November 29, 2025

Pine Script vs MQL5 — Which Programming Language Should You Learn?

By HorizonAI Team

Want to automate your trading or build custom indicators, but not sure whether to learn Pine Script or MQL5? Both languages let you create powerful trading tools, but they serve different platforms and trading styles.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know to make the right choice.

Quick Overview

Pine Script:

Platform: TradingView
Primary Use: Indicators, strategies, alerts
Execution: Backtesting only (no live automation)
Difficulty: Easier
Markets: All (stocks, forex, crypto, etc.)
Community: Large, active

MQL5:

Platform: MetaTrader 5
Primary Use: EAs (trading bots), indicators
Execution: Live automated trading
Difficulty: More complex
Markets: Primarily Forex/CFDs
Community: Large, mature

TL;DR: Learn Pine Script first if you want quick visualization and strategy development. Learn MQL5 if you need fully automated live trading, especially in forex.

What is Pine Script?

Pine Script is TradingView's proprietary scripting language for creating custom indicators, strategies, and alerts.

Key characteristics:

Designed specifically for charting and technical analysis
Runs entirely within TradingView's web platform
High-level language—simple syntax, fast results
No live trading execution (backtesting and alerts only)
Free to use with TradingView account

What You Can Build with Pine Script

Custom Indicators: Moving averages, oscillators, overlays
Trading Strategies: Backtest with Strategy Tester
Alerts: Get notified when conditions are met
Visual Tools: Drawing tools, labels, tables
Screeners: Filter assets based on custom criteria

//@version=6
indicator("Simple EMA Crossover", overlay=true)

fast = ta.ema(close, 9)
slow = ta.ema(close, 21)

plot(fast, "Fast EMA", color=color.blue)
plot(slow, "Slow EMA", color=color.red)

// Alert conditions
alertcondition(ta.crossover(fast, slow), "Bullish Cross", "EMA bullish crossover")
alertcondition(ta.crossunder(fast, slow), "Bearish Cross", "EMA bearish crossover")

What is MQL5?

MQL5 (MetaQuotes Language 5) is the programming language for MetaTrader 5, designed for creating trading robots, indicators, and scripts.

Key characteristics:

C-like syntax (more traditional programming)
Runs on MetaTrader 5 desktop application
Full live trading automation capabilities
Direct broker integration
Compiles to optimized executable code

What You Can Build with MQL5

Expert Advisors (EAs): Fully automated trading bots
Custom Indicators: Technical analysis tools
Scripts: One-time execution tasks
Libraries: Reusable code modules
Services: Background processes

Key Differences Explained

1. Live Trading vs Backtesting Only

MQL5:

Creates Expert Advisors that execute real trades
Direct connection to broker
24/7 automated trading possible

Pine Script:

Backtesting and paper trading only
Must manually execute trades or use alerts + third-party automation
Alerts can trigger external systems (via webhooks)

Important: If you need a bot to automatically open/close trades without intervention, MQL5 is your only native option. Pine Script requires third-party tools to bridge to brokers.

2. Learning Curve

Pine Script (Easier):

Purpose-built for traders, not programmers
Many built-in functions (no need to code from scratch)
Immediate visual feedback on charts
Can create working indicators in hours

MQL5 (Harder):

C-like syntax requires programming knowledge
More verbose—must handle many details manually
May take weeks to feel comfortable

3. Platform and Market Access

Pine Script (TradingView):

Access to virtually all markets: stocks, forex, crypto, commodities, indices
Data from multiple exchanges built-in
Web-based—works on any device

MQL5 (MetaTrader 5):

Primarily forex and CFDs
Stock access depends on broker
Desktop application (Windows primarily)

4. Backtesting Quality

Pine Script:

Bar-by-bar simulation (not tick-level)
Simplified execution model
Great for quick validation

MQL5:

Tick-by-tick simulation available
Multiple modeling modes
Better for precise performance analysis

5. Code Complexity Comparison

Here's the same EMA crossover strategy in both languages:

Pine Script (17 lines):

//@version=6
strategy("EMA Cross", overlay=true)

fast = ta.ema(close, 9)
slow = ta.ema(close, 21)

if ta.crossover(fast, slow)
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
    
if ta.crossunder(fast, slow)
    strategy.close("Long")

plot(fast, color=color.blue)
plot(slow, color=color.red)

MQL5 (~60+ lines) for the same functionality—requires handling indicator buffers, trade requests, error checking, and more boilerplate code.

Which Should You Learn First?

Learn Pine Script First If:

✅ You're new to programming ✅ You want quick results and visual feedback ✅ You trade stocks, crypto, or multiple asset classes ✅ You need to rapidly prototype and test ideas ✅ You primarily do manual trading (with alerts)

Path: Pine Script → Test ideas → Successful strategies → Convert to MQL5 for automation

Learn MQL5 First If:

✅ You have programming experience (especially C/C++) ✅ You specifically trade forex/CFDs ✅ You need fully automated trading NOW ✅ You want to sell EAs on the marketplace ✅ Your broker requires MetaTrader

Path: MQL5 → Build EA → Backtest thoroughly → Deploy live automation

Pro tip: Most traders benefit from learning Pine Script first—it's faster to iterate ideas. Then learn MQL5 when you have a proven strategy worth automating.

Learning Both Languages

The concepts transfer between languages:

Moving Average: Pine Script ta.ema(close, 14) → MQL5 iMA(symbol, tf, 14, ...)
Entry Signal: Pine Script strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long) → MQL5 OrderSend(request, result)
Close Position: Pine Script strategy.close("Long") → MQL5 Trade request
Alert/Print: Pine Script alert() → MQL5 Print(), Alert()

Once you understand one, the other becomes much easier. The trading logic is identical—only the syntax differs.

Using HorizonAI for Both

HorizonAI supports both Pine Script and MQL5, making it easy to:

Prototype in Pine Script for quick validation
Convert to MQL5 when ready for automation
Generate both versions from the same strategy description

Example workflow:

"Create an EMA crossover strategy in Pine Script"
↓
Test and refine on TradingView
↓
"Convert this Pine Script to MQL5 Expert Advisor"

Cross-platform prompts:

"Build this strategy in both Pine Script and MQL5"
"I have this Pine Script, convert it to an MT5 EA"
"Convert my MQL5 indicator to Pine Script for visualization"

Try it free →

Summary Comparison

Pine Script:

Platform: TradingView (web)
Live Trading: No (alerts only)
Learning Curve: Easy (1-2 weeks)
Markets: All (stocks, forex, crypto)
Backtesting: Bar-level
Community: TradingView scripts

MQL5:

Platform: MetaTrader 5 (desktop)
Live Trading: Yes (Expert Advisors)
Learning Curve: Moderate (1-2 months)
Markets: Primarily Forex/CFDs
Backtesting: Tick-level available
Community: MQL5.com marketplace

FAQs

Can Pine Script strategies run automatically?

Not natively. Pine Script can generate alerts, which you can connect to third-party services to execute trades. It's possible but requires additional setup.

Can I convert Pine Script to MQL5?

Yes! The logic transfers directly—only syntax changes. HorizonAI can convert between them.

Which has better backtesting?

MQL5 has more precise backtesting (tick-level data). Pine Script is faster to iterate but less precise.

Is MQL5 free?

MetaTrader 5 platform is free. You'll need a broker account for live trading.

Which is better for beginners?

Pine Script. The learning curve is gentler and visual feedback is immediate.

Recommendation

Start with Pine Script to learn trading logic quickly
Validate your strategies with TradingView backtesting
Learn MQL5 when you have a proven strategy worth automating
Use HorizonAI to generate code in either language without memorizing syntax

The best language is the one that helps you achieve your goals. For most traders, that means Pine Script first, MQL5 later.

Have questions about Pine Script vs MQL5? Join our Discord to discuss with other traders!