Trading platforms - software v's web-browser based platforms

[JTrader]

Hi

while some brokers such as CMC have a trading platform that you need to download and install, other such as Oanda for example have a non-software download - and presumably web-browser based trading platform. I have not used a browser based platform before.

Are there any reasons why one type may be better than the other? i.e. does one tend to be more secure and reliable than the other?

I would guess that web-based trading platforms are easier to access and maybe the updates are instant?

Many thanks

jtrader.

 

[theknifemac]

Hi

while some brokers such as CMC have a trading platform that you need to download and install, other such as Oanda for example have a non-software download - and presumably web-browser based trading platform. I have not used a browser based platform before.

Are there any reasons why one type may be better than the other? i.e. does one tend to be more secure and reliable than the other?

I would guess that web-based trading platforms are easier to access and maybe the updates are instant?

Many thanks

jtrader.

jtrader

You are right that web based platforms will be updated automatically as you are effectively running from the brokers server so they can control when updates are applied etc. However this is not always a good thing - if a new release has problems you have no control over when it is applied to your PC. Also the standalone platforms will normally be more stable and possibly have more features as they are not reliant on your web browser. In the case of IB, most people prefer to use the standalone version rather than the web based platform.

HTH

Stew

 

[JTrader]

Thanks

Oanda list this feature as a benefit, or so it seems throught the way it is phrased -

Multi-currency accounts: US dollar or Euro
No minimum initial deposit required
No monthly fees / No startup costs
No commissions / No transaction fees
No charges for stop or limit orders
Free access to proprietary, quantitative research tools
Truly Internet-based, no software to download
User-friendly, intuitive trading interface
All major spots and many exotic currency pairs
Margin-trading - up to 2% (or 50:1 levarage)
Real-time trade blotter
Real-time account management
Real-time profit and loss analysis
Dynamic exchange rate graphs
Free currency news

Cheers
jtrader.

 

[JTrader]

Oanda -
There is a significant difference between "Java script" (used to automate web pages) and a "Java applet" (like FXTrade); ..............There is nothing inherently unstable or slow about a program written in Java.

Hi

this is the response I got from Oanda with regard to my concerns regarding their trading platform.

Cheers

jtrader.

 

[tomkit66]

Thanks

Oanda list this feature as a benefit, or so it seems throught the way it is phrased -

Truly Internet-based, no software to download

Cheers
jtrader.

I would say the only real advantage is that you can trade using any PC around the world since you don´t need your own computer with the installed platform.

I "heard" many good things about Oanda. Very good spreads, very stable and reliable. On the other hand the platforms charting, indicator etc. ability is at best basic.

Regards
Tom