RISK

Trading carries substantial risk of loss. Prop evaluation fees are typically non-refundable and the majority of traders do not pass first attempts. This comparison is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Read full risk warning

HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON · 2026

BuoyTrade vs Aqua Funded

Side-by-side comparison of trust scores, profit splits, payout speed, and real trader reviews. Independent data — no sponsored rankings.

BUOY

BuoyTrade

AQUA

Aqua Funded

EST. 2023

BUOYTRADE

METRIC

AQUA FUNDED

53/100—

TRUST SCORE

BETTER59/100

3.8/5—

RATING

BETTER4/5

80%—

PROFIT SPLIT

BETTER90%

$1,024,000—

MAX FUNDING

BETTER$2,000,000

$50—

MIN COST

BETTER$1

14d—

PAYOUT DAYS

BETTER7d

—

PASS RATE

—

2TIE

REVIEW COUNT

TIE2

BUOYTRADE DETAILS

STEPS: 1-phase
DRAWDOWN: Static
MARKETS: Forex
PLATFORMS: MT4

AQUA FUNDED DETAILS

STEPS: 2-phase
DRAWDOWN: Trailing
MARKETS: Forex, Indices, Metals, Commodities, Crypto
PLATFORMS: MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader, TradeLocker

BuoyTrade PROS

+Min challenge cost of $50 is well below the industry average of $186.7, making entry highly affordable.
+Single-step funding is better than the industry average of 1.6 steps, offering a faster path to funded status.
+Max funding of $1,024,000 is above the industry average of $839,272.7, providing above-average scaling potential.
+Profit target of 5% is well below the industry average of 7.9%, making the evaluation stage easier to pass.

BuoyTrade CONS

−Profit split of 80% is below the industry average of 84.7%, reducing the trader's share of earnings.
−Overall drawdown of 5% is well below the industry average of 7.9%, offering significantly less margin before breach.
−EA/automated trading is not allowed, restricting algorithmic traders from participating with this firm.

Aqua Funded PROS

+Min challenge cost of just $1 is exceptionally below the industry average of $186.7, making it highly accessible.
+Max funding of $2,000,000 is more than double the industry average of $839,272.7.
+Profit split of 90% significantly exceeds the industry average of 84.7%.
+Weekend holding, news trading, and EA use are all permitted, offering maximum trading flexibility.

Aqua Funded CONS

−Overall drawdown of 10% is above the industry average of 7.9%, requiring traders to manage larger potential losses.
−Profit target of 10% is higher than the industry average of 7.9%, making the challenge harder to pass.
−Days to first payout of 7 is slightly above the industry average of 6.5 days.

PROPDNA VERDICT

BuoyTrade

Lower trust score (53/100). Slower payouts at 14d. 80% profit split.

START WITH BUOY