Entry price
The cost of starting depends heavily on the evaluation style you choose. AquaFunded Futures offers a wider range of price points, while E8 Market Futures focuses on a more standardized premium pricing model.
- AquaFunded Futures $100k account: $191 (Flex DLL), $226 (Daily), or $300 (One Step).
- E8 Market Futures $100k account: $260 (Signature), $278 (Zero Starter), or $588 (Zero Max).
- AquaFunded Futures $50k account: $131 (Flex DLL) up to $453.34 for an Instant account.
- E8 Market Futures $50k account: $150 (Signature) to $328 (Zero Max).
Regarding resets and bundles, E8 Market Futures offers a 10% discount for 7 days after failing an account. AquaFunded Futures focuses on bulk purchases, offering discounts from 5% for 2 accounts up to 14% if you buy 10 accounts at once.
What you pay while trading
Operating costs can eat into your profit margins before you even request a withdrawal. E8 Market Futures is very transparent about its execution costs, charging $2.58 per round trip for standard contracts and $0.78 for micros, plus exchange and clearing fees.
AquaFunded Futures does not charge an activation fee for most of its plans (One Step, Flex, and Daily), which saves you an upfront cost often found in other firms. Similarly, E8 Market Futures has $0 activation fees and no recurring subscriptions. The "hidden" cost in AquaFunded Futures is the 10-second minimum trade duration; any trade closed faster is a violation, effectively making high-frequency scalping "expensive" as it can lead to account termination.
What mistakes cost you
In prop trading, the cost of a mistake is the loss of the account and the entry fee. Both firms use an End-of-Day (EOD) drawdown, which is the most "trader-friendly" and cheapest form of risk management because it doesn't penalize you for unrealized intraday profits.
- E8 Market Futures has a significant advantage: its dynamic drawdown locks permanently at the initial balance level once reached. This means that after a certain point of profit, your risk of losing the account due to drawdown effectively drops to zero.
- AquaFunded Futures applies EOD drawdown during both evaluation and funded stages for most plans. However, they impose consistency rules (40% to 50%) that act as a "soft cost": if you have one exceptionally lucky day, your profit target or payout eligibility is delayed until you trade more days to balance the average.
What it costs to get paid
This is where the economic impact of your success is felt. AquaFunded Futures charges a flat $35 processing fee deducted from the first approved withdrawal each month. In contrast, E8 Market Futures charges $0 for payouts, though your chosen payment processor (Rise or WorkMarket) may have its own fees.
- AquaFunded Futures offers a 90% profit split and a unique guarantee: if they don't pay you within 24 business hours, they pay you an extra $500.
- E8 Market Futures offers an 80% profit split by default, but allows you to increase it to 100% at checkout for an additional cost on Zero plans.
- Withdrawal limits also differ: AquaFunded Futures has daily payout caps (e.g., $2,200 for a $100k Daily account), while E8 Market Futures uses a tiered system for Signature accounts (e.g., $2,250 for the first two payouts on a $100k account).
Where each one hides its cost
The "hidden" costs are often found in the rules that restrict how you trade. AquaFunded Futures allows copy trading only between your own accounts and prohibits all forms of automation and bots. If you rely on software, the cost of switching to manual trading can be high in terms of performance.
E8 Market Futures hides its cost in the "Best Day" rule for Signature Performance accounts (35%) and Zero Challenges (40%). If you exceed these percentages, you cannot withdraw or pass until you earn more on other days, which costs you time and exposes you to more market risk. Additionally, E8 Market Futures closes accounts after only 7 days of inactivity, a much stricter rule than the industry average, which could cost you your entire investment if you take a short break without planning.
Cheapest for whom
AquaFunded Futures is the cheapest option for high-volume traders and beginners who want to buy multiple accounts at a discount and don't mind a small flat fee when they withdraw large amounts.
E8 Market Futures is the cheapest for consistent, long-term traders who want to avoid payout fees and benefit from a drawdown that eventually stops trailing, protecting their funded status indefinitely.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to start a $100,000 account, AquaFunded Futures or E8 Market Futures?
AquaFunded Futures is cheaper for a $100,000 account, with its Flex DLL plan starting at $191. In comparison, the most affordable $100,000 option at E8 Market Futures is the Signature account at $260. This makes AquaFunded Futures more accessible for traders with a limited initial budget.
Does AquaFunded Futures or E8 Market Futures charge more for withdrawing profits?
AquaFunded Futures is more expensive in this regard, as it charges a flat $35 fee on the first withdrawal of every month. E8 Market Futures does not charge any internal payout fees, meaning the only costs you might face are those from third-party processors like Rise or WorkMarket.
Between AquaFunded Futures and E8 Market Futures, which has the most restrictive consistency rule?
E8 Market Futures is generally more restrictive for payouts, as its Signature Performance accounts require that no single day exceeds 35% of the total profit. AquaFunded Futures uses a 40% consistency rule for its One Step and Daily plans, giving the trader slightly more room for a "big day" without delaying their payout.
Which firm offers better protection against losing the account, AquaFunded Futures or E8 Market Futures?
E8 Market Futures offers better protection because its EOD dynamic drawdown locks at the initial balance, meaning once you have enough profit, the drawdown stops moving and you can't lose the account by hitting it. AquaFunded Futures uses a standard EOD drawdown that follows your balance during the evaluation and funded stages (depending on the plan), which doesn't offer that same permanent "safety zone."
