1. Business Profile and Corporate Transparency
The institutional backing and transparency of these two firms present a clear contrast in their approach to the market.
- FXIFY operates out of London, United Kingdom, and provides clear leadership information (CEOs Peter Brown and David Bhidey). This corporate transparency, combined with a higher Trustpilot score (4.2), suggests a more established institutional presence.
- AquaFunded is based in Dubai, UAE, and currently maintains its leadership as unknown. While Dubai is a major hub for prop firms, the lack of a public CEO may be a point of consideration for traders seeking high transparency.
- Banned Countries: FXIFY has a significantly longer list of restricted jurisdictions (including Russia, Venezuela, and several African nations), whereas AquaFunded has a more permissive list, making it accessible to a wider global audience.
2. Evaluation Programs and Flexibility
Both firms offer a wide variety of "Steps," but their specialty programs cater to different trading styles.
- AquaFunded provides 1-Step, 2-Step, and 3-Step evaluations, alongside "Instant Funding." A unique feature is the AquaMan program, a limited-time weekend offer with specialized conditions.
- FXIFY offers a broader range of paths, including the Lightning Plan (a 7-day high-speed challenge) and an Educational Course that rewards successful completion with a free $1,000 account.
- Maximum Allocation: AquaFunded caps initial allocation at $400,000, while FXIFY allows up to $805,000. Both firms allow scaling up to $4,000,000, but FXIFY’s higher initial ceiling benefits traders looking to manage larger capital from the start.
3. Technology and Platform Ecosystem
The choice of platform is critical given the current industry shift away from certain providers.
- FXIFY holds a significant advantage for modern traders by offering DXTrade and TradingView, in addition to MetaTrader 4 and 5. This makes it a superior choice for those who prefer web-based charting or need alternatives to MetaTrader.
- AquaFunded focuses on cTrader, MatchTrader, and TradeLocker alongside MetaTrader 5. The inclusion of cTrader is a strong point for professional traders who require advanced order types and better execution interfaces.
- Demo Accounts: FXIFY provides public demo credentials for various servers, allowing traders to test spreads and latency before purchasing a challenge. AquaFunded does not explicitly provide this transparency for all its platforms.
4. Drawdown and Risk Management Rules
Understanding how a firm calculates losses is the difference between keeping or losing an account.
- Calculation Method: Both firms utilize a mix of Static and Trailing drawdown.
- In AquaFunded, most accounts use a trailing drawdown based on the higher value between equity and balance.
- In FXIFY, the "Classic" and "3-Phase" plans use Static Drawdown, which is generally more trader-friendly as the "floor" does not move up as you make profits.
- The Wave Stop (AquaFunded): This is a unique automated safety net. If you hit a 2% loss in open trades, the system closes them. While the first breach only reduces your profit split, the second closes the account. This acts as a "soft breach" warning.
- Performance Protect (FXIFY): This is a rare add-on that allows traders who have breached a drawdown rule to still withdraw their remaining earned profits. It significantly reduces the "all or nothing" risk of prop trading.
5. Trading Restrictions and News Trading
The rules regarding when and how you can trade determine the viability of most strategies.
- News Trading: FXIFY is much more permissive. Most of its plans allow news trading without restrictions, except for the Lightning and Instant plans.
- AquaFunded implements a strict 10-minute "no-trade" window (5 mins before/after) for high-impact news. Violating this results in profit removal. For news-based traders, AquaFunded’s policy is a significant constraint.
- EAs and Copy Trading: Both firms allow EAs, but FXIFY prohibits them on Lightning and Instant plans. Both allow copy trading, but AquaFunded is more explicit about allowing copying from external (non-AquaFunded) accounts.
6. Payouts and Profit Sharing
The speed and conditions of receiving rewards are the primary incentives for any trader.
- Payout Guarantee: AquaFunded offers a 24-hour payout guarantee (or an extra $1,000). This is one of the most aggressive payout commitments in the industry.
- Profit Split: Both firms start at a competitive 80-90%. However, AquaFunded allows reaching a 100% profit split through specific add-ons, whereas FXIFY caps at 90% via add-ons.
- Consistency Rules: AquaFunded has a strict consistency rule where no single day can account for more than 15-25% of total profits (depending on the plan). FXIFY only applies a 30% consistency rule to its Lightning Plan, making its other evaluations easier for "big day" traders.
7. Summary: Which Firm to Choose?
Choose AquaFunded if:
- You value payout speed and want the security of a 24-hour guarantee.
- You want the potential for a 100% profit split using add-ons.
- You prefer using cTrader as your primary platform.
- You want a "soft breach" safety net like the Wave Stop to help manage intraday risk.
Choose FXIFY if:
- You trade News and want to avoid profit removal penalties.
- You prefer Static Drawdown (Classic/3-Phase) to avoid the traps of trailing drawdown.
- You want to use TradingView or DXTrade.
- You want to manage a larger initial capital ($805k allocation) before scaling.
- You want the security of Performance Protect to keep your profits even if you fail the drawdown rule later.
