The term API stands for Application Programming Interface. APIs are common in software platforms as they allow for extensibility and integration. API users can program their own solutions on top of an API enabled software platform. cTrader platform offers not only one but three different APIs that allow traders, third party solution providers and brokers to extend the platform’s functionality and develop innovative solutions extending the unique capabilities of cTrader. Here we explore these three APIs and illustrate the various use cases for each one.
cTrader Automate API
cTrader Automate API is an API that has been built into cTrader Desktop and allows easy and fast development of cBots, indicators and platform add ons. cTrader Automate API can only be accessed through cTrader Desktop and the outcome can only be a cBot or an indicator. However it offers client side libraries that allow easy and fast development of trading strategies and charting solutions and it is ideal for algorithmic trading and platform add ons programming. There are hundreds of open source cBots and indicators available that can extend cTrader platform, as well as used as examples for understanding the API and become the base for further development.
If you want to start using cTrader Automate API, you can start from the following resources
cTrader Open API
cTrader Open API is a proprietary cTrader API that allows developers to interact directly with cTrader servers for account information retrieval and trading, without any dependency on a client based application or library. Open API uses Protocol Buffers for an easy and efficient exchange of messages between the client and the server. Open API is a very flexible API as it allows you to interact with cTrader Server directly. In other words, you can build your own custom trading UI using Open API. Open API is ideal for custom trading applications, proprietary trading strategies and trading analytics tools. Notable use cases of Open API include myfxbook for trading analytics, cMAM for copying trades, Tekton Algotrading for algorithmic trading, as well as charting package integrations like QuanTower, NinjaTrader and TradingView.
Some useful resources for cTrader Open API are the below
cTrader FIX API
cTrader FIX API is an API based on the FIX Protocol, which is used as a worldwide standard for financial information exchange. cTrader FIX API is more limited than Open API, since it does not facilitate account information retrieval, however it is a protocol used by many existing trading applications and tools that allow connection to various environments that provide FIX based connections. Therefore cTrader FIX API is an ideal solution for an easy integration for existing applications with the cTrader platform.
Some useful resources for cTrader FIX API are the below
cTrader’s APIs cover all the extensibility needs of the platform and allow the trading community to enhance cTrader with value added functionality, making the platform the no 1 choice for traders.
