MT5 account types and what they change in your trade history

Cost models, lot sizes and settings behind the account names, and how to compare accounts from your own records.

Brokers sell MT5 accounts under many names: Standard, Raw, ECN, Pro, Zero, Cent and more. The names are marketing, not a platform standard, and the same word can mean different things at different brokers. What matters for a trader who keeps a journal is how the account charges its costs, because that decides what appears in the commission, swap and profit columns of the history. This page explains the cost models, what to expect in your records, and how to compare accounts by reading your own history, not the sales page.

The two main cost models

Most retail accounts fall into one of two groups. In the first, the broker earns from the spread, so the price you see is wider and the commission column stays empty or close to it. In the second, the spread is narrower and the broker adds a separate commission per lot, which appears in the commission column of the deals. Neither model is cheaper in every case. It depends on how often you trade, which symbols and how big. The only honest way to compare them is with a record of what you really paid.

The table is a description of two common patterns, not a statement about any particular broker. Read your own account specification, and see how commission appears in MT5 for what the column means.

Other things the account name can change

• Contract size and lot size: a cent account may use very small units, which changes what 1.00 lot means. See lot size and contract size.
• Account currency: a cent or multi-currency account may show balances in a different unit; see profit currency vs account currency.
• Swap rules: some accounts are swap-free, which replaces overnight swaps with other fees; see swap-free accounts explained.
• Hedging or netting mode: set when the account is opened and often tied to the account type; see hedging vs netting.
• Execution and filling rules, covered in execution modes and filling policies.

A journal that mixes accounts of different types without noting the type will give misleading averages. A trade with a commission of a few dollars on one account and none on another does not mean one broker is better; it may just be the pricing model.

How to read the costs from your own history

Open the History tab, select Deals, and add up three columns over a period of your choice: commission, swap and profit. If commission is zero but you trade often, the cost is in the spread. To estimate it, compare the entry price and the price at the same moment on the chart, or consult the spread information described in spread and slippage in trade history. If commission is not zero, it is visible directly. The practical question is: for the trades I really make, what did each account cost per lot, all in? The answer comes from your records, and it can differ from the marketing page.

AI Trading Journal reads closed positions and gives each result as profit plus commission plus swap, so the commission and swap are already inside the figures you see. It does not record the spread you paid or intended prices, so it cannot split a spread cost out of the profit. For a broader look at fees, read trading costs in MT5 history and the trading cost calculator.

Journal each account separately

The simplest rule is to treat each account as its own journal and label its type in your notes. AI Trading Journal supports several MT5 accounts, each kept as its own journal, so a Raw account and a Standard account do not mix their statistics. When you review, compare them side by side, not blended. If you run a demo and a live account, the same logic applies; the page on demo vs live journals explains it.

A worked example (hypothetical)

A trader uses two accounts for a month with the same approach and the same number of trades. Account A has no commission and a wider spread; account B charges a commission per lot and has a narrower spread. At the end of the month, the commission column on B adds up to a visible figure, while A shows none. A casual glance suggests A is cheaper. But when the trader compares the profit columns, B’s net result after commission is similar to A’s, because the narrower spread paid back the commission on the symbols traded. The trader writes in the journal that for this symbol and size, the two accounts were close, and that a longer sample is needed. All numbers here are invented.

Limits and cautions

• Account names and cost models differ by broker; check the specification on your broker’s own site.
• The app does not record spread, slippage or intended prices; it records closed positions with profit, commission and swap.
• A short sample proves little; costs also change with market conditions.
• This page does not recommend any broker or account type.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• A local trading journal for MT5
• P&L calendar for MT5
• Trade notes, ratings and screenshots
• Trading progress and goals
• Back up your journal and move it to a new PC
• An offline trading journal for Windows
• How to set monthly trading goals
• Import your whole MT5 history
• How to tag trades
• Trade screenshots for your journal
• All trading journal comparisons