MetaTrader Market buyer guide
MQL5 downloads
and activations
A number on a product page can look like a sales count when it is not. Here is how to read the public demo-download and activation fields, what seller statistics represent, and which evidence to check before choosing an EA.
Three different measurements
Keep each label in its own lane
MQL5 exposes several marketplace counters. They answer different questions; none is, on its own, a measure of trading quality.
Public product page
“Demo downloaded” is not “purchased”
MQL5 community guidance explains that the public demo-download counter rises when someone downloads the free demo for the Strategy Tester. That can indicate trial activity, but it does not tell you how many people paid, how many still use the EA, whether one person downloaded more than once, or whether the strategy made money.
Read the exact label and capture the observation date. Do not compare a public demo counter with a seller-dashboard counter as if they shared a definition or reporting window.
Product licensing
“Activations” is a device limit
MQL5's Market rules define an activation as creation of the protected product version for a buyer's equipment configuration. The product is bound to that hardware and operating-system setup; reinstalling an operating system or changing hardware can require another activation. The displayed allowance is not the number of buyers or installations currently running.
Check the current Market rules for the product-specific terms. Do not interpret an activation allowance as a sale, review, running terminal or customer count.
Seller view
Keep seller downloads and purchases separate too
The MQL5 publishing guide points sellers to the Statistics section for product sales and download statistics. Those are seller-side fields. Keep their original labels, product identity and reporting period when you record them. If the interface does not supply a matching date range and definition, avoid calculating ratios against the public demo-download count.
A better evaluation checklist
Check the EA—not just its counters
Confirm the current product version and update date. Read the description and reviews. Use the demo in the Strategy Tester to learn the interface and test behaviour, then assess a complete report with its dates, broker, symbol, timeframe, starting capital, settings, data model, trading costs and balance/equity drawdown. Forward-test independently on demo before considering any live use.
Keep historical simulations, demo observation and live-account histories clearly labelled. None removes execution or market risk or guarantees future results.
Common questions
MQL5 Market counter FAQ
Does MQL5 “Demo downloaded” mean buyers?
No. MQL5 community guidance explains that the public demo counter includes free downloads for the Strategy Tester. It is not the paid-sales count.
Does “Activations” show how many people bought the EA?
No. It is a device-licence allowance for different hardware and operating-system configurations, as described in the MQL5 Market rules.
Can I divide purchases by public demo downloads?
Not responsibly unless the marketplace provides matching product, event definitions and dates for both numbers. Otherwise it mixes different counters and reporting scopes.
Sources: MQL5 Market rules (activation and product-use terms); MetaQuotes: How to publish a product on the Market (seller Statistics section); and MQL5 forum discussion of demo-download and activation counters (community explanation of the public demo counter).
Marketplace counts are not forecasts
Public listing counters, seller statistics, demo tests, Strategy Tester reports, cTrader Store metrics and live-account performance are different evidence types. Keep the source, date, product build and context attached to every figure. Backtests and past results do not guarantee future performance.