AquaFutures Accounts Overview: Every Account Type Compared

AquaFutures runs four distinct account types in 2026: Beginner ($25K–$150K, from $26/month), Standard ($150K, from $114/month), Instant ($25K–$100K, one-time $97–$291), and Instant Pro ($25K–$100K, one-time $97–$239).

After testing both Instant and Instant Pro accounts and pulling payouts, the biggest takeaway isn't the pricing — it's how dramatically different the rules are between account types. Choosing wrong doesn't just cost money. It costs time, mental energy, and probably an account breach you didn't see coming.

Each account type targets a fundamentally different trader profile. The Beginner plan is a structured evaluation with tight guardrails. The Standard plan removes the daily loss limit but demands a higher profit target. Instant skips the evaluation entirely but enforces a strict 20% consistency rule. Instant Pro is the flagship — no evaluation, no daily loss limit, trailing drawdown, and payouts guaranteed within 48 hours.

The differences aren't minor. They change how you size positions, when you trade, and how quickly you can withdraw profits. This guide puts every account side by side so you can pick the one that actually fits your trading style — not the one that looks cheapest on the checkout page.

Tested firsthand: I've traded multiple AquaFutures account types—Instant and Instant Pro—navigated trailing drawdown mechanics, pulled real payouts, and tested the 48-hour payout guarantee. What you're reading comes from live funded trading, not from reading their checkout page.

For the complete breakdown of every AquaFutures account type—including how Beginner, Standard, Instant, and Instant Pro differ in drawdown rules, consistency thresholds, payout frequency, and pricing structure—read my full AquaFutures accounts overview. It covers all sizes with real cost analysis and a clear decision framework. For the absolute latest, check AquaFutures' website or their help center.

The Four Account Types at a Glance

Before diving into each account, here's the high-level picture. AquaFutures essentially offers two paths: earn your funding through a 1-Phase Challenge (Beginner or Standard), or pay a one-time fee and start trading immediately (Instant or Instant Pro).

The evaluation accounts charge monthly subscriptions that continue until you either pass or cancel. The Instant accounts are one-time purchases — pay once, trade forever (unless you breach). This distinction alone changes the math significantly depending on how fast you typically pass evaluations.

My take: Instant Pro is clearly the flagship product. No daily loss limit, no evaluation, on-demand payouts, and one-time pricing. If you have the budget and the discipline to manage trailing drawdown, it's the cleanest path to payouts on AquaFutures.

Beginner Account: The Budget-Friendly Evaluation Path

The Beginner account is AquaFutures' most affordable entry point. It's a 1-Phase Challenge with a 6% profit target, available in four sizes from $25K to $150K. Monthly pricing starts at just $26 for the smallest account, which is genuinely cheap compared to most futures prop firms.

What Makes the Beginner Account Different

The Beginner plan has the tightest guardrails of any AquaFutures account. You get a 2.5% daily loss limit, a 40% consistency rule, and scaled position limits that start conservative. On a $25K Beginner, you're limited to just 1 contract. That's not much room to work with, especially on volatile instruments like NQ.

The upside is the 6% profit target — significantly lower than the Standard's 8%. On a $150K account, that's $9,000 vs $12,000. The lower target combined with EOD drawdown means you can take a more patient approach. No need to force trades.

For payouts, Beginner accounts operate on a weekly cycle. You need 5 winning days with a minimum profit per day ($75 on $25K, $100 on $50K, $200 on $100K, $300 on $150K). The 40% consistency rule means no single day can account for more than 40% of your total payout cycle profits.

Who the Beginner Account Is Actually For

This account makes sense if you're new to prop trading and want to test whether you can follow rules under real conditions. The daily loss limit acts as a safety net — it stops you from blowing through your entire drawdown in one bad session. If you're someone who tends to revenge-trade after losses, this is the account that protects you from yourself.

It's not ideal for experienced NQ traders who need more sizing flexibility. One contract on $25K is limiting, and the 2.5% daily loss cap means a $625 daily max loss on $25K — which can get tight on volatile days.

Standard Account: The Serious Evaluation

The Standard plan is only available at $150K and costs $196/month (or $490 one-time). The key difference from Beginner: no daily loss limit and 15 contracts max position size. That's a massive jump in flexibility.

Why Standard Exists

The Standard account is for traders who know their edge but want to earn funded status through an evaluation. The 8% profit target ($12,000 on $150K) is higher than Beginner, but you get 15 contracts and no daily loss limit — meaning you can have deep intraday drawdowns as long as your EOD balance stays above the max drawdown limit.

Payouts are bi-weekly (every 14 days) with the same 40% consistency rule. The minimum withdrawal is $500 — double the Beginner's $250 minimum.

The Real Trade-Off: Higher Target vs More Freedom

Here's how I think about it: the Beginner 150K gives you $9,000 target but caps you at 9 contracts and $3,750 daily loss. The Standard 150K gives you a $12,000 target with 15 contracts and no daily limit. If your strategy naturally sizes into 10+ contracts or you have high-variance days, Standard is the only option that won't stop you out prematurely.

But if you can consistently hit targets with moderate sizing, Beginner is $82/month cheaper and has a lower bar to clear. The evaluation structure is identical — 1 phase, unlimited time, EOD drawdown — just different trading parameters.

Instant Account: Skip the Evaluation

The Instant account removes the evaluation entirely. Pay once ($97–$291 depending on size), and you're funded immediately. No profit target. Just trade within the rules and request payouts when you're ready.

Instant Account Rules You Need to Know

The Instant account comes with a 2.5% daily loss limit and trailing drawdown (not EOD). That's an important distinction. Unlike the Beginner account where drawdown only updates at end of day, the Instant account trails intraday — meaning your drawdown floor moves up with every new equity peak during the session.

The consistency rule is stricter too: 20% vs 40% on evaluation accounts. This means no single day can account for more than 20% of your total payout cycle profits. If you make $2,000 total in a cycle, your best day cannot exceed $400.

Additionally, you need 7 win days per payout cycle with minimum daily profits ($75 on $25K, $100 on $50K+). And there's the Wave Stop — a 2% floating loss limit that breaches your account if unrealized losses hit 2% of your balance at any point.

When Instant Makes Sense (and When It Doesn't)

Instant works when you're confident enough to skip evaluations but prefer the safety of a daily loss limit. The one-time fee structure means no recurring costs — even if it takes you weeks to hit payout requirements.

It doesn't work for aggressive session traders. The trailing drawdown + 2.5% daily loss + 2% Wave Stop creates a triple-layer risk cage. If you're trading NQ with 3+ contracts and your entries aren't surgical, you'll hit one of these limits before you build any meaningful profit buffer.

Instant Pro Account: The Flagship

Instant Pro is the account AquaFutures clearly wants you to buy — and honestly, for good reason. No evaluation, no daily loss limit, no profit target, on-demand payouts, and a 48-hour payout guarantee with a +$100 bonus if they miss it.

What Sets Instant Pro Apart

The critical differences from Instant: no daily loss limit and no Wave Stop (the 2% floating loss limit). This means your only hard constraint is the trailing max drawdown — which ranges from $1,000 on a $25K account to $3,000 on a $100K account.

The trade-off is the tightest consistency rule on the platform: 15%. Your largest profitable day must not exceed 15% of total profits for the payout cycle. If you're pulling $3,000 in a cycle, your best day can't exceed $450. This forces genuine consistency over time — no one-day heroes.

Why I Tested Instant Pro First

When I started looking at AquaFutures seriously, I went straight for Instant Pro $100K. The reasoning: $239 one-time gets me into a funded account immediately with no evaluation pressure, no monthly rebills, and the least restrictive rule set on the platform. If you're going to test a firm, test their best product.

The trailing drawdown demands respect. $3,000 on a $100K account is tight — it means every unrealized gain you let slip tightens the leash permanently. But without a daily loss limit, you have full freedom to manage that drawdown across the entire session. No arbitrary daily cap cutting your day short.

Pricing Comparison: What Each Account Actually Costs

Account pricing at AquaFutures looks straightforward until you factor in the subscription model. A Beginner $150K at $114/month sounds cheap — until you're on month 3 of trying to pass and you've spent $342. The Instant Pro $100K at $239 is more expensive upfront, but there's no ticking clock.

The breakeven math is simple: if you take more than ~2 months to pass a Beginner $150K evaluation, you've already spent more than the Instant Pro $100K. And the Instant Pro gives you a funded account from day one with better rules.

The exception is traders who genuinely need the guardrails. The Beginner's daily loss limit and higher consistency threshold (40% vs 15%) create a more forgiving environment for developing discipline. Paying $114/month for that structure isn't a bad deal if it keeps you from blowing up three $239 Instant Pro accounts instead.

How to Pick the Right AquaFutures Account

After testing AquaFutures accounts and comparing the rule sets across all four types, the decision comes down to three factors: your budget, your experience level, and your trading style.

Decision Framework

If you're new to prop trading or still developing a consistent edge, start with Beginner. The daily loss limit protects you, the lower profit target is achievable, and monthly pricing means you can cancel anytime if prop trading isn't working yet. The guardrails exist for a reason — they keep undisciplined traders in the game longer.

If you have a proven strategy and pass evaluations reliably within 4-6 weeks, Standard $150K is a strong choice. You get the highest position limits (15 contracts), no daily loss cap, and the $150K account size gives you room to build meaningful profits quickly.

If you want to skip evaluations entirely and don't mind tight consistency requirements, Instant Pro is the best value on the platform. The 15% consistency rule demands genuine discipline — you can't have one monster day and ride it — but the freedom of no daily loss limit and no evaluation makes the $239 one-time cost extremely competitive.

My take: for 80% of traders reading this, the decision is between Beginner $50K (to learn the rules cheaply) or Instant Pro $100K (to start generating payouts immediately). Everything else is a variation on those two approaches.

AquaFutures Accounts FAQ

What's the maximum number of funded accounts I can have at AquaFutures?

You can hold up to 3 active funded accounts simultaneously across all account types. This caps your total funded capital at $450,000 if you run three $150K accounts or a combination of sizes.

Do evaluation accounts count toward the 3-account limit?

No. You can own unlimited evaluation accounts. The 3-account limit only applies to funded accounts.

Can I have both a Beginner and an Instant Pro account at the same time?

Yes. You can mix account types freely as long as total funded accounts don't exceed 3. Running one Beginner funded + two Instant Pro accounts is a common combination.

What happens if I breach an Instant Pro account?

The account terminates. Instant and Instant Pro accounts cannot be reset. You would need to purchase a new account. Evaluation accounts (Beginner/Standard) can be reset via renewal.

Is the 48-hour payout guarantee real?

In my testing, yes. AquaFutures adds $100 to your payout if they miss the 48-hour window. Both of my withdrawal requests were processed within a day.

Do subscriptions continue after I pass the evaluation?

No. Once you pass a Beginner or Standard evaluation and upgrade to a funded account, the subscription ends. There are no ongoing fees on funded evaluation accounts. However, there is a $35 monthly processing fee charged per withdrawal cycle.

Which account has the best profit split?

All account types offer up to 100% profit split on the first $15,000 in lifetime withdrawals, then 90% after. The split structure is identical across Beginner, Standard, Instant, and Instant Pro.

Can I switch from Beginner to Instant Pro later?

You can't convert an existing account. But you can purchase an Instant Pro account separately at any time. Many traders start with a Beginner evaluation to learn the rules, then add Instant Pro accounts once they're comfortable with AquaFutures' platform and payout process.

What's the cheapest way to start at AquaFutures?

The Beginner $25K account at $26/month is the absolute cheapest entry point. But for the best cost-to-value ratio, the Instant Pro $50K at $145 one-time gives you a funded account with no recurring costs and no evaluation — hard to beat at that price point.

Are there any hidden fees?

The main fee to watch is the $35 monthly processing fee that applies to your first withdrawal each month. Second and subsequent withdrawals in the same month are free. No activation fees, no platform fees, no data fees. Platforms (ProjectX and Volumetrica) are included.

Does AquaFutures offer account resets?

Only for evaluation accounts (Beginner and Standard). Resetting works through renewal — your balance resets to the starting amount. Funded accounts and Instant accounts cannot be reset after a breach.

What platforms can I use?

All AquaFutures accounts use ProjectX or Volumetrica. No NinjaTrader, no Tradovate, no Rithmic. If you're tied to specific platforms, check compatibility before purchasing.

How does the scaling plan work on Instant accounts?

Instant and Instant Pro accounts use a structured scaling model. Your position size increases as your account balance grows. The scaling is evaluated daily at market close — meaning if you cross a profit threshold during the day, the increased position allowance applies starting the next session.

Is the trailing drawdown on Instant Pro accounts the same as EOD?

No. Instant Pro uses intraday trailing drawdown, meaning your drawdown floor moves up in real-time during the session as your equity reaches new peaks. This is significantly stricter than EOD trailing (used on Beginner/Standard), where the drawdown only updates after the session closes.

Who should absolutely avoid the Instant accounts?

Traders who regularly have high-variance days. The 20% (Instant) and 15% (Instant Pro) consistency rules punish concentrated profit days. If your strategy produces one or two big days per month with flat days in between, you'll struggle to meet payout requirements. The evaluation path with its 40% consistency threshold is more forgiving for that style.