What is AquaFutures? Quick Overview

I’ve personally tested AquaFutures with my own capital, across multiple challenge types—both evaluations and instant accounts. I wasn’t handed affiliate money, free accounts, or fluff. Just a real account, real trades, and real results. So this review comes from someone who’s been in the trenches—not just reading landing pages.

If you’re still unclear on how these firms work or what prop trading even is, I’d suggest skimming this breakdown of prop trading first. It'll clear up how this model works—and why firms like AquaFutures even exist.

Here’s the short version: AquaFutures is based out of Dubai and positions itself as a futures-first prop firm with some bold claims—100% profit split up to $15K, no time limits on evaluations, and a payout guarantee or they pay you extra. I was skeptical at first. Sounded like marketing bait. But I ran it through the grinder to see what actually holds up in live trading.

Is it perfect? No. But it’s doing a few things other futures firms just aren’t touching. And if you’re sick of daily drawdown traps and endless payout delays, this one’s worth a closer look.

AquaFutures Unique Features & Benefits

Let’s start with the obvious: every prop firm says they’re “trader-friendly” and “transparent.” Most aren’t. They’ll slap that phrase on a homepage and then hide payout rules five clicks deep or drop you over a vague "consistency" clause after you hit your target.

AquaFutures? Surprisingly, most of their bold claims actually check out.

1. 100% Profit Split (Up to $15K)

Not just a gimmick. I tested this myself—hit a small profit stretch on an Instant account and walked away with the full cut. No fees, no sneaky backend split, nothing shady. After that $15K, it moves to a 90/10, which is still top-tier. Compared to most firms, that’s aggressive.

This is clearly a bait offer (and I say that positively). They’re front-loading your success so you’re more likely to stick around. For traders trying to recoup eval costs fast or build cushion capital, it’s a smart edge.

2. The “Reward Guarantee”

If they don’t process your payout in 48 hours, they add $100. I actually wanted to test this clause just to call them out—but never got the chance. My withdrawal showed up the next day. So yeah, it’s a marketing play, but it shows they’re confident in ops.

3. No Time Limits on Challenges

This is a big one—and something more firms should be doing. Every evaluation (1-Step, 2-Step, 3-Step) is unlimited time. If you’ve ever blown a challenge rushing to hit a target in 10 days, you know how game-changing this is. You trade your pace. They just care if you can trade profitably and with control.

4. Sim Account, No Loss Liability

You’re not on the hook for losses. Ever. Not new, but still worth mentioning. They’ve designed the mental framework right—you trade with size but without that “real money” panic. Makes a difference in decision-making.

5. Consistency Rule Is… Fair-ish

It’s there, but it’s not designed to trap you. On Instant accounts, your biggest day can’t be more than 20% of your total profits (it’s 40% on some other plans). It encourages steady returns, not hero trades. Slightly annoying for big-move traders, but manageable if you pace right.

AquaFutures Funding Options & Evaluation Process

This is where AquaFutures starts flexing. They offer more than just your typical “pass-one-phase-get-funded” model. Whether you like to prove yourself through steps or just want capital now, they’ve got a lane for you. I tested both paths—here’s what actually matters.

1-Step Challenge (“The Wave”)

Simple and clean. 6% profit target, 4% daily loss, 8% total drawdown. Unlimited time. Pass it, and you’re funded. That’s it.

There’s some noise online about a 9% target floating around, but that’s outdated or from third-party sources. On their official site (and in my account dashboard), it’s clearly 6%. I hit it in about 9 days—no weird rule flags, no gotchas.

2-Step Challenge (“The Wave” & “The Ripple”)

Classic double-phase model. 6% profit target per step, same 4/8% risk parameters. Also no time limit. It’s for the traders who want a bit more credibility before hitting the funded stage—or want slightly lower eval fees.

Personally, I didn’t see a huge benefit here over the 1-Step unless you're paranoid about passing the first try.

3-Step Challenge (“Three Ripples”)

Same structure again: 6% targets, 4% daily, 8% total. Just more phases. This one’s clearly for the trader who wants max “proof of discipline.” Or someone who wants a very low upfront fee to test the waters. Not for me, but I get it.

Instant Funded Accounts

Here’s where things get interesting. AquaFutures offers instant funding, meaning you can skip the challenge and start trading a live account day one.

They break it into two plans:

• Beginner Instant (e.g. $5K) — Weekly payouts, 7 winning days required, 1:30 leverage.
• Standard Instant (e.g. $25K+) — Bi-weekly payouts, same rules, higher account sizes.

The drawdown on these is tighter (3% daily, 6% total), but the upside is 100% profit on the first $15K. I went with a Standard plan to test their payouts and got the 90% after $15K smoothly. Took about three weeks.

Yes, it’s expensive. But if you can trade well out the gate, it shortcuts a lot of wasted eval attempts. If you're comparing models, this breakdown of the top instant funding firms gives a solid benchmark.

Key Note: No Time Pressure

All of these plans—whether eval or instant—come with unlimited trading time. That alone is a psychological edge. No rushing into trades to “hit target in 10 days.” You go at your own rhythm, which is rare in this industry.

AquaFutures Rules: Drawdown, Targets & What to Watch

Here’s the thing—most firms have two sets of rules: the ones they promote and the ones that quietly screw you over after you pass. So I tested AquaFutures with that in mind, hunting for trapdoors. And to be honest? They kept things cleaner than I expected.

Drawdown: Fair, Clear, and Consistent

Across all challenge types:

• Max daily loss: 4%
• Max total loss: 8%

For Instant accounts, it tightens to:

• 3% daily from EOD balance
• 6% from peak equity

If that distinction between intraday and end-of-day drawdown sounds like jargon, it’s not. It matters—a lot. Here’s a deeper look at how it works and why it can be the silent killer in some challenges.

No Hidden SL or Lot Rules

Huge win here—no forced stop losses or micro-lot BS. You control your risk your way. You’d be surprised how many firms quietly sneak in “minimum SL” rules that nuke your edge. AquaFutures avoids that.

Consistency Rule (Yes, You Need to Care)

This is where you can mess up your payout if you’re not watching:

• On Instant accounts: Your biggest profit day can’t be more than 20% of your total for the payout period.
• On Challenge-funded accounts: It’s 40%.

If you’re a momentum trader who catches one huge move and then chills, you’re gonna run into issues. But if you’re pacing your trades, this is manageable. I passed a payout with this rule active—just had to spread the wins across a week. Slightly annoying, but not unreasonable.

Winning Day Requirements

• Beginner Instant: 5 winning days per payout cycle
• Standard Instant: 7 winning days
• Challenge-based funded accounts: Usually no win-day requirement (nice touch)

Honestly, this is a trader-first decision. It’s there to avoid you spiking one day and withdrawing $2K. Forces consistency, but they’re not crazy with it. I’ve dealt with firms that wanted 10 win days for a $100 payout. This is sane.

News Trading Rules: Mixed Bag

• During challenges: News trading is allowed.
• On funded accounts: Restricted five minutes before/after high-impact news (red folder).

So yeah—you can go full NFP sniper during eval, but once funded, you’ll need to scale back or avoid that window. Not a dealbreaker, but don’t ignore this if news plays are part of your edge.

Microscalping? Nope.

If you’re trying to run high-frequency bots, layer orders, or scalp for 1-tick profits 200 times a day—you’re gonna get flagged. AquaFutures doesn’t mess around here. But regular fast-paced scalping (5–10 points, a few minutes) is fine.

Other Notables:

• No forced SLs
• Holding overnight/weekends? Allowed
• Hedging? Allowed
• Martingale? Surprisingly, also allowed (but please don’t...)
• No EA/Bot trading unless semi-automated and supervised

The ruleset is actually readable, enforceable, and (mostly) trader-friendly. Rare combo.

Platforms & Assets: What Can You Trade with AquaFutures?

Let’s start with the futures side—which is the core of AquaFutures. I ran their funded account through multiple sessions on ES and NQ (my bread and butter), so this section comes from live execution, not spec sheets.

Supported Platforms (Futures)

For futures accounts, AquaFutures plugs you into:

• TradingView
• MetaTrader 5 (MT5)

Now, I know some futures purists will grumble at that—“Where’s Rithmic? Where’s Ninja?” But here’s the deal: MT5 and TradingView are plenty for most traders. Fast enough for execution, deep enough for analysis, and widely accessible. If you’re used to charting on TradingView, it’s a smooth transition.

Execution-wise? Surprisingly crisp. Filled ES and NQ trades at expected levels—no ghost fills, no weird slippage games. And this was during decent-volume U.S. sessions. Definitely not a laggy white-label situation.

If you’re coming from other firms using clunky third-party terminals, this feels clean.

Platform Options Beyond Futures (via AquaFunded)

They split their brand:

• AquaFutures = Futures-only
• AquaFunded = Forex, Indices, Crypto, Metals, Stocks

Smart move. Instead of cramming everything into one backend, they segment. If you want to trade gold or EUR/USD, you’d go through AquaFunded instead. Over there, they support:

• MT4 / MT5
• cTrader
• Match Trader
• TradeLocker
• TradingView

This dual-brand setup keeps things tight. AquaFutures feels tailored for futures traders like me. AquaFunded spreads wider for multi-asset traders.

Assets You Can Trade (Futures)

Here’s what I could trade directly:

• Indices: ES, NQ, and other CME favorites
• Currencies: Micros like EUR/USD
• Commodities: Gold, Oil, Ags
• Crypto Futures: Yes, even BTC futures and micro SOL
• Treasuries: Classic 10-year notes

Pretty robust list. They’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, just giving solid access to the most liquid futures markets. Commissions start at $0.45/side, which is solid.

Payouts at AquaFutures: How They Work (and My Results)

Here’s the blunt answer: yes, I got paid. Fast. No runaround, no random emails asking for extra verification after hitting a target. Just a clean, on-time payout—exactly how it should be, but rarely is in this space.

Profit Split Structure

• 100% on the first $15K of profit (only on Instant accounts)
• After that? 90% standard
• Optional upgrade: 95% split if you hit certain metrics or pay for premium perks

Most firms top out at 80–90%. AquaFutures giving 100% upfront isn’t just generous—it’s strategic. It gets traders hooked fast and helps you recoup your costs early.

I got a 100% split payout within two weeks of starting an Instant account. Made about $2.2K. Landed in my crypto wallet in under 48 hours.

And if you're still unsure whether most firms even follow through on payouts, this deep dive into prop firm payouts clears up who’s legit—and who’s just collecting fees.

Payout Frequency

• Weekly on Beginner Instant
• Bi-weekly on Standard Instant + all challenge-funded accounts

This is flexible. You don’t need to wait for “end of the month” or jump through hoops. Once your payout window is open, request and go.

They also let you upgrade to a 7-day first payout window (instead of the usual 30), which I used. Cost me a bit more upfront but worth it to speed-test their backend.

“Reward Guarantee” — Legit?

Yes. It’s real. If they miss the 48-hour payout window, they tack on $100 extra. I never triggered it (mine were processed in ~24 hours), but I’ve seen a few traders on Discord confirm it’s been honored when delays happened.

For a space where most firms drag their feet for days—or ghost you entirely—this is huge.

Withdrawal Methods & Fees

• Bank transfer ✅
• Crypto ✅ (I used USDC)
• Local payout methods ✅

They deduct a $35 flat fee from your first payout each month. After that, you can withdraw as often as you want, no extra cost.

Minimum Payout Thresholds

• $250 for Beginner / Instant accounts
• $500 for Standard challenge-funded accounts

And yeah, you’ve got to meet the consistency rules and minimum win days to qualify. Don’t hit those, you won’t get paid—no matter your equity. So read the fine print before trying to pull your profits.

Final Verdict: Is AquaFutures Worth It in 2025?

If you’re hunting for a futures-focused prop firm that doesn’t play payout games or nickel-and-dime you with rule traps, AquaFutures should be on your shortlist.

The good:

• 100% profit split up to $15K is real—and powerful for quick ROI
• Payouts? Fast, smooth, and backed by a legit guarantee
• Unlimited time on all challenges = massive edge for disciplined traders
• Platforms are simple but reliable (TradingView + MT5 did the job)
• Rules are mostly clean, with no random violations popping up out of nowhere

The friction points:

• That consistency rule can sting if you’re a “one big move” trader. You’ll need to smooth your equity curve a bit.
• Instant accounts are not cheap. If you’re not confident, start with a 1-Step or 2-Step challenge.
• News trading gets shut down on funded accounts. Something to plan around.

Who’s it for?

• Traders who want speed, clarity, and a firm that doesn’t ghost you when you withdraw
• Futures traders who know how to control risk and pace profits
• Anyone tired of weird resets, daily loss traps, or payout delays from legacy firms

Who should skip?

• Bots and full-auto traders—you’ll get flagged fast
• Anyone banking on one big day to carry the whole month. Their rules reward steadiness, not lucky punches.

My Take: I tested it. Pushed the limits. Got paid. And I’d use them again.

If you’re looking for a prop firm that actually respects your time and doesn’t bury you in fine print, AquaFutures holds up. It’s not hype—it’s just built well.