Overview
Trading forex on a MacBook can be tedious if forex traders do not have the right software. While Apple is a large company, one of the largest in the world, it only has a 10% share in the personal computer market.
However, not everyone who uses a MacBook is interested in trading forex online and this translates to a lack of support for macOS-compatible desktop trading platforms.
Following the Catalina update, MetaTrader 4 compatibility with macOS was broker, meaning that many forex traders who relied on MT4 had to seek other trading platforms to allow them to trade the financial markets.
Fortunately, with advancements in hardware and software alike, there are still a few trading platforms that are available for download and use on macOS.
10 Best Forex Brokers in South Africa for 2025
Rank
Broker
Review
Regulators
Min Deposit
Official Site
Thinkorswim
Thinkorswim is the proprietary trading platform for TD Ameritrade, a large and well-established US-based investment broker and facilitator of forex and CFD trading.
TD Ameritrade is a prominent company in the United States that has a long history of name changes, mergers, acquisitions, and several other milestones.
Thinkorswim is one of these acquisitions that was completed in 2009 and while TD Ameritrade offers a wide variety of products and services, it is well-known for its powerful, innovative trading software.
The Thinkorswim trading platform is available for Mac OS X 10.7.3, or later.
Features that traders can expect from the Thinkorswim platform and TD Ameritrade include useful tools such as a heat map that can pinpoint market strengths as well as weaknesses, stock watch lists, market research, and more.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Advanced charting tools | High commissions |
| Over 400 technical studies | Time-consuming learning process |
| More than 20 drawing tools | Overwhelming interface |
| Charts can be viewed in full-screen mode | |
| Demo account included | |
| Use of advanced orders in addition to normal orders | |
| Perfect for professional traders |
XTB – xStation 5
xStation 5 is a user-friendly and highly customizable trading platform with superior trade execution, and a wide range of trading tools including a trader’s calculator, performance statistics, and an in-depth market sentiment analysis.
The xStation5 offers traders advanced chart trading opportunities that allow them to use market orders, stop losses, and take profit levels, as well as pending orders on the actual chart alongside market order depth.
There is a one-click dealing system that offers traders a convenient and efficient way to trade. There are also live performance statistics that help traders analyze their performance to identify the markets in which they perform well.
xStation 5 also has built-in indicators such as Fibonacci, MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands, and several others. Traders can easily create templates of their trading strategies and save them for future use.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Wide range of tradable financial instruments | Inactivity fee charged |
| Tight spreads and reliable trade executions | |
| Trading academy provided | |
| Low minimum deposit requirement |
Metatrader 5
MetaTrader 5 is a 64-bit application, meaning that it is supported even by the most current macOS versions. MetaQuotes has detailed information on the process involving the installation and use of PlayOnMac, based on WINE, which is a compatibility layer for running Microsoft Windows-based applications on Mac.
Even though MetaTrader 5 is not a native macOS application, MetaTrader 5 is one of the most powerful, reliable trading platforms in the industry and is highly recommended for use on macOS devices.
MetaTrader 5 can be downloaded for use on macOS laptops and PCs in addition to being used on iOS iPhones and iPads as well. While MetaTrader 5 is designed for most traders, it serves advanced traders and day traders the best.
MetaTrader 5 is a multi-asset, multi-functional platform that allows traders access to multi-account managing through different brokers. MetaTrader 5 also offers price data, the use of non-tradable assets, margin for open positions, and several other features.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| User-friendly, intuitive interface | Hedging trading strategies disabled for exchange markets |
| A comprehensive suite of analytical tools | Advance tools may be intimidating to beginner traders |
| Eight different pending orders | |
| 21 different timeframes | |
| Wide range of asset classes can be traded | |
| Economic calendar provided |
OANDA Trade Desktop
OANDA is a well-known, well-established global forex broker and trading platform based in the United States. OANDA is a broker that specializes in forex trading, alongside the provision of corporate and institutional forex services.
OANDA is technology-driven and has made several significant contributions toward reforming the online trading industry. OANDA is a world-renowned broker that accepts traders from the United States and several other regions around the world, with regulations in each jurisdiction where it offers its services.
The OANDA Trade Desktop application is available for Mac OS X 10.9 and later.
The OANDA proprietary trading platform offers traders a wide range of technical indicators, tools for technical analysis as well as fundamental analysis, charting tools for expert traders, and a simple, intuitive layout that is easy to understand for beginner traders.
The proprietary trading platform has 10 different chart types, a wide range of indicators, and 32 overlays in total, making the desktop trading platform ideal for beginner and experienced traders.
In addition to this, OANDA also offers educational materials in multiple languages, making it easier for forex traders to learn in their native language.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| More than 70 tradable instruments | Retirement accounts are not offered |
| Comprehensive and user-friendly trading platform | |
| Mobile platform available for iPhone and iPad |
SaxoTraderPRO
SaxoTraderPRO is the proprietary trading platform of Saxo Bank, a well-known and reputable financial specialist that offers a wide range of online trading and investment products.
Saxo Bank is based in Denmark and has a global presence with corresponding licenses in the jurisdictions where it accommodates traders. Despite the name, Saxo is not a typical bank, but the company has a conventional banking license, with a focus on trading and investment services.
With a single trading account, traders are exposed to more than 35,000 different tradable financial instruments. The SaxoTraderPRO platform is natively available for macOS and supports macOS 10.11 and up.
The functionality of the trading platform is superb and it offers a large selection of professional trading features such as supporting up to six monitors, streaming order books on Level 2, streaming time as well as sales, and a variety of algorithmic orders.
Charting on the platform is powerful and robust, with subtle touches seamlessly incorporated such as countdown timers that show the remaining time on every candle on the chart.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Well-regulated and robust security features | High minimum deposit requirement |
| Powerful trading tools | US traders and investors not accepted |
| In-depth market analysis | Inactivity fee charged |
| Third-party tools such as TradingView, MultiCharts, and Dynamic Trend |
Interactive Brokers TWS
Interactive Brokers is one of the largest US online forex brokers in the industry. Interactive Brokers offers a wide range of tradable financial instruments and a choice in proprietary trading platforms.
IB Trader Workstation or TWS is the flagship trading platform for the broker that is available for download across several devices that run a different OS, including macOS X.
With TWS, investors, traders, and institutions can trade a variety of tradable instruments, and gain access to customizable charts on several different timeframes.
Traders are also given a range of technical indicators, analytical tools, over 100 order types, algorithmic trading, and more. There is also professional news alongside analysis from Reuters, Dow Jones, Trading Central, and several other providers.
There are more than 26 advanced trading tools from FXTrader, BookTrader, SpreadTrader, Volatility lab, and more.
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Multi-regulated broker | Limited payment methods |
| Research and analysis | Clients from 10+ countries not accepted |
| Comprehensive educational materials | Fixed spreads not offered |
| Multiple useful trading tools |
ProTrader
Most of the options on this list relate to proprietary trading platforms that are provided by forex brokers, but ProTrader is a white-label trading platform that was developed by PSOFT.
ProTrader shares some similarities with MetaTrader 4 and cTrader, with forex brokers that can white label ProTrader and offer their brokerage services through their instance of ProTrader.
However, there is a lack of brokers that offer ProTrader, and to use this trading platform, a license must be purchased from the platform itself, starting at $10 (140.50 ZAR) a month, with discounts on long-term commitments.
Some of the most popular brokers that ProTrader can be used with include OANDA, LMAX, and FXCM, amongst several others.
ProTrader can be downloaded and used on macOS and has a wide range of features for Mac users including:
- Multi-asset trading
- In-depth market analysis
- Risk management
- The ability to trade using hedging
- Direct market access (DMA)
- The development of algorithmic trading strategies
- Personalized trading support
Pros and Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Wide range of features | Not compatible with many brokers |
| Well-established | Not offered by any brokers |
| Caters perfectly to professional clients |
FAQ
Can I download these trading platforms onto my MacBook without third-party software to run it?
MetaTrader 5 is the one trading platform that will require the download and installation of PlayOnMac to run the application. Other platforms are either available through Safari or can be downloaded directly onto the Macbook.
Which trading platform is the best for macOS?
This will depend on the individual trader. The trading platforms on this list are the best for macOS, but each has its own set of unique features, pros, and cons.
Do I have to pay for these trading platforms?
Most of these trading platforms are free to use. However, some will require a subscription or monthly fee depending on what you wish to use it for.
Do I need a trading account to use these trading platforms?
If you want to use the proprietary trading platforms offered by forex brokers, you need to register a live trading account with the specific broker to gain access to its trading platform and the full features.
Do these trading platforms support the use of a demo account?
Most of these trading platforms support the use of a demo account, allowing traders to explore the broker’s offer and the platform, or to use it when backtesting trading strategies.
