Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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How Do I Create a Live or Demo MT5 Account?

You can create either a live MT5 account through My IG or a demo account directly in the MT5 platform.

How Do I Add a Live MT5 Account?

To add a live MT5 account, you must first have access to My IG.

Step 1 – Access Your Account

  1. Log in to My IG
  2. Select 'Add another account'

 

Step 2 – Set Up MT5

  1. Choose MetaTrader 5 CFD or MetaTrader 5 Spread Bet depending on your preferred account type
  2. Check your email for your MT5 password
  3. Download and log in to the MT5 platform with your MT5 ID and password, choosing the IG-Live server to start trading

 

Title: My IG dashboard — Add Another Account - Description: My IG dashboard — Add Another Account

My IG dashboard — select 'Add another account'

UK account types:

CFD accounts are available for clients who wish to trade contracts for difference. Spread Bet accounts are also available for UK clients and may have different tax treatment depending on your circumstances. You can hold both account types simultaneously.


Once you complete these steps, you can begin trading on a live MT5 account whilst keeping all your chart data and analysis intact.



How Do I Create a Demo MT5 Account?

You can create the demo account directly within the MT5 platform itself. It is not possible to create a demo MT5 account through My IG.

 

Title: MT5 platform showing Open an Account option - Description: MT5 platform showing Open an Account option

MT5 platform — File > Open an Account to create a demo

To set up a demo account:

  1. Download MT5 for PC or Mac
  2. Open the MT5 platform
  3. Click on 'File' in the top left corner of the platform
  4. Select 'Open an Account'
  5. Choose 'IG-Demo' as the trading server
  6. Select 'New Demo Account'
  7. Enter your contact details and choose your currency
  8. Note your login details from the confirmation screen and select 'Finish'
  9. Your login details will also be available in your MT5 Mailbox, located at the bottom of the platform.

 

Important Considerations for Demo Accounts

  • Demo accounts expire after 60 consecutive days of inactivity.
  • We cannot reset MT5 demo account passwords – you'll need to create a new account if you forget your password.
  • Demo accounts don't match live markets exactly. They run in controlled environments and won't show the slippage you might experience in live trading.

 




Important:

For live accounts, you'll receive a five or six-digit account number specifically for MT5, which differs from your standard IG account details.

When logging into any platform version, live account users must select 'IG-Live' as the server or manually type the address: mt5.ig.com:443

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