How you lose the account
At both AquaFunded and Blue Guardian, the primary way to lose an account is by breaching drawdown limits (daily or maximum) or violating prohibited trading strategies. However, there are specific risk-triggers to watch:
- Inactivity: Both firms will terminate your account if no trade is placed for 30 consecutive days.
- Automated Security Breaches: Both firms use a safety mechanism (Wave Stop at AquaFunded, Guardian Shield at Blue Guardian). If floating losses reach 2% of the starting balance, trades are force-closed. A second violation of this rule results in account termination.
- Prohibited Strategies: Using latency arbitrage, high-frequency trading (HFT), or emulators will lead to an immediate ban at both firms.
- Data Exploits: Profiting from demo server errors or freezing data feeds is considered a violation.
Maximum drawdown
The risk profile of your maximum drawdown depends heavily on the plan you choose, as both firms mix static and trailing models.
- AquaFunded: Offers static drawdown on "1 Step Flex", "2 Step Elite", and "3 Step" plans. "Standard" and "Pro" plans use a trailing drawdown based on the highest value between equity and balance.
- Blue Guardian: Uses static drawdown for "1 Step Pro", "2 Step Standard", and "3 Step" accounts. It uses trailing drawdown for "Instant", "Guardian X", and "2 Step Pro" accounts.
Numerical Example:
- AquaFunded (1 Step Flex $100k): Static drawdown of 10%. Your account is terminated if equity hits $90,000. If you grow the account to $110,000, your risk floor remains $90,000, giving you a $20,000 cushion.
- Blue Guardian (2 Step Pro $100k): Trailing drawdown of 10%. If your account balance (or equity) reaches $105,000, the floor "trails" up to $95,000. You always have a $10,000 buffer from your highest point until the trailing stops at the starting balance (breakeven).
Daily drawdown
Both firms calculate the daily loss limit based on the highest value between balance and equity at the start of the day (00:00 UTC). This is the most dangerous calculation for traders who hold trades overnight, as floating profits increase the "starting point" for the next day's loss limit.
- AquaFunded: Generally sets a daily limit of 3% to 5% depending on the challenge.
- Blue Guardian: Usually sets a 3% to 4% daily limit.
Numerical Example:
- Blue Guardian (2 Step Standard $50k): Daily limit is 4%. If you end the day with a balance of $50,000 but a floating equity of $52,000, the next day's limit is calculated from $52,000. Your account fails if equity drops below $49,920 ($52,000 - 4%) that day, even though you are technically in profit relative to your starting balance.
Rules beyond drawdown
Beyond the drawdown, there are secondary rules that can block your payouts or reduce your profit split:
- Consistency Rule: Both firms apply this. At AquaFunded, a single day's profit cannot exceed a certain percentage (e.g., 20% on Instant Standard, 25% on 1 Step Pro). Blue Guardian has similar tiers (e.g., 25% on 2 Step Pro, 20% on Instant Standard). Exceeding this doesn't lose the account, but it blocks withdrawals until more trades are made to lower the average.
- Stop Loss: Neither firm explicitly requires a mandatory stop loss.
- Wave Stop / Guardian Shield:
- AquaFunded: If floating PnL hits -2%, trades close. 1st strike reduces profit split to 50%. 2nd strike loses the account.
- Blue Guardian: Similar -2% trigger. 1st strike reduces split to 50%. 2nd strike loses the account.
- Minimum Holding Time: Blue Guardian has a strict 2-minute minimum holding time rule. Trades closed earlier are flagged as tick scalping and can lead to violations. AquaFunded does not specify a minimum time but prohibits tick scalping.
Risk that comes from the setup
The technical environment adds hidden layers of risk:
- Platforms: AquaFunded provides more diversity with MetaTrader 5, MatchTrader, TradeLocker, and cTrader. Blue Guardian offers MetaTrader 5, TradeLocker, and MatchTrader. A lack of platform options can be a risk if a server goes down during high volatility.
- Execution and Slippage: Blue Guardian identifies its broker as a "Liquidity Provider," while AquaFunded's specific broker information is not provided in the data, which represents an information risk.
- Assets: Both cover Forex, Indices, and Commodities. Blue Guardian includes Crypto across more plans, whereas AquaFunded has specific leverage for Crypto but more limited availability.
- Leverage: AquaFunded offers up to 100:1 on evaluation for specific plans, while Blue Guardian generally caps Forex at 50:1. Higher leverage increases the risk of hitting the daily drawdown faster.
What is at stake and what you recover
- The Stakes (Price): If you fail, you lose the initial fee. For a $100,000 account, AquaFunded's 1 Step Flex costs $749, while Blue Guardian's 1 Step Standard costs $398.
- Refund Policy: AquaFunded offers a full refund of the fee, but only after the 4th payout. Blue Guardian does not offer a refund policy according to the provided data.
- Payout Frequency: Both firms have a standard 14-day payout cycle. AquaFunded allows a 7-day payout with a paid add-on. Blue Guardian offers weekly payouts specifically for the 1 Step Nano plan.
- Profit Split: AquaFunded starts at 90%. Blue Guardian ranges from 80% to 85%, reaching 90% or 100% only with specific plans (Nano) or add-ons.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper for a $100,000 challenge, AquaFunded or Blue Guardian?
Blue Guardian is significantly cheaper for a $100,000 evaluation. Their "1 Step" account costs $398 and their "2 Step Standard" costs $463. In comparison, AquaFunded’s "1 Step Flex" costs $749 and their "1 Step Pro" costs $459. For a standard two-step $100k account, Blue Guardian’s $463 is lower than AquaFunded’s $469 for the "2 Step Standard".
Does AquaFunded or Blue Guardian offer a fee refund?
Only AquaFunded offers a refund of the initial challenge fee, but it is not immediate. You must successfully reach your 4th payout to receive the full refund. Blue Guardian does not have a refund policy listed in its structured data, meaning the fee is a sunk cost regardless of how many payouts you achieve.
Which firm has stricter news trading rules, AquaFunded or Blue Guardian?
Both firms have strict limitations on funded accounts, but Blue Guardian is more restrictive for certain users. Blue Guardian completely prohibits news trading on "Instant Standard" and "Funded" accounts (5 minutes before and after). AquaFunded allows it but caps the profits generated during the news window (5 minutes before and after) at 0.5% of the starting balance; any excess profit is removed but the account is not closed.
Can I use Expert Advisors (EAs) on both AquaFunded and Blue Guardian?
Yes, both AquaFunded and Blue Guardian allow the use of EAs. However, Blue Guardian has a higher risk for automated strategies due to its 2-minute minimum holding time rule; if an EA closes trades too quickly, it will be flagged as a violation. AquaFunded allows EAs without a specified minimum holding time, although it still prohibits HFT and arbitrage bots.
