Charting¶

Trading chart – a graphical representation of the price movements of a financial instrument over time.

Chart modes¶

Single-chart mode – a chart layout option in cTrader Web, Windows and Mac that allows traders to focus entirely on one chart at a time, occupying the full chart area, while still being able to switch to other open charts using tabs.

Multi-chart mode – a chart layout option in cTrader Web, Windows and Mac that allows traders to view multiple charts simultaneously within the chart area, arranged in a fixed-size grid format. Each chart can display a different instrument (or the same instrument with a different period), enabling side-by-side comparison and multi-symbol analysis.

Free-chart mode – a chart layout option in cTrader Web, Windows and Mac that allows traders to view multiple charts simultaneously within the chart area, where the size of charts in the grid is adjustable.

Floating-chart mode – a chart layout option in cTrader Web, Windows and Mac that allows traders to adjust the size of charts and move them freely within the chart area.

Detached chart – a feature available in all chart modes of cTrader Windows and Mac that allows traders to open any trading chart in a separate window, providing greater convenience for multi-screen setups.

Chart types¶

Bar chart – a chart type in cTrader that displays the open, high, low and close prices for each selected period using vertical bars. Each bar represents how the price moved during that period, helping traders analyse trends, volatility and potential reversals.

Candlestick chart – a chart type in cTrader that displays price movements using candlesticks, where each candle shows the open, high, low and close prices for a selected period. Candles are color-coded to indicate bullish or bearish movement, helping traders identify trends and reversals.

Line chart – a chart type in cTrader that connects a series of closing prices with a continuous line. It provides a clean, simplified view of overall market direction, ideal for spotting long-term trends.

Dot chart – a chart type in cTrader that plots price points as individual dots rather than connecting them with lines or bars. It is useful for analysing precise tick-by-tick movements or for traders who prefer an uncluttered display of raw price points.

Area chart - a chart type in cTrader that displays price movement as a continuous line with the area beneath it coloured. It highlights overall price direction and trends using closing prices for each period.

HLC chart - a chart type in cTrader that shows each period as a vertical bar with only the high, low and close prices. Bars are colored green or red based on whether the close is higher or lower than the previous close, making it easy to see price direction and volatility.

Period types¶

Standard - a period type in cTrader that displays price data based on fixed time intervals (1 minute, 5 minutes, 2 days, etc.). Each bar or candle represents all price activity within that selected time period.

Tick - a period type that builds charts from a specified number of price changes (ticks) rather than time. Each bar or candle forms after a set number of ticks, showing pure market activity independent of time.

Renko - a period type that plots price movement using fixed-size bricks measured in pips, ignoring time completely. A new brick is created only when the price moves by the set pip amount, helping traders identify trends and filter out noise.

Range - a period type that forms bars or candles whenever price moves a specified range in pips, regardless of time. Each bar covers that fixed price distance, making it easier to spot volatility and momentum shifts.

Heikin Ashi – a period type that uses time-based intervals (1 minute, 5 minutes, 2 days, etc.) like the standard period but applies averaged price calculations to smooth out fluctuations. It helps visualise trend strength and direction by filtering minor price movements.

Charting tools¶

Chart objects – visual elements in cTrader that include drawings, line studies and standard indicators added to charts for technical analysis. Traders use chart objects to highlight price levels, identify patterns and analyse market behavior.

Drawings – a type of chart object in cTrader used to mark up charts with visual elements such as lines, shapes, Fibonacci tools, equidistant channels, text and more. Drawings help traders analyse price action, identify support and resistance levels and illustrate trading hypotheses directly on the chart.

Standard indicators – a type of chart object in cTrader that provides built-in technical indicators available across all cTrader apps. They are grouped into categories such as trend, oscillators, volatility, volume and other, and are used to analyse market behavior and price dynamics.

Risk-reward – a charting tool in cTrader that allows traders to quickly calculate trade volume directly on the chart based on the amount they are willing to risk or their desired profit target per trade.