.

16. Customer Responsibility

Customers are responsible for designing and operating their applications reasonably. Customers should:

• use the WebSocket stream instead of high-frequency polling;
• respect HTTP 429 responses and the Retry-After value;
• implement exponential backoff for retries and reconnects;
• request history incrementally, by date range;
• close unused connections and streams;
• monitor their own systems for bugs;
• protect API keys, management keys and account credentials, and report compromised credentials immediately to support@metatraderapi.net.

Usage generated through a customer's valid credentials is attributed to that customer unless the customer promptly reports unauthorized access.

17. Monitoring

MetaTrader API monitors technical usage metrics (connections, traffic, request rates, resource usage and account sessions) to operate the service, ensure reliability, enforce security, detect abuse, plan capacity and administer this Policy. We do not read or analyze the content of your API requests. Monitoring is conducted in accordance with our Privacy Policy (https://www.metatraderapi.net/en/privacy/).

18. Larger Deployments and Custom Agreements

Customers expecting more than 50 seats, or particularly heavy API or WebSocket usage, are encouraged to contact MetaTrader API at support@metatraderapi.net before launch. Custom arrangements may include a higher seat limit, private hosting, volume pricing or customized usage terms. Where a written custom agreement conflicts with this Policy, the custom agreement prevails to the extent of that conflict.

19. Changes to This Policy

MetaTrader API may update this Policy to reflect infrastructure, product, operational, commercial or legal changes. Where a change materially affects existing customers, MetaTrader API will give notice as described in Section 12 of our Terms. Individually agreed contractual commitments remain governed by their agreement.

20. Summary

• One seat connects one MT4 or MT5 account; there is no unlimited plan.
• Up to 50 seats per customer, more on request.
• A seat may change accounts for genuine replacements; one seat must not serve several accounts in turn.
• REST: bursts of 40 requests, 20 requests per second, per API key.
• WebSocket: up to 25 concurrent streams per account.
• Use connections and history requests reasonably; prefer the stream over polling.
• No per-request or per-stream fees; an additional connected account uses an additional seat.
• Unusually high but legitimate usage is discussed with the customer first.
• MetaTrader API may act immediately against abuse, security threats or serious technical risk.