AquaFunded review
United Arab EmiratesDubai prop firm selling instant, 1-step and 2-step CFD and futures accounts since 2023
Our grade
Weak
4.7 / 10 · ranked #9 of 10
AquaFunded is one of the cheapest places to buy a prop challenge: a $100k 2-Step Pro lists at $279, and the site was running a 25% code on top when we checked. The fine print is where the money goes. Floating-loss caps that close an account at -1% or -2% on open positions, a Wave Stop that halves your split, 15-20% consistency rules, 0.5% qualifying days and a 3% fee on every payout all sit in the help center rather than on the pricing table. Payouts do get paid, but Trustpilot has hidden the firm's rating after removing fake reviews, and denied-payout stories dominate what remains.
Cheap challenges wrapped in a dense, shifting rulebook and a damaged reputation
Our verdict
On price, AquaFunded is hard to beat. A $100k 2-Step Pro lists at $279.20, the 2-Step Standard at $375.20, there are no time limits, three evaluations use static drawdowns, and traders can choose between MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader and TradeLocker or trade futures on Tradovate. Payouts are not a fiction either: PropFirmMatch tracked 3,866 of them worth $4.6M in the past year, with a median of about two days.
The cost shows up later. The rules that end accounts and shrink payouts live in separate help-center articles: floating-loss caps that close accounts at -1% or -2%, a Wave Stop that halves the split, 15-20% consistency rules, +0.5% qualifying days, a 0.5% cap on news profit, tick-scalping and margin deductions, a 3% payout fee and $10,000 caps on early payouts. On top come manual risk reviews, and about 35% of recent negative Trustpilot reviews describe payouts denied or cut by them. Trustpilot has hidden the firm's rating over fake reviews, and invited reviews now flow to a second profile, which makes the remaining good press hard to trust.
Our view: AquaFunded only suits disciplined traders who treat the challenge fee as a cheap lottery ticket and run every position far inside the floating-loss limits. If you go ahead, pick 2-Step Standard or Elite for their static drawdowns, read and save the FAQ for your exact model on the day you buy, avoid VPS and shared networks, hold trades longer than two minutes and stay out of the news window. Anyone who needs a dependable payout record should look elsewhere.
Best for
Disciplined traders with small, steady risk per trade who want cheap 2-step pricing, no time limits and a choice of four CFD platforms, and who will read every rule for their model.
Avoid if
You scalp, trade news, run EAs on a VPS, share a network with other traders, or need a firm with a clean, verifiable payout reputation.
Pros
- Very low list prices: $100k 2-Step Pro at $279.20 and 2-Step Standard at $375.20, before the 25% AUTUMN code.
- No time limits on any evaluation, and 2-Step Pro and 1-Step Flex have no minimum days in the evaluation.
- Static drawdowns on 2-Step Standard (8%), 2-Step Elite (10%) and 1-Step Flex (12% for purchases from 31 Aug 2026).
- Four CFD platforms (MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader, TradeLocker) plus Tradovate, NinjaTrader and TradingView for futures.
- Payouts do flow: PropFirmMatch tracked 3,866 payouts worth $4.6M over the last year with a median of about two days.
- Evaluation fees are refunded with the fourth payout, and a paid add-on raises the split to 100%.
- Support is fast: two-thirds of recent positive Trustpilot reviews praise quick chat and Discord replies.
Cons
- Trustpilot hides the main profile's rating after removing fake reviews; the underlying TrustScore is 2.2.
- Floating-loss caps of -1% or -2% close Instant Pro, Instant Flex and Pay After Pass accounts instantly, even with loss limits untouched.
- Wave Stop on funded evaluation accounts: a -2% open loss halves the split and a second one breaches the account.
- Payout friction: 3% fee on every payout, $10,000 caps on the first two payouts of $100k+ accounts, 15-20% consistency on instant models and +0.5% qualifying days.
- About 35% of negative reviews since January 2026 describe payouts denied or cut after risk reviews over copy trading, IPs, VPS use or news and scalping deductions.
- Rules change by purchase date every few weeks (five models changed between 4 Aug and 8 Sep 2026) and some help-center pages contradict each other.
- Instant account fees are not refundable, and the evaluation refund only arrives with the fourth payout.
AquaFunded scorecard
How we graded it
Weighted score 4.7/10 → grade D
Methodology →- Payouts 25%5.0
Thousands of payouts are tracked with a roughly two-day median, but about a third of recent negative reviews describe denied or cut payouts after risk reviews, plus a 3% fee and $10k caps on early payouts.
- Rules & transparency 20%3.5
Account-ending floating-loss caps, Wave Stop, consistency rules, 0.5% qualifying days and payout-time deductions live in separate FAQ articles that change every few weeks and sometimes contradict each other.
- Reputation 20%3.0
Under three years old, ownership thinly disclosed, a Trustpilot rating hidden for fake reviews, review collection moved to a second profile, and a 1/5 Forex Peace Army record.
- Trading conditions 15%6.0
List prices are among the lowest anywhere ($279-$422 per $100k evaluation) with no time limits, but trailing drawdowns, per-trade caps and payout frictions eat into that value.
- Support 10%5.5
Two-thirds of positive reviews praise fast chat and Discord replies, yet 30% of negative reviews describe tickets closed without evidence, and the help center contradicts itself in places.
- Platforms & execution 10%6.5
MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader and TradeLocker for CFDs plus Tradovate, NinjaTrader and TradingView for futures, with recurring complaints about spreads, commissions and slippage.
Who is AquaFunded for?
Fit by trading style
Beginners
Poor fitCheap entry is tempting, but account-ending floating-loss caps, Wave Stop, consistency and +0.5% qualifying-day rules are spread across dozens of FAQ articles.
Experienced traders
OK with caveatsLow prices and no time limits suit disciplined traders who audit every rule for their model and accept manual payout reviews and a 3% payout fee.
Swing traders
OK with caveatsOvernight and weekend holding is allowed on CFDs and 2-Step Standard or Elite have static drawdowns, but -1% to -2% floating-loss limits rule out wide stops on funded and instant accounts.
Scalpers
Poor fitTrades under two minutes can be reclassified as tick scalping with profits removed, and $5 per lot commission plus spread complaints add cost.
EA & algo traders
Poor fitOwn-strategy EAs are allowed on CFDs, but VPS and shared-device flags appear in payout denials and futures accounts ban automation outright.
News traders
Poor fitFunded profit from trades within 5 minutes of any red-folder event is capped at 0.5% of the starting balance per cycle.
What traders say about AquaFunded
Trustpilot · 403 reviews analyzed
Trustpilot TrustScore
1,200 reviews
Trustpilot hides this firm's TrustScore after a breach of its guidelines. The stars show our average of the visible breakdown (3.2), not an official score.
- · Trustpilot hides the rating on the public page and shows a guideline-breach warning saying it removed fake reviews for this company; 3.2 is our simple average of the 1,200-review star distribution.
- · Trustpilot's own page data still carries a hidden TrustScore of 2.2, which weights recent reviews more heavily than our simple average.
- · The profile is listed under the name AquaFunds, is not collecting reviews, and logged 398 of its 1,200 reviews in the last 12 months.
- · The firm replied to 69% of negative reviews (193 of 281, about 21 days on average), but its last reply to a negative review was on 4 July 2026.
- · A second profile for aquafutures.io, displayed as 'AquaFunded', shows 3.9 from 647 reviews; it took 152 reviews in September 2026 alone, and of its 200 most recent reviews 81% are invited (verified) and 78% of the 5-star texts are under 80 characters.
Recent sentiment
Trend: declining200 most recent reviews, Feb 23, 2026 – Oct 1, 2026 · 0% verified
2026-03: 60.6% negative, average 2.39, 33 reviews; 2026-04: 62.9% negative, average 2.4, 35 reviews; 2026-05: 82.9% negative, average 1.66, 35 reviews; 2026-06: 91.2% negative, average 1.29, 34 reviews; 2026-07: 94.4% negative, average 1.22, 18 reviews; 2026-08: 100% negative, average 1, 18 reviews; 2026-09: 88.9% negative, average 1.33, 18 reviews; 2026-10: 100% negative, average 1, 2 reviews
Most reported issue · 35% of complaints
Payout denied or cut after a risk review
Traders who hit their targets describe payouts refused or reduced after a manual review, citing copy or reverse trading with accounts they say they never saw, shared IPs, devices or VPS servers, multiple accounts, or deductions for news, tick scalping and high margin use; several say the only evidence was a spreadsheet or screenshot with masked account numbers.
Most praised · 67% of positive reviews
Fast, responsive support
Most positive reviews single out quick live-chat and Discord replies, often naming individual agents, and several credit support with fixing problems before a payout.
Complaint themes · 203 negative reviews
- Payout denied or cut after a risk review35%
Denials over coordinated or copy trading, IP and device overlap, VPS use and multiple accounts, plus profit deductions for news, tick scalping and margin use; some say refunds came with an NDA.
- Unexpected breaches30%
Accounts closed by floating-loss caps, Wave Stop or trailing-drawdown math that reviewers say was not shown on the dashboard or in their model's rules.
- Support that stonewalls disputes30%
Tickets closed with scripted replies, requests for evidence or timestamps refused, and long waits once a dispute starts.
- Consistency and qualifying-day rules17%
The 15% consistency cap and the +0.5% qualifying-day rule keep profitable traders from withdrawing, sometimes for weeks.
- Spreads, commissions and slippage13%
Wide spreads plus $5 per lot commission, slippage around stops, and trades closed at worse prices than expected.
- Purchase, KYC and activation problems7%
Paid accounts not delivered, Rise KYC delays and unexpected activation fees on cheap trial or pay-later accounts.
- Affiliate and competition disputes7%
Affiliate commissions withheld (a cluster in June 2026) and competition winners disqualified at the prize stage.
Praise themes · share of 4–5★ reviews
- Responsive support67%
Replies within minutes on chat and Discord, and help resolving account issues.
- Payouts received36%
Confirmed payouts, mostly on small accounts and first or second withdrawals, often within a day or two.
- Clear rules for those who read them21%
Some traders call the rules clear and fair, while warning others to read every condition first.
- Cheap or free entry accounts12%
Positive experiences with $10 trial accounts and free $10k accounts handed out through promotions.
Red flags in the reviews
- · Trustpilot hides the rating of the main aquafunded.com profile after removing fake reviews; the underlying TrustScore in its page data is 2.2.
- · The firm stopped replying to negative reviews on the main profile after 4 July 2026, and invited reviews now appear on a second profile (aquafutures.io) displayed as AquaFunded, which took 152 reviews in September 2026; 81% of its 200 most recent reviews are invited and 78% of their 5-star texts are under 80 characters.
- · An April 2026 reviewer says the firm offered a free $10k account in exchange for a form and a positive review; two positive reviews that month mention receiving free $10k accounts after completing a form or tasks.
- · Several reviewers say refunds after a denied payout were offered only if they signed an NDA.
- · Several traders say copy-trading accusations against them were backed only by spreadsheets or screenshots with masked account numbers.
Our read of the reviews
AquaFunded's main Trustpilot profile (aquafunded.com, listed as AquaFunds) carries a warning that Trustpilot removed fake reviews, and the rating is hidden; the TrustScore in its page data is 2.2. Of the 200 most recent reviews (23 Feb to 1 Oct 2026), 158 are 1-star and 80.5% are negative. The monthly average fell from about 2.4 in March and April to between 1.0 and 1.3 from June onward, a stretch in which only four 4-5 star reviews appeared. None of the 200 carries Trustpilot's verified label.
The complaints are specific and consistent. About 35% of the 203 negative reviews since January describe a payout refused or cut after a risk review, most often over alleged copy or reverse trading with unknown accounts, shared IPs, devices or VPS servers, or profit deductions for news, tick scalping and margin use. Around 30% describe breaches from floating-loss caps or Wave Stop that the trader did not know applied, and another 30% describe support closing tickets without evidence. Positive reviews mostly praise quick chat support and confirm payouts, usually on small accounts.
Review collection has moved. The firm has not answered a negative review on the main profile since 4 July 2026 and the profile no longer collects reviews, while a second profile for aquafutures.io, shown as AquaFunded, took 152 reviews in September 2026 alone; 81% of its 200 most recent reviews are invited and 78% of their 5-star texts are under 80 characters. Its 3.9 score should be read with that in mind; the organic signal on the main profile is clearly negative.
Method: we collected the 200 most recent Trustpilot reviews plus the most recent 203 1–2★ reviews, classified every review by theme and read the samples by hand. Shares are of the stated sample. How we analyze reviews
AquaFunded pass rate
How hard is it to pass?
Challenge pass rate
8%
~8% (our estimate)
Bar = this firm · line = average of the 10 firms we grade (10.1%)
AquaFunded publishes no pass rate, so we start from the roughly 10% of attempts that firms have disclosed for FTMO-style 2-step challenges and adjust down because its evaluations pair 8-10% targets with tight limits (6% trailing on 1-Step Standard, 8% static on 2-Step Standard) and require 3 days of +0.5% profit. Instant accounts have no pass stage and are excluded. The firm's own figures point the same way: $8M+ paid against 300,000+ claimed traders is under $30 per trader.
Basis: Our estimate from the challenge rules
AquaFunded hidden rules
The fine print
Hidden Risk score
7.0/10
Very high risk
Average: 6.3
Most of the ways traders lose AquaFunded accounts or payouts are not on the pricing table: per-position floating-loss caps that end accounts at -1% or -2%, a Wave Stop that halves the split, consistency and qualifying-day rules that delay withdrawals, payout-time deductions for news, tick scalping and margin use, and manual risk reviews that can deny a payout for copy trading or shared IPs. Rules change by purchase date every few weeks.
- highlot-size
Floating-loss caps close accounts instantly
A combined floating loss of -2% of the starting balance permanently closes Instant Pro and funded AquaMan accounts (-1% on $300k and $400k), and -1% closes Instant Flex and Pay After Pass accounts, even with daily and max loss limits untouched. Closing the trade at a smaller loss does not undo the violation.
Source - highdrawdown
Wave Stop and strike systems cut your split
On funded 2-step and 1-Step Standard accounts a -2% open loss closes every position; the first hit cuts the split to 50% and the second breaches the account. Instant Standard and funded 1-Step Flex use -1% strikes (50%, then 25%, then breach).
Source - highdiscretion
Discretionary risk reviews at payout
The T&C let AquaFunded deny withdrawals or terminate accounts for 'insufficient' risk management, and the FAQ says some violations are only confirmed in manual review. Recent denials cite copy or reverse trading with unidentified accounts, shared IPs, devices or VPS use.
Source
Does AquaFunded pay out?
Payout score 5.0/10
- Profit split
- 90% – 100%
- Frequency
- Every 14 days by default; 7-day cycles (evaluations) or on-demand requests (instant) as paid add-ons; futures models pay on demand, daily or every 5-6 winning days
- First payout
- 14 days after the first funded trade, once the model's 3-7 qualifying days (+0.5% each) and any consistency rule are met
- Processing time
- PropFirmMatch's tracker shows a median of about 2 days from request to payment over the last 365 days; the guarantee clock only runs in business hours after approval
- Minimum
- $100 on CFD accounts, $500 on futures
- Methods
- Rise (bank transfer, crypto and local methods) for $500 and up, Crypto (USDC and other stablecoins) for amounts under $5,000
- Guarantee
- Approved payouts processed within 24 business hours (Mon 9am to Fri 5pm Dubai time) or an extra $1,000
- Paid out (claimed)
- $8M+ in rewards (company claim, Oct 2026); PropFirmMatch tracked $4.6M across 3,866 payouts in the 12 months to Oct 2026
Payout mentions in recent reviews
80 of the latest 200 reviews talk about payouts.
6M in the year to October 2026, with a roughly two-day median and no reported delays; the largest single payout it logged was $13,382, and $100k+ accounts are capped at $10,000 on their first two payouts. The problem is denials and deductions.
AquaFunded challenges and prices
15 programs · list prices
Instant Funding Pro
instant · CFD
- Profit target
- None
- Daily loss
- 3%
- Max loss
- 6% trailing
- Min. days
- 5
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; on demand with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- No
Consistency rule: Best day must be under 20% of the cycle's total profit for accounts bought from 8 Sep 2026 (limited-time offer; 15% for earlier purchases)
| Account | 2.5K | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K | 200K | 300K | 400K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $33.34 | $60 | $86.66 | $185.34 | $305.34 | $560 | $905.34 | $1,465.33 | $1,865.33 |
- · Sizes run up to $400k; the $300k and $400k accounts get the stricter -1% floating-loss limit.
- · On $100k and larger accounts the first two payouts are capped at $10,000 each, and every payout carries a 3% processing fee.
- · With a 20% consistency cap you need at least six profitable days per payout cycle even if every day earns the same.
- · Instant fees are not refundable (the checkout drops the refundable badge for instant models).
Instant Funding Standard
instant · CFD
- Profit target
- None
- Daily loss
- 3%
- Max loss
- 5% eod trailing
- Min. days
- 5
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on (cut to 50% or 25% after floating-loss strikes)
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; on demand with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- No
Consistency rule: Best day must be under 15% of the cycle's total profit before a payout can be requested
| Account | 2.5K | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K | 200K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $30.67 | $52 | $78.67 | $172 | $278.67 | $505.33 | $852 |
- · These rules apply to accounts bought from 8 Sep 2026; older accounts keep the previous model (3% trailing max loss, 20% consistency, -2% floating-loss breach).
- · A 15% consistency cap means at least seven profitable days per payout cycle, even with perfectly even days.
- · $300k and $400k sizes appear in the pricing code and the launch announcement but are not offered in the live pricing table.
Instant Flex
instant · CFD
- Profit target
- None
- Daily loss
- 2%
- Max loss
- 4% trailing
- Min. days
- 7
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90% (no split add-on offered)
- Payouts
- Every 14 days, capped at 5% of the starting balance per cycle
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- No
| Account | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $119 | $225 | $439 | $625 | $999 |
- · Profit above 5% of the starting balance in a cycle is deducted when the payout is processed.
- · Marketed as a limited-time model with no consistency rule; it is also the most expensive instant option per dollar of capital.
1 Step Standard
1-step · CFD
- Profit target
- 9%
- Daily loss
- 3%
- Max loss
- 6% trailing
- Min. days
- 3
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; every 7 days with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- Yes
| Account | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K | 200K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $53.60 | $90.40 | $181.60 | $261.60 | $421.60 | $813.60 |
- · A day only counts toward the 3-day minimum if it closes at least 0.5% up.
- · The evaluation fee is refunded with the fourth payout.
1 Step Flex
1-step · CFD
- Profit target
- 10%
- Daily loss
- 3%
- Max loss
- 12% static
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; every 7 days with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- Yes
| Account | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $60 | $100 | $191.20 | $279.20 | $447.20 |
- · No minimum days in the evaluation, so it can be passed in a single session.
- · A 12% static drawdown against a 10% target is unusually wide for a 1-step, but the funded 1% WaveStop strikes make it tight again once funded.
2 Step Standard
2-step · CFD
- Profit target
- P1 8% · P2 5%
- Daily loss
- 5%
- Max loss
- 8% static
- Min. days
- 3
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; every 7 days with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- Yes
| Account | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K | 200K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $28.80 | $71.20 | $111.20 | $239.20 | $375.20 | $757.60 |
- · Minimum of 3 qualifying days (+0.5% each) in each phase.
- · The evaluation fee is refunded with the fourth payout.
2 Step Pro
2-step · CFD
- Profit target
- P1 10% · P2 5%
- Daily loss
- 5%
- Max loss
- 10% trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; every 7 days with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- Yes
Consistency rule: Funded only: best day must be under 50% of the cycle's profit (purchases from 31 Aug 2026; 25% before)
| Account | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K | 200K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $20 | $39.20 | $71.20 | $143.20 | $279.20 | $559.20 |
- · Cheapest model per dollar of capital: $279.20 list for $100k.
- · No minimum trading days in either evaluation phase.
2 Step Elite
2-step · CFD
- Profit target
- P1 8% · P2 5%
- Daily loss
- 4%
- Max loss
- 10% static
- Min. days
- 3
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; every 7 days with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- Yes
| Account | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $26.40 | $50.40 | $103.20 | $221.60 | $365.60 |
- · Best structure in the lineup on paper: static 10% max loss with 8% and 5% targets.
- · Sold from $5k to $100k only.
Pay After Pass (Pay Later)
1-step · CFD
- Profit target
- 3%
- Daily loss
- 3%
- Max loss
- 5% trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; on demand with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- No
Consistency rule: Funded only: best day must be under 15% of the cycle's profit
| Account | 2.5K | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K | 200K | 250K | 300K | 400K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $33 | $52.20 | $81 | $172.20 | $272.20 | $483.04 | $650.24 | $802.24 | $992.24 | $1,372.24 | $1,828.24 |
- · Price shown is the full list cost if you pass: $5 upfront plus an activation fee charged only after passing (for example $478.04 on $100k).
- · Rules apply to Pay Later accounts created from 4 Aug 2026.
- · The landing page shows a generic refundable badge, but neither the Pay After Pass FAQ nor the refund policy clearly covers the activation fee.
AquaMan
1-step · CFD
- Profit target
- 2%
- Daily loss
- 3%
- Max loss
- 6% trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 30 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%, 100% with a paid add-on
- Payouts
- Every 14 days; every 7 days with a paid add-on
- News
- Restricted
- Fee refund
- Yes
Consistency rule: Funded only: best day must be under 15% of the cycle's profit
| Account | 2.5K | 5K | 10K | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K | 200K | 250K | 300K | 400K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $49 | $89 | $129 | $269 | $399 | $629 | $849 | $1,049 | $1,299 | $1,499 | $2,399 |
- · Not in the main pricing table: the FAQ describes AquaMan as a limited release on two random weekends a month, but a working purchase option was on the Pay Later page on 1 Oct 2026.
- · The checkout lists $300k at $1,499 while the sales-page code shows $1,799.
- · The 2% target is the lowest in the lineup, but the 15% funded consistency rule means at least seven profitable days per payout.
AquaFunded Futures Standard
1-step · Futures
- Profit target
- 6%
- Daily loss
- 2%
- Max loss
- 4% eod trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 7 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payouts
- On demand; capped at $2,000 for the first payout and $2,500 after that on 50k
- News
- Allowed
- Fee refund
- Yes
Consistency rule: Funded only: best day must be under 40% of the cycle's profit
| Account | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $160 | $300 | $399 |
- · Profit target of $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 with no minimum days, so it can be passed in one session.
- · Futures rules: fully automated trading banned, under 50% of profit may come from trades held under 10 seconds, max 100 trades a day, positions closed automatically at 20:10 UTC.
- · The sales widget labels the fee 100% refundable; the futures help center does not describe a refund policy.
- · 3% processing fee on every payout; payouts via Rise or crypto.
AquaFunded Futures Flex (with daily loss limit)
1-step · Futures
- Profit target
- 6%
- Daily loss
- 2.4%
- Max loss
- 4% eod trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 7 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payouts
- Every 5 winning days; payouts 2 to 5 also need $1,000 / $1,250 / $1,500 of net profit
- News
- Allowed
- Fee refund
- Yes
Consistency rule: Challenge only: best day must be under 50% of total profit
| Account | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $131 | $191 | $365 |
- · The cheaper Flex variant: accepting the daily loss limit cuts the payout requirement from 6 to 5 winning days.
- · No consistency rule once funded, but only half of the available profit can be withdrawn per request.
AquaFunded Futures Flex (no daily loss limit)
1-step · Futures
- Profit target
- 6%
- Daily loss
- None
- Max loss
- 4% eod trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 7 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payouts
- Every 6 winning days; payouts 2 to 5 also need $1,000 / $1,250 / $1,500 of net profit
- News
- Allowed
- Fee refund
- Yes
Consistency rule: Challenge only: best day must be under 50% of total profit
| Account | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $172 | $265 | $427 |
- · Costs about 30% more than the daily-loss-limit version for the same targets.
AquaFunded Futures Daily
1-step · Futures
- Profit target
- 6%
- Daily loss
- 2%
- Max loss
- 4% eod trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 7 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payouts
- Daily; from the second payout each request needs $550 / $1,000 / $1,500 of new net profit
- News
- Allowed
- Fee refund
- Yes
Consistency rule: Evaluation only: best day must be under 40% of total profit
| Account | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $113 | $173 | $267 |
- · Larger sizes get proportionally tighter limits: max loss is 2.5% on 100k and about 2.3% on 150k.
AquaFunded Futures Instant
instant · Futures
- Profit target
- None
- Daily loss
- 2.5%
- Max loss
- 4% eod trailing
- Min. days
- 0
- Time limit
- Unlimited (breached after 7 days without a trade)
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payouts
- On demand; later cycles need a fresh $2,500 profit goal on 50k; capped at $2,000 per payout on 50k
- News
- Allowed
- Fee refund
- No
Consistency rule: Best day must be under 20% of each payout cycle's profit
| Account | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $287 | $453.34 | $600 | $727 |
- · The profit goal resets after every payout, so each cycle effectively becomes a new mini-evaluation.
- · A 20% consistency cap requires at least six profitable days per cycle.
Standard list prices in USD as of Oct 1, 2026, before discounts. Compare challenges across all firms
AquaFunded trading conditions
Platforms, assets and what's allowed
- Platforms
- MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader, TradeLocker, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView
- Assets
- Forex, Indices, Metals, Commodities, Energies, Crypto, Futures
- Broker / tech partners
- Liquidity provider not disclosed (MT5 runs on an AquaFunded-branded server), Match-Trade Technologies, TradeLocker and Spotware cTrader (CFD platforms), Tradovate and DeepCharts (futures), Rise (KYC and payouts)
- Leverage
- Up to 1:100 on FX in evaluations; 1:50 on funded and instant accounts (1:10 indices and commodities, 1:2 crypto)
- Commissions
- $5 per standard lot on FX and commodities, none on indices and crypto; futures carry CME exchange and regulatory fees (about $2.80 per ES or NQ round turn, $0.74 per micro); 3% fee on every payout
- Max allocation
- $400,000
- Scaling plan
- Funded traders who make 12% within a 3-month period can have the account raised by 25% of its initial size, repeatable toward a stated $4M ceiling. The math is slow: a $400k account gains $100k per qualifying quarter, so reaching $4M takes 36 straight qualifying quarters, about nine years. Aqua Elite tiers add balance boosts (+25% to +75%), monthly salaries ($1,000 Silver, $3,000 Gold) and higher allocation caps ($500k Silver, $800k Gold) after 3-9 months of profitable funded trading and $20k-$75k of withdrawals.
- Pay for a challenge with
- Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, Apple Pay, Bitcoin, Ethereum and other crypto
- Restricted countries
- Albania, Algeria, Belarus, Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk (Ukraine), Cuba, Iran, Kenya, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam
- Restricted
EAs / bots · Restricted
Own-strategy EAs allowed on CFD accounts; third-party 'pass' EAs, HFT and arbitrage banned, VPS use has been cited in payout denials, and fully automated bots are banned on futures
- Restricted
News trading · Restricted
Unrestricted in evaluations; on funded CFD accounts profit from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes of red-folder news is capped at 0.5% of starting balance per cycle; allowed on futures
- Restricted
Weekend holding · Restricted
Allowed on CFD accounts; futures positions are closed automatically at each session close
- Restricted
Overnight holding · Restricted
Allowed on CFD accounts; futures positions are auto-closed at 20:10 UTC daily
- Restricted
Copy trading · Restricted
Only between accounts you own (including external ones); copying other traders or signal groups is banned and 'coordinated trading' is a common payout-denial reason
- Restricted
Hedging · Restricted
Allowed within one account only; hedging across accounts, traders or firms (and mini/micro offsets on futures) is banned
- Restricted
Scalping · Restricted
Allowed, but CFD trades held under 2 minutes may be classed as tick scalping and their profit removed; on futures under 50% of profit may come from trades under 10 seconds
About AquaFunded
Founded 2023 · Dubai, United Arab Emirates
AquaFunded launched in Dubai in December 2023; a paid press release announced it in January 2024 and Finance Magnates later named Jason Blax as founder. The firm does not name a CEO today, and its public face is COO Lewis Morton. The website is run by Aqua Funded FZCO from the IFZA business park in Dubai Silicon Oasis, while the simulated trading service itself is provided by AquaFunded LTD, a Saint Lucia company (no. 2004-00597). The site says the brand is owned by a holding company called AquaFunds. None of these entities is regulated, and all accounts are simulated.
During the February 2024 MetaQuotes crackdown it paused new US sign-ups and planned to move US accounts to DXtrade, then added Match-Trader alongside cTrader and TradeLocker; MT5 now runs on an AquaFunded-branded server. It added a payout guarantee in June 2024, launched the AquaFutures futures brand in November 2024 (now sold as AquaFunded Futures on Tradovate and DeepCharts), relaunched as 'Aqua 5.0' in July 2025, and in 2026 added Pay After Pass, $1 TryAqua trial accounts, the Aqua Elite salary tiers, a scaling claim of up to $4M and capped news trading. The 3-step challenge has dropped out of the pricing table, and the 2%-target AquaMan account is sold only in limited releases.
AquaFunded claims 300,000+ traders, more than $8M in rewards paid and $1.68B in 'funding provided' (notional account sizes, not cash). PropFirmMatch independently tracked $4.6M across 3,866 payouts in the year to October 2026, an average near $1,190. Its reputation took a hit in 2026: Trustpilot hid the rating of its main profile after removing fake reviews, Forex Peace Army shows 1/5 from six reviews, five of them about rejected withdrawals, and payout-denial complaints climbed through the year.
Trader tip
Before your first trade, save dated copies of the FAQ articles for your exact model plus the Maximum Loss Per Trade, Wave Stop, consistency and news pages, because AquaFunded applies rules by purchase date. Size every position so its worst-case floating loss stays well under 1% of the starting balance, hold trades longer than two minutes, and plan for at least seven profitable days per cycle under a 15% consistency rule.
AquaFunded timeline
Dec 2023 · milestone
AquaFunded founded in Dubai
Finance Magnates dates the launch to December 2023 and names Jason Blax as founder. Source
Jan 26, 2024 · milestone
Paid press-release launch
A Newsfile release syndicated to Yahoo Finance announced the firm, with Jason Blax as contact. Source
Feb 2024 · milestone
US sign-ups paused during MetaQuotes crackdown
AquaFunded temporarily halted new US registrations and said existing US accounts would move to DXtrade while it rebuilt its platform setup. Source
May 15, 2024 · product
Match-Trader announced
The firm said it would add Match-Trader alongside cTrader, DXtrade and TradeLocker. Source
Jun 22, 2024 · product
Payout guarantee and new challenge lineup
AquaFunded added a payout guarantee after paying out over $1.4M in 2024 and launched 1-step, 2-step, 2-step Pro and 3-step challenges. Source
Oct 21, 2024 · product
AquaFutures announced
A futures brand was announced and went live in November 2024; it is now sold as AquaFunded Futures. Source
Jul 31, 2025 · product
Aqua 5.0 relaunch
New website and branding, $250k and $300k instant accounts, and a 48-hour payout guarantee backed by an extra $1,000. Source
Mar 24, 2026 · product
Aqua Elite, Pay After Pass and TryAqua
Salary tiers, scaling claims up to $4M, pay-after-pass evaluations and $1 trial accounts were added. Source
Apr 27, 2026 · rule change
News trading allowed with a 0.5% cap
Funded accounts may now trade news, but profit inside the 5-minute window around red-folder events is capped at 0.5% of the starting balance per cycle. Source
Jul 2026 · controversy
Trustpilot hides AquaFunded's rating
Trustpilot placed a guideline-breach warning on the main profile after removing fake reviews; The Industry Spread reported it on 29 July 2026. Source
Aug 31, 2026 · rule change
1-Step Flex and 2-Step Pro changes
1-Step Flex max loss widened to a 12% static limit and the 2-Step Pro funded consistency rule moved from 25% to 50% for new purchases. Source
Sep 8, 2026 · rule change
New Instant Standard and Instant Pro terms
Instant Standard moved to a 5% end-of-day trailing loss with a 1% floating-loss strike system; Instant Pro consistency rose to 20% for a limited time. Source
Sep 16, 2026 · product
Four new futures models
Standard, Daily, Flex and Instant futures accounts launched with news trading allowed and a 10-second micro-scalping threshold. Source
AquaFunded FAQ
Questions traders ask
Is AquaFunded legit?
AquaFunded is a real Dubai-registered company (Aqua Funded FZCO, with AquaFunded LTD in Saint Lucia providing the simulated trading) that has operated since December 2023 and does process payouts. But it is unregulated, its accounts are simulated, Trustpilot has hidden its rating after removing fake reviews, and payout-denial complaints are frequent, so treat it as a higher-risk firm.
Does AquaFunded actually pay out?
Yes. PropFirmMatch tracked 3,866 AquaFunded payouts worth $4.6M in the year to October 2026, with a median of about two days. The risk is denial rather than delay: about 35% of recent 1-2 star Trustpilot reviews describe payouts refused or cut after a risk review, and five of the six Forex Peace Army reviews describe rejected withdrawals.
How long do AquaFunded payouts take?
You can request the first payout 14 days after your first funded trade (7 days or on demand with paid add-ons), then every 14 days. Approved payouts are guaranteed within 24 business hours (Monday to Friday, Dubai hours) or you get an extra $1,000, and PropFirmMatch's tracker shows about two days from request to payment. A 3% processing fee comes off every payout.
What is the AquaFunded pass rate?
AquaFunded does not publish one. Our estimate is around 8% of evaluation attempts, based on disclosed figures of roughly 10% for FTMO-style 2-step challenges, adjusted down for AquaFunded's tight trailing drawdowns and +0.5% qualifying-day rule. Instant accounts have no pass stage.
What are AquaFunded's hidden rules?
The account killers are floating-loss caps that close Instant Pro, Instant Flex and Pay After Pass accounts at -1% or -2% of the starting balance, and the Wave Stop that halves your split after a -2% open loss on funded evaluation accounts. Payouts are then slowed or trimmed by 15-20% consistency rules, trading days that only count at +0.5% profit, a 0.5% cap on news profit, tick-scalping and 80% margin deductions, a 3% payout fee and $10,000 caps on the first two payouts of $100k+ accounts. All of these sit in separate help-center articles rather than on the pricing table.
Can you trade news with AquaFunded?
In evaluations, yes, without limits. On funded CFD accounts opened after 27 April 2026, profit from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes of a red-folder or FOMC event is capped at 0.5% of the starting balance per payout cycle, and the event list comes from ForexFactory and Myfxbook regardless of the currency you trade. Futures accounts can trade news freely.
Are EAs allowed at AquaFunded?
On CFD accounts EAs are allowed if they run your own strategy, but off-the-shelf 'pass' EAs, high-frequency trading and arbitrage are banned, and several denied payouts cite VPS use or shared devices. AquaFunded Futures bans fully automated trading and more than 100 trades a day.
Does AquaFunded accept US traders?
The United States is not on AquaFunded's restricted list, and its Pay After Pass page marks Match-Trader and TradeLocker as available to US traders. MT5 may not be offered to US residents, so check the platform options at checkout.
Is there an AquaFunded discount code?
As of 1 October 2026 the site banner shows code AUTUMN for 25% off, and buying several accounts at once adds bundle discounts of up to 50% on the fifth account. Comparison sites advertise their own affiliate codes, but the AUTUMN code is the one the firm publishes itself.
Who owns AquaFunded?
The website is operated by Aqua Funded FZCO in Dubai Silicon Oasis, and the simulated trading is provided by AquaFunded LTD, registered in Saint Lucia; the site describes a holding brand called AquaFunds as owner. Finance Magnates named Jason Blax as founder in 2024, the firm does not name a CEO, and Lewis Morton is its chief operating officer.
What happens if I breach an AquaFunded account?
A hard breach closes the account permanently and you must buy a new one; there are no retries or resets from the failed stage. An evaluation fee you paid is only refunded with a fourth payout, so a breach before that forfeits it. The firm also says some violations are not detected automatically and are only confirmed later in a manual review, so an account can be breached after the fact.
AquaFunded 1-step vs 2-step: which is easier?
The 2-Step Standard (8% then 5%, 5% daily loss, 8% static max loss) is more forgiving than the 1-Step Standard, which needs 9% in one phase with a 3% daily limit and a 6% trailing max loss. If you want one phase, the 1-Step Flex is the easier pick: a 10% target against a 12% static drawdown and no minimum days.
What is AquaFunded's maximum allocation?
You can hold up to $400,000 in merged funded CFD accounts (instant accounts cannot be merged), rising to $500,000 or $800,000 in the Aqua Elite Silver and Gold tiers. The advertised $4M comes from the scaling plan, which adds 25% of the initial balance for every 12% earned in a quarter; from $400k that is 36 straight qualifying quarters.
AquaFunded alternatives
Similar programs
UAE prop firm for CFDs and futures, launched March 2022, with a 24-hour payout promise
Dubai-based multi-asset prop firm for forex, crypto and CME futures, founded in 2023
Hong KongHong Kong-registered prop firm selling instant, 1-step and 2-step accounts since 2023
Sources
44 sources · checked Oct 1, 2026
- 1.AquaFunded homepage and pricing table
- 2.AquaFunded about page
- 3.AquaFunded scaling plan and Aqua Elite
- 4.AquaFunded forex rules page
- 5.AquaFunded Terms and Conditions
- 6.AquaFunded refund policy
- 7.AquaFunded Pay After Pass page
- 8.AquaFunded Futures sales page
- 9.AquaFunded rewards page
- 10.AquaFunded checkout store data (Instant Pro $100k list price)
- 11.Help center: Instant Funding Pro
- 12.Help center: New Instant Funding Standard
- 13.Help center: Instant Flex
- 14.Help center: 1 Step Standard
- 15.Help center: 1 Step Flex
- 16.Help center: 2 Step Standard
- 17.Help center: 2 Step Pro
- 18.Help center: 2 Step Elite
- 19.Help center: Pay After Pass model
- 20.Help center: Maximum Loss Per Trade Policy
- 21.Help center: Wave Stop
- 22.Help center: Consistency rule
- 23.Help center: Other rules (tick scalping, margin)
- 24.Help center: Is news trading allowed?
- 25.Help center: How do rewards work?
- 26.Help center: Reward guarantee
- 27.Help center: How many accounts can I trade?
- 28.Help center: Restricted countries
- 29.Help center: Spreads and commissions
- 30.AquaFutures help center: Standard account rules
- 31.AquaFutures help center: Payout policy
- 32.AquaFutures help center: Prohibited trading strategies
- 33.Trustpilot: aquafunded.com (AquaFunds)
- 34.Trustpilot: aquafutures.io (AquaFunded)
- 35.PropFirmMatch: AquaFunded
- 36.PropFirmMatch: AquaFunded payouts tracker
- 37.PropFirmMatch: AquaFunded announcements
- 38.PropFirmMatch: AquaFunded Futures
- 39.Forex Peace Army: AquaFunded reviews
- 40.The Industry Spread: Trustpilot hid AquaFunded's rating (Jul 2026)
- 41.Finance Magnates: AquaFunded to launch Match-Trade (May 2024)
- 42.Finance Magnates via TradingView: Prop trading in the UAE (Jun 2024)
- 43.Newsfile via Yahoo Finance: AquaFunded launch release (Jan 2024)
- 44.CryptoSlate: AquaFunded review (add-on pricing, Aug 2026)
Current AquaFunded offer
25% off
Autumn Sale code shown in the aquafunded.com site banner; buying 2-5 accounts at once stacks extra bundle discounts, up to 50% on the fifth account.
Verified Oct 1, 2026