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Comparison · Futures

Track record: AquaFunded Futures and Blue Guardian Futures

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Who is behind each firm

AquaFunded Futures operates out of the United Arab Emirates, specifically from the Algaroud Center in Dubai. While the data does not specify a public CEO, the firm’s choice of jurisdiction is common for entities seeking a global financial hub with modern regulatory frameworks. In contrast, Blue Guardian Futures is led by CEO Sean Bainton and is headquartered in Saint Lucia. Blue Guardian presents a more person-centric leadership model, which often provides a point of contact for the community, whereas AquaFunded relies more on its corporate structure and its established presence in the UAE since 2023.

How long they have been around

AquaFunded Futures was founded in 2023, giving it a slightly longer history in the specific futures funding space compared to Blue Guardian Futures, which entered the market in 2024. However, the volume of public feedback tells a different story regarding market penetration. Blue Guardian Futures already boasts over 2,100 reviews on Trustpilot, suggesting a very aggressive marketing strategy or a rapid adoption rate by the trading community. AquaFunded, despite being a year older, appears more focused on its specific niche without the same level of massive public review volume shown in these records, indicating two different paths to establishing a reputation.

What they promise and what backs it

Both firms promise high-leverage opportunities and generous profit splits, but the backing of these promises differs. AquaFunded Futures offers a wide variety of plans, including "Instant Standard" accounts that bypass the evaluation phase and "Flex No DLL" accounts that remove the daily loss limit. Offering such lax rules for a firm founded in 2023 suggests a high appetite for risk or a very robust simulation model. Their pricing is competitive; for example, a $100,000 "Daily" evaluation costs $226.

Blue Guardian Futures matches this ambition with its own "Direct" funding and "Reserve" challenges. Their pricing is notably aggressive, with a $50,000 Reserve account starting at just $100. The backing for Blue Guardian’s promises is visible in its high review count and the structured "Live Account" transition path they outline, which includes the possibility of merging accounts and receiving bonuses. While AquaFunded focuses on flexible rules like allowing Martingale and having no minimum trading days on certain plans, Blue Guardian implements more structured risk guardrails, such as a maximum 5:1 risk-to-reward ratio, signaling a more conservative approach to trader longevity.

How they handle your money

Both firms have established a 90% profit split as their standard, which is at the top end of the industry. AquaFunded Futures handles withdrawals through Rise and Crypto, charging a flat $35 processing fee on the first approved withdrawal of each month. They offer a "24-hour guarantee," promising to pay an extra $500 if the payout is not processed within one business day. Blue Guardian Futures uses Riseworks and Crypto, charging a 2% processing fee. They also offer a 24-hour guarantee, but their penalty for being late is an additional 10% profit share on that specific payout. Both firms require a $500 minimum withdrawal, though Blue Guardian has specific "buffer" requirements on their Standard and Express plans that traders must exceed before they can withdraw.

Operational maturity

In terms of technical infrastructure, AquaFunded Futures shows maturity by supporting popular platforms like TradingView and Tradovate, alongside Volumetrica and DeepCharts. Their payout frequency is highly flexible, offering daily payouts on "Daily" accounts and on-demand payouts for "One Step" accounts. Blue Guardian Futures offers a different set of tools, including their proprietary ProjectX platform and Volsys. Their operational maturity is evidenced by a complex scaling plan for funded accounts and a variety of payout frequencies (from daily to every 3 days) depending on the plan chosen. Both firms accept standard payment methods like Cards and Crypto, but Blue Guardian extends this to ApplePay and GooglePay, indicating a slightly broader integration with modern payment gateways.

What the record does and does not tell you

This comparison is based on the structured data provided regarding their business registration, rules, and public feedback. A higher number of reviews or a physical office in a financial hub like Dubai provides a sense of presence but does not serve as a guarantee of future solvency or platform stability. Similarly, the age of a firm is a sign of survival, but in the fast-moving prop firm industry, a firm from 2023 is still considered relatively young. Traders should view these conditions as the current operational framework of each company rather than an absolute measure of safety.

Frequently asked questions

Which firm is more affordable for a $50,000 evaluation, AquaFunded Futures or Blue Guardian Futures?

Blue Guardian Futures is the more affordable option for this account size, as their "Reserve" challenge is priced at $100. In comparison, AquaFunded Futures charges $142 for their $50,000 "Daily" account and $131 for their "Flex DLL" version. While Blue Guardian has a lower entry price, it is important to note that their Reserve accounts involve a scaling plan where contract limits grow with the balance, whereas AquaFunded offers more immediate access to full contract sizes.

Who provides a better guarantee for payout speed, AquaFunded Futures or Blue Guardian Futures?

Both firms guarantee processing within 24 business hours, but they offer different compensations if they fail. AquaFunded Futures promises a flat $500 extra payment if they miss the window. Blue Guardian Futures offers an extra 10% profit share on the delayed payout. Depending on the size of the withdrawal, AquaFunded’s flat fee might be more beneficial for smaller payouts, while Blue Guardian’s percentage-based bonus could be significantly higher for large withdrawals.

Does AquaFunded Futures or Blue Guardian Futures offer better platform support for TradingView users?

AquaFunded Futures is the clear choice for traders who prefer TradingView, as it is officially listed as one of their supported platforms alongside Tradovate and Volumetrica. Blue Guardian Futures does not list TradingView in its technical info, offering instead Tradovate, ProjectX, Volsys, and DeepCharts. If direct integration with TradingView is a requirement for your strategy, AquaFunded provides the necessary infrastructure.

Which firm has stricter consistency rules for funded traders, AquaFunded Futures or Blue Guardian Futures?

Both firms employ a 40% consistency rule, but they apply it differently. AquaFunded Futures applies a 40% consistency rule to the funded phase of their "One Step Standard" accounts. Blue Guardian Futures also uses a 40% rule for their "Standard" funded accounts, but their "Direct" funding plan has a sliding consistency scale that starts at 20% for the first payout and increases over time. Blue Guardian's rules are more varied across their different plan types, whereas AquaFunded's rules are more uniform but vary depending on whether you are in the evaluation or funded stage.

Field by field

AquaFunded Futures and Blue Guardian Futures, side by side

Rules, plans, platforms, leverage, commissions and payouts of both, with the option to see only what differs.

Head to head

39 differences

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Headquarters

IFZA Business Park, DDP, Premises No. 35882-001, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Algaroud Center, 2nd Floor, Office 101-05, Dubai, UAE

Country

United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

Foundation

2023

2021

Banned Countries
Afghanistan, Cuba, Mauritius, Senegal, Albania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mongolia, South Africa, Algeria, Ecuador, Montenegro, Tanzania, Angola, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Ghana, Namibia, Tunisia, Barbados, Hong Kong, North Korea, Turkey, Belarus, Iceland, Pakistan, Uganda, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Indonesia, Philippines, Ukraine, Botswana, Iran, Panama, Vietnam, Bulgaria, Iraq, Papua New Guinea, Venezuela, Burma (Myanmar), Jamaica, Qatar, Yemen, Burundi, Kosovo, Russia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Romania, Cambodia, Laos, Serbia, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Slovenia, Cameroon, Liberia, Somalia, China, Libya, South Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, Macedonia, Sudan, Crimea, Mali, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Mozambique, Syria
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Crimea, Croatia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Mali, Mauritius, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen
CEO
No data

Sean Bainton

Payout Fee

$35 flat processing fee deducted from the first approved withdrawal of each calendar month.

2% processing fee on all withdrawals (Riseworks).

Platforms
Volumetrica, Tradovate, DeepCharts, TradingView
Tradovate, ProjectX, Volsys, DeepCharts
Payout Methods
Rise, Crypto
Transfer, Crypto
Payment Methods
Card, Crypto
Card, Crypto, ApplePay, GooglePay
Payout Frequency
  • Daily: daily
  • One Step Standard, Instant Standard: on demand
  • Flex DLL: after 5 winning days
  • Flex No DLL: after 6 winning days

Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Central Time.

  • Standard: every 3 days, from 3 days after the first trade
  • Reserve: instant payout once eligible (5 winning days)
  • Express: daily payouts
  • Direct: instant payout from day one

Withdrawal eligibility is confirmed by the end-of-day (EOD) dashboard update. Once the withdrawal button is enabled, a request can be submitted at any time without waiting for the next EOD update.

Payout Guarantee

Within 24 business hours. Get paid in 24 hours or AquaFunded Futures pays you an extra $500.

Payouts processed within 24 business hours. If Blue Guardian misses that window through a delay on their end, you receive an extra 10% profit share on that payout. Does not apply on weekends or bank holidays, nor to delays from compliance or risk reviews, Rise onboarding or a pending trader response.

Maximum Withdrawal

Daily: maximum daily payout

  • $50k: $1,100
  • $100k: $2,200
  • $150k: $3,300

Instant Standard: payout cap

  • $25k: $1,000
  • $50k: $2,000
  • $100k: $4,000
  • $150k: $6,000

One Step Standard: payout cap

  • $50k: $2,000, then $2,500
  • $100k: $4,000, then $5,000
  • $150k: $6,000, then $7,500

Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: payout cap

  • $50k: $2,000
  • $100k: $2,500
  • $150k: $3,000
No data
Minimum Withdrawal
  • Instant Standard, One Step Standard, Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: $500

$500 across all account types.

Refund
No data
No
Demo Account
No data
Unknown
Live Account
No data
Yes

After completing the evaluation and trading consistently on a Simulated Funded Account, the Risk Management team may invite traders to Live. There is no fixed timeline; each trader is evaluated individually. From 28/09/2026, all eligible funded accounts merge into one Live Account at transition. Their starting Live drawdowns add together: five $50K accounts provide $10,000 of combined drawdown. The $15,000 cap applies to new purchases after 28/09/2026. Contract limits scale with the combined drawdown, up to 10 minis / 100 micros. At each live profit milestone of 0.5x, 1x and 1.5x the starting drawdown, 25% of that drawdown is deposited into the Live balance as a bonus. The bonus becomes withdrawable after five winning days with the account in profit. Instead of trading Live, the trader may choose a one-time Live Buyout of 50% of the combined starting drawdown at transition. It is available once per trader, with a 28-day cooldown afterward. Live accounts use end-of-day drawdown with no daily loss limit. CME professional data, trade commissions and platform fees are deducted from the balance. Contract limits may increase with consistent performance.

Add-ons
No
Yes

Reserve challenges are configurable at checkout. Traders can choose a Daily Loss Limit or no Daily Loss Limit, combined with a 40% consistency rule (3-day pass) or a 50% consistency rule (2-day pass). The price varies depending on the selected combination.

Express challenges offer an optional 50% evaluation consistency add-on instead of the standard 40% rule, allowing traders to qualify after as few as 2 green days.

Instant
Yes
Yes
One Step
Yes
Yes
Account scaling
Limited

One Step Standard funded scaling targets: $52,100 on $50k, $103,600 on $100k and $155,100 on $150k.

Yes

Scaling applies to funded Reserve and Express accounts only. Standard and Direct keep flat contract limits from start to finish.

On Reserve and Express you get full contract size during the evaluation, and funded limits start lower and grow with the account balance. Updated at end of day (EOD) on the closing balance; if the EOD balance drops below a trigger, the tier can go back down.

Starting funded limits

  • $25,000: 1 mini / 10 micros
  • $50,000: 2 minis / 20 micros
  • $100,000: 3 minis / 30 micros
  • $150,000: 3 minis / 30 micros

Scaling triggers ($25K / $50K / $100K / $150K)

  • +$1,500: 2/20 · 3/30 · 4/40 · 4/40
  • +$2,000: — · 4/40 · 5/50 · 5/50
  • +$3,000: — · — · 8/80 · 8/80
  • +$4,500: — · — · — · 12/120

Flat limits (Standard and Direct)

  • $25,000: 1 mini / 10 micros
  • $50,000: 4 minis / 40 micros
  • $100,000: 8 minis / 80 micros
  • $150,000: 12 minis / 120 micros

1 mini = 10 micros; contracts can be mixed within the limit.

Max Drawdown
  • Daily, Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: end-of-day (EOD) drawdown during evaluation and funded stages
  • Instant Standard: end-of-day (EOD) drawdown
  • One Step Standard: end-of-day (EOD) drawdown during evaluation

Trailing end-of-day (EOD) on all plans. Values per plan and size:

  • Standard $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K: $1,500 / $2,000 / $3,500 / $5,000
  • Reserve $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K: $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500
  • Express $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K: $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,500
  • Direct $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K: $1,500 / $2,000 / $3,500 / $4,500

Once the trailing drawdown reaches the starting balance, it locks and stops trailing.

On Direct the drawdown becomes static after the account exceeds the initial trail balance or after the first payout request. After any approved payout the drawdown floor locks at starting balance + $100 on every plan.

Max Allocation
450,000
150,000
Maximum Trading Days

Daily, Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: unlimited evaluation time.

No data
Minimum Trading Days

One Step Standard: none; the evaluation can be passed in one trading day.

  • No minimum trading days on evaluation. Standard can be passed in as little as one trading day
  • Express with the optional 50% consistency add-on can qualify after 2 green days
  • Funded: one trade every 7 days to keep the account active
Funded Phase Pricing Model

One Step Standard, Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: $0 activation fee.

No activation

Account Reset
No data
Yes

Evaluation accounts can be reset at 30% off the original price. After failing the evaluation, the trader has 7 days to decide whether to reset. Funded accounts cannot be reset.

Two Steps
No data
No
Profit Split
No data

90% on all funded accounts and plans.

A payout delayed beyond the 24-business-hour guarantee adds an extra 10% profit share on that payout.

Daily Drawdown
No data

Soft breach on every plan: open trades are closed automatically and the account is disabled for the rest of the day, then reinstated the next trading day.

  • Standard $25K: none. $50K / $100K / $150K: $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000
  • Reserve: configurable at checkout. Traders can choose no daily loss limit or a soft DLL of $600 / $1,200 / $1,700 / $3,000 on $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K. The price varies depending on the selected option
  • Express challenge $25K: none. $50K / $100K / $150K: $1,000 / $1,250 / $1,750
  • Express funded $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K: $500 / $1,000 / $1,250 / $1,750
  • Direct $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K: $1,000 / $1,250 / $2,500 / $3,000
Three Steps
No data
No
Mandatory buffer
No data
Limited

Standard — Funded Buffer

  • $25,000 → $1,600
  • $50,000 → $2,100
  • $100,000 → $3,600
  • $150,000 → $5,100

Payouts are only available from profits earned above the buffer, and the buffer must stay intact when submitting a request.

Express

  • $25,000 → $1,100
  • $50,000 → $2,100
  • $100,000 → $3,600
  • $150,000 → $5,100

Payouts are only available from profits earned above the buffer.

Reserve

  • No buffer to reach before a payout, but after any withdrawal the drawdown floor locks at starting balance + $100.

Direct

  • No profit buffer requirement.
Minimum Profitable Days
No data
  • Standard: no minimum. First payout 3 days after the first trade
  • Reserve: 5 winning days before each payout, with a minimum of $100 / $150 / $200 / $250 profit per day on $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K. Winning days reset after every payout
  • Express: no minimum
  • Direct: no minimum
Position size scaling
No data
No
Evaluation Phase Pricing Model
No data

One-time fee

Expert Advisor (EA)
No
No
VPN
Yes
Yes
Hedging
No
Yes
Requires Stop Loss
No
No
Scalping
Yes

Scalping and microscalping are allowed with a minimum trade duration of 10 seconds.

Yes

Microscalping (trades held seconds with minimal profit margins) is prohibited. Automated scalping systems that exceed 200 trades per day are not allowed. Exploiting tight brackets or the simulated market's absence of slippage is forbidden.

Stacking / Layering (DCA)
Yes
Yes
Martingale
Yes
Yes
Maximum Risk Limit
No
Yes

Max risk-to-reward ratio: 5:1. For every $100 of profit target, your initial stop loss cannot exceed $500. Mental stops are accepted but excessive risk-taking can lead to warnings or payout disqualification. Adjusting stops to add risk goes against policy; only move stops forward to trail and protect profits.

Additional risk guardrails:

  • Trade within 2% of any CME price limit is prohibited.
  • Trading without clear risk management, excessive sizing, inconsistent contract sizes or "all-in" strategies may be considered gambling and lead to account review.
  • Holding a position into the daily 16:10 EST auto-close is fine; the auto-close itself doesn't breach the account.
Copy Trading
Yes

Copy trading is allowed between accounts owned by the same person. You can copy trades freely across your own AquaFunded Futures accounts without violations for internal account copying.

No
News Trading
Yes
Yes

Allowed on both challenge and funded accounts, on every plan. Traders can open, manage and close positions during high-impact news. Blue Guardian warns that slippage and spread widening may occur.

Inactivity Rule
No

At least one trade every 7 days on funded accounts.

Consistency Rule
Yes

Evaluation Phase

  • Daily: 40%
  • One Step Standard: none
  • Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: 50%

Funded Phase

  • Daily: none
  • One Step Standard: 40%
  • Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: none
  • Instant Standard: 20%
Yes

A single trading day cannot equal or exceed:

  • Standard: 40%, on the funded account only
  • Reserve: configurable as 40% (3-day pass) or 50% (2-day pass), on the evaluation only
  • Express: 40% on the evaluation by default; an optional 50% evaluation consistency add-on allows qualification after as few as 2 green days
  • Direct: 20% on the first payout, 25% on the second, 30% from the third onwards

Calculation: Highest Net Profit Day / Total Account PnL. On evaluation accounts, passing is delayed until the ratio complies with the selected threshold. On funded accounts, payouts are blocked until the ratio drops below the applicable threshold. Violating the rule does NOT terminate the account.

Hold Weekend
No
No
Prohibited Strategies
  • No full automation: bots, AI and hands-off trading are forbidden.
  • Auto scalping is limited (>200 trades/day restricted).
  • Semi-automation is allowed with active manual control.
  • No order manipulation (layering or fake liquidity).
  • No exploiting simulated fills, slippage or illiquid markets.
  • Follow CME rules; no coordinated accounts.
  • Scalping and microscalping require a minimum trade duration of 10 seconds.
  • Martingale is allowed within risk limits.
  • Violations may result in termination and loss of profits.
  • Automated scalping systems exceeding 200 trades per day.
  • AI, bots and fully automated trading mechanisms (all account types).
  • Hands-off, continuous day-and-night trading or complete automation.
  • Placing multiple limit orders at the same price to manipulate fills.
  • Strategies aimed at exploiting isolated fills in low-liquidity or gapped markets.
  • Using tight brackets or absence of slippage in the simulated market for favorable fills.
  • Trading during tier 1 economic data releases.
  • Coordinated trading across unconnected accounts (identical or opposing strategies).
  • Microscalping (trades held seconds with minimal margins).
  • Trading within 2% of a CME price limit.
  • Trading without a stop loss, relying on the trailing threshold to close trades.
Overnight positions
No
No
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