Brokers today operate across multiple trading platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, B2Trader, and increasingly proprietary or white-label solutions. Each platform exposes its own API—different protocols, data models, and authentication. Building integrations that span platforms multiplies development effort and maintenance cost.
The Fragmentation Problem
MT4 uses the Manager API and MQL; MT5 has its own Manager API and REST endpoints; cTrader offers Open API with different semantics. Volume is expressed differently (lots vs. units), symbols are named differently, and order types don't map 1:1. A developer building a CRM that supports all three platforms must learn three APIs and maintain three integration paths.
The Abstraction Layer Approach
A unified API sits between applications and platforms. It defines a single data model, a single protocol, and a single authentication flow. Platform adapters translate between the unified interface and each platform's native API. Applications integrate once; the abstraction handles platform diversity.
Benefits include:
- Lower development cost: One integration instead of N
- Faster feature delivery: New platforms require adapter work, not application changes
- Consistent behavior: Volume normalization, symbol mapping, and error handling are centralized
- Easier testing: Mock the unified API; test against all platforms
The Future of Broker Tech
As brokers add more platforms and products, unified APIs become essential. WebAPI is B2Broker's implementation of this pattern—enabling B2Copy, B2Core, and other products to support MT4, MT5, cTrader, B2Trader, and future platforms through a single integration point.