High-frequency trading is a form of algorithmic trading that executes an extremely large number of orders at very high speed, often holding positions for mere seconds or less, exploiting tiny, fleeting price inefficiencies. It requires specialized low-latency infrastructure — direct market access, colocation near exchange servers, and FIX API connections — well beyond what standard retail platforms provide.
HFT is dominated by institutional and professional operations rather than individual retail traders, given the infrastructure and capital scale required to compete at that speed.
Next step
Guide
Choosing a Trading Platform: MT4, MT5, cTrader and the Broker's Own
The platform decides which orders you can place, whether your stops survive a closed laptop, and how much you would have to rewrite to leave. What actually differs between the options — and the point where the platform stops mattering and the broker takes over.