Scalping
Both firms permit scalping, but the technical environment and costs differ significantly.
- Rules and Costs: AquaFunded charges a $5 flat commission per lot on Forex, Metals, and Energies. BrightFunded is more cost-effective for high-frequency scalpers, charging $3 per lot on Forex and percentage-based commissions on other assets.
- Risk Management: BrightFunded’s static maximum drawdown is generally safer for scalpers who may experience quick equity fluctuations. AquaFunded uses trailing drawdown on its most popular accounts (Standard and Pro), which can "lock in" losses as the balance grows.
- Platforms: Scalpers at AquaFunded can choose between MT5, cTrader, MatchTrader, and TradeLocker. BrightFunded offers MT5, cTrader, and DXtrade.
- Limitations: BrightFunded explicitly prohibits "Tick Scalping," meaning trades must have a logic beyond just exploiting data feed speeds.
Intraday and News Trading
Operating during high-impact news is handled very differently by these two firms, which is a critical factor for intraday traders.
- News Policy: AquaFunded allows news trading but imposes a profit cap of 0.5% of the starting balance for gains made 5 minutes before or after a red folder event. BrightFunded prohibited news trading entirely during that 10-minute window; while it is a "soft breach" (the account isn't closed), all profits from those trades are deducted.
- Drawdown Impact: AquaFunded’s "Wave Stop" rule is a major risk for intraday traders; if floating losses reach 2% of the balance, all trades are automatically closed. A first breach reduces your profit split to 50%, and a second closes the account.
- Consistency: AquaFunded enforces a consistency rule where no single day can account for more than a specific percentage (ranging from 15% to 50%) of the total payout. BrightFunded does not have a consistency rule, offering more freedom to traders who have one or two exceptionally profitable days.
Swing Trading
For traders who hold positions for days or weeks, the cost of carry and weekend rules are the primary considerations.
- Holding Positions: Both firms allow holding positions over the weekend.
- Swap Fees: AquaFunded provides swap-free accounts natively, allowing positions to be held indefinitely without overnight fees. BrightFunded requires a paid "add-on" (+10% to the challenge price) to enable swap-free trading.
- Leverage: AquaFunded offers up to 50:1 or 100:1 on Forex depending on the plan. BrightFunded provides a steady 100:1 on Forex but limits Crypto to 5:1.
- Safety: BrightFunded’s static drawdown is superior for swing trading, as the maximum loss limit does not move upward with your profits, giving the trades more "room to breathe" during pullbacks.
Automated Trading (EAs)
Both firms allow the use of Expert Advisors, but with specific constraints on the underlying strategy.
- Prohibited Strategies: Both firms ban arbitrage (latency, hedge, or reverse), high-frequency trading (HFT), and exploiting data feed errors.
- AquaFunded Specifics: EAs must navigate the consistency rule and the Wave Stop. An EA that generates a massive gain in a single day might find its payout blocked until more trading days normalize the ratio.
- BrightFunded Specifics: While EAs are allowed, BrightFunded prohibits Grid trading and Martingale strategies. However, the absence of a consistency rule makes it easier to run EAs that have variable performance.
- Infrastructure: Both allow the use of VPS to ensure the EAs run 24/7.
Copy Trading and Hedging
- Copy Trading: AquaFunded is very flexible, allowing copy trading between its own accounts, from evaluation to funded, and even from external accounts. BrightFunded also allows copy trading but is stricter regarding the origin of the signals.
- Hedging: AquaFunded allows hedging within the same account. BrightFunded explicitly prohibits hedging across multiple accounts, treating it as a prohibited manipulation strategy.
If you trade like this
- If you are a high-volume scalper: BrightFunded is better due to its lower $3/lot commission and the lack of a consistency rule.
- If you are a news trader: AquaFunded is the only viable option as it allows you to keep up to 0.5% of the profit per event, whereas BrightFunded removes 100% of news-related gains.
- If you are a swing trader: AquaFunded is more attractive because swap-free accounts are included for free, whereas BrightFunded charges an extra 10% for them.
- If you want the lowest entry cost: AquaFunded is the choice with its $29 entry-level accounts.
- If you want the fastest payouts: BrightFunded wins with its 7-day payout cycle compared to AquaFunded's standard 14 days.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to start a challenge, AquaFunded or BrightFunded?
AquaFunded is significantly cheaper for beginners. You can purchase a $5,000 2-Step Pro account for $29. In contrast, the most affordable option at BrightFunded for a $5,000 account is $47 for the "2-Step Bright" model or $49 for the standard 2-Step.
Which firm pays its traders faster, AquaFunded or BrightFunded?
BrightFunded has a faster standard payout cycle of 7 days. AquaFunded typically requires 14 days after the first trade for the first payout and every 14 days thereafter, although you can reduce this to 7 days if you purchase a specific (+15% cost) add-on at checkout.
Does AquaFunded or BrightFunded have a consistency rule for withdrawals?
AquaFunded enforces a consistency rule on funded accounts, where a single day cannot exceed 15% to 50% of the total profit depending on the plan (e.g., 20% for Instant Standard, 50% for 2-Step Pro). BrightFunded does not have any consistency rule, allowing traders to withdraw their full profit regardless of how many days it took to generate.
How is news trading handled differently between AquaFunded and BrightFunded?
AquaFunded allows news trading but caps the profits at 0.5% of the initial balance for trades executed within 5 minutes of a high-impact event. BrightFunded prohibits trading during that same 10-minute window; while it won't close your account, they will deduct all profits generated from those specific trades.
