MT5 Tick Data

Detailed user manual

Quick start

INFO

This quick start guide takes only 5–10 minutes to follow.

Download

After subscribing, you can download tick data installers from our web-based Download Center. Simply select the symbol and spread profile you need, then click the download button.

The installers are split into full years and the current year. The full year files are relatively large but only need to be downloaded once at the beginning of a new year. The current year file is smaller and updated monthly, so you only re-download it at the start of each month to stay up to date.

Note: MT5 Tick Data installers are updated on the 10th of every month to include the latest tick data. Simply re-download and re-install to get the newest data.

Your browser may display a warning when downloading the executable file. This is standard behavior for .exe downloads. Simply choose to keep the file.

Tip: Not sure which spread profile to choose? Start with SPREAD_MEDIUM. It represents average market conditions and is suitable for most validation scenarios. See Included Symbols for the complete list of available symbols and spread profiles.

Start installer

Double-click the downloaded setup file to begin the installation process. The setup process may take up to 10 minutes, including both the installer startup and data copying phases.

Windows may display a SmartScreen security warning because the installer is not yet code-signed. This is expected and safe to proceed:

  1. Click “More info” on the Windows SmartScreen dialog
  2. Then click “Run anyway” to continue the installation

During installation, you will be prompted to enter your login credentials to verify your subscription. These are the same credentials you set up during the checkout process and use to log in to the download center.

Select MetaTrader instance

The installer will ask you to select which MetaTrader 5 instance should receive the tick data. If you have multiple MetaTrader 5 installations on your computer, choose the instance where you want to use the tick data.

Copying of tick data

The copy process may take several minutes as substantial amounts of data are being transferred and configured. Please wait until the installation step is finished.

Important: The selected MetaTrader 5 instance must be closed before continuing. If it is still running, the installer will display a warning.

Discover data in chart

After installation, open your MetaTrader 5. The market watch will now display the newly added custom symbols. These symbols are sourced from offline tick data rather than live feeds and are designed exclusively for use with the strategy tester. They are typically named similarly to the live symbol, with the addition of the spread characteristic. Three custom symbols appear per asset (Low, Medium, High).

Tip: The installer simultaneously adds all available custom symbols to the market watch but only copies the tick data you selected for installation. We recommend separating live trading and strategy tests by running them in different MetaTrader 5 instances.

Using tick data with strategy tester

Open the strategy tester in MetaTrader 5, select your installed custom symbol, and change the data model to Every tick based on real ticks. This enables the most accurate strategy test possible and works universally with any expert advisor or indicator.

SettingRecommended Value
SymbolSelect the installed custom symbol (e.g., EURUSD_SPREAD_MEDIUM)
Data modelEvery tick based on real ticks
PeriodChoose your desired timeframe
Date rangeSet start and end dates within the available tick data range

Important: Always select “Every tick based on real ticks” as the data model to achieve 100% modeling quality, the highest possible accuracy in MetaTrader 5.

Your existing automated strategies require no modifications. MT5 Tick Data operates transparently at the platform level. Simply select the custom symbol and your strategy will automatically use the authentic historical data during validation.

Deleting of tick data

The tick data doesn’t require any special modifications to your MetaTrader, so deletion can be performed easily using the built-in symbol management window.

  1. Open the symbols management window by navigating to View → Symbols
  2. Search for the name of the custom symbol you want to delete
  3. Right-click the symbol and select Delete from the context menu

This will remove both the tick data and the custom symbol from your MetaTrader 5 instance.

Quick reference

TopicDetails
Setup durationUp to 10 minutes per symbol
Monthly updatesAround the 10th of each month
Spread profiles3 per symbol (Low, Medium, High)
Supported symbols26 symbols across multiple asset classes
Data ownershipDownloaded data is yours to keep, even after cancellation
Strategy modificationsNone required, works with all existing strategies
TimezoneUTC+02:00 including Daylight Saving Time (DST)

Need help?

Many common questions are already answered in our frequently asked questions for MT5 Tick Data. Please take a look there first. If you still need help, our support team is happy to assist.

Available symbols

The following 26 symbols are currently available with complete tick data history:

Currencies (19 symbols)

SymbolStart DateEnd DateTimezoneQuality Report
AUDCAD2006-01-012026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
AUDCHF2006-03-012026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
AUDJPY2003-12-012026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
AUDNZD2006-12-122026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
AUDUSD2003-08-042026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
EURAUD2005-10-082026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
EURCAD2004-10-252026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
EURCHF2003-08-042026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
EURGBP2003-08-042026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
EURJPY2003-08-042026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
EURUSD2003-05-052026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
GBPAUD2006-03-222026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
GBPCAD2006-01-032026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
GBPNZD2006-01-032026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
GBPUSD2003-05-052026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
NZDCAD2006-01-032026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
NZDUSD2003-08-042026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
USDCAD2003-08-042026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
USDCHF2003-05-052026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload

Cryptocurrency (2 symbols)

SymbolStart DateEnd DateTimezoneQuality Report
BTCUSD2017-05-072026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
ETHUSD2017-12-112026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload

Commodities (2 symbols)

SymbolStart DateEnd DateTimezoneQuality Report
XAUUSD2003-05-052026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
XBRUSD2013-05-262026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload

Indices (3 symbols)

SymbolStart DateEnd DateTimezoneQuality Report
DE402012-01-302026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
US302012-01-302026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload
US5002012-01-302026-05-31GMT+2 incl. DSTDownload

In preparation

The following 47 symbols are currently being prepared and will be available in future updates:

Need a specific symbol sooner, a custom spread profile, or an adaptation to a different timezone? We offer individual preparation as a service for €199 per job.

Currencies (32 symbols)

SymbolStart DateTimezone
USDJPY2003-05-05GMT+2 incl. DST
CHFJPY2003-08-04GMT+2 incl. DST
GBPCHF2003-08-04GMT+2 incl. DST
GBPJPY2003-08-04GMT+2 incl. DST
USDDKK2003-08-04GMT+2 incl. DST
USDNOK2003-08-04GMT+2 incl. DST
USDSEK2003-08-04GMT+2 incl. DST
USDZAR2003-08-04GMT+2 incl. DST
CADJPY2004-10-25GMT+2 incl. DST
EURDKK2004-10-25GMT+2 incl. DST
EURNOK2004-10-25GMT+2 incl. DST
EURSEK2004-10-28GMT+2 incl. DST
USDSGD2004-11-17GMT+2 incl. DST
CADCHF2006-01-03GMT+2 incl. DST
EURNZD2006-01-03GMT+2 incl. DST
NZDCHF2006-01-03GMT+2 incl. DST
NZDJPY2006-01-03GMT+2 incl. DST
AUDSGD2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
CHFSGD2007-06-05GMT+2 incl. DST
EURHKD2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
EURPLN2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
EURSGD2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
EURTRY2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
EURZAR2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
SGDJPY2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
USDHKD2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
USDHUF2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
USDMXN2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
USDPLN2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
USDRUB2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
USDTRY2007-03-14GMT+2 incl. DST
USDCNH2012-06-27GMT+2 incl. DST

Indices (12 symbols)

SymbolStart DateTimezone
IT402010-10-01GMT+2 incl. DST
SWI202011-09-19GMT+2 incl. DST
STOXX502011-09-19GMT+2 incl. DST
F402011-09-19GMT+2 incl. DST
UK1002011-09-19GMT+2 incl. DST
HK502011-09-19GMT+2 incl. DST
JP2252011-09-19GMT+2 incl. DST
USTEC2011-09-19GMT+2 incl. DST
AUS2002013-01-03GMT+2 incl. DST
NETH252013-02-26GMT+2 incl. DST
CHINA502017-07-18GMT+2 incl. DST
ES352017-12-01GMT+2 incl. DST

Commodities (3 symbols)

SymbolStart DateTimezone
XAGUSD2003-05-05GMT+2 incl. DST
XNGUSD2012-09-02GMT+2 incl. DST
XTIUSD2013-01-01GMT+2 incl. DST

General

Spread types

Each symbol is available in three spread variations to match different provider profiles:

Spread ProfileDescriptionExample Provider
SPREAD_LOWVery optimistic spreadIC Markets raw spread account (with commission per trade)
SPREAD_MEDIUMAverage spread profileIC Markets standard account (without commission per trade)
SPREAD_HIGHHigh spread profileRoboForex standard account (without commission per trade)

The spread is the variable with the most significant impact on the performance result of any automated strategy.

Low spread profile

Example diagram for the low spread profile, representing very tight spreads typical of raw spread accounts.

Medium spread profile

Example diagram for the medium spread profile, representing average market conditions on standard accounts.

High spread profile

Example diagram for the high spread profile, representing wider spreads found on standard retail accounts.

Timezone

All tick data is set to UTC+02:00 and includes Daylight Saving Times (DST).