How you lose the account
Losing an account in futures prop trading is usually the result of a "hard breach." Both firms share common terminal violations:
- Exceeding the maximum total drawdown.
- Holding positions during the daily market close or over the weekend.
- Using prohibited automation (bots/AI) or engaging in coordinated trading.
In AquaFunded Futures, you also risk termination if you trade within 2% of the CME price limits or if you fail to respect the 10-second minimum trade duration. In Hola Prime Futures, the risk of loss is more granular: you can lose a funded account for failing to place a Stop Loss, exceeding a 2% risk-per-idea limit, or being inactive for more than 7 days.
Maximum drawdown
The maximum drawdown is the ultimate barrier. Both firms use an End-of-Day (EOD) calculation, which is generally safer than intraday trailing drawdown because it ignores temporary unrealized profit peaks.
- AquaFunded Futures: Uses a static or EOD drawdown depending on the plan. For most accounts, it is a fixed distance from the starting balance or the high-water mark at the end of the day.
- Numerical Example: On a $100,000 Daily account, your max drawdown is $2,500. If your balance fluctuates to $103,000 during the day but you close at $101,000, your loss floor remains at $97,500 ($100k - $2.5k). It only moves based on settled EOD balance.
- Hola Prime Futures: Uses an EOD trailing drawdown that follows the highest EOD balance. However, it "locks" at the starting balance once you have earned the drawdown amount in profit.
- Numerical Example: On a $100,000 Prime account with a 3% ($3,000) drawdown, your initial floor is $97,000. If you end Day 1 at $102,000, your floor moves to $99,000. Once your account reaches $103,000 EOD, the floor locks at $100,000 and never moves higher, even if your account grows to $110,000.
Daily drawdown
The daily limit is the "early warning" that can end your journey before the total drawdown is reached.
- AquaFunded Futures: Imposes a strict daily loss limit on almost all plans. For a $150,000 Daily account, this limit is $1,750. If your realized or unrealized losses hit this number during the session, the account is failed.
- Hola Prime Futures: Interestingly, the Prime evaluation and Sim Funded accounts have no daily drawdown limit. You are only restricted by the total maximum drawdown. However, their "Direct" (Instant) accounts do have a 2.5% daily cap. If you reach it, positions are closed and you are paused until the next day, but the account is not necessarily terminated unless it's a hard breach of the maximum loss.
Rules beyond drawdown
Risk is not just about the balance; it is about behavior.
- Consistency Rule:
- AquaFunded: Requires that no single day accounts for more than 40% of your total profit (on Daily and One Step) or 50% (on Flex).
- Hola Prime: Varies by account. 1-Step Prime is 40%, Prime Funded is 35%, and Direct is 20%.
- Stop Loss:
- AquaFunded: Does not explicitly mandate a Stop Loss.
- Hola Prime: Mandatory in Sim Funded and Direct accounts. Trading without one is considered "unlimited risk" and can lead to account closure.
- Risk per Idea:
- Hola Prime: Limits risk to 2% of the initial balance per trade idea. AquaFunded does not document a specific per-trade risk percentage, which is a risk in itself as it leaves the trader without a clear boundary for "gambling" violations.
Risk that comes from the setup
The technical environment can cause losses through slippage or execution errors.
- Platforms: AquaFunded offers a wider variety of modern interfaces like TradingView and Volumetrica. Hola Prime focuses on industry standards like NinjaTrader and Tradovate. A lack of familiarity with NinjaTrader’s complex setup can be a risk factor for beginners.
- Execution and Latency: AquaFunded prohibits "microscalping" (under 10 seconds). Hola Prime does not have a minimum time but prohibits systematic patterns of trades under 3 minutes if they appear to exploit the demo environment.
- Market Protection: Both firms prohibit trading within 2% of the CME price limits. This is a crucial risk rule: if the market is too volatile and hits a limit, your orders might not fill, leading to a drawdown breach that neither firm will waive.
What is at stake and what you recover
- The Cost of Failure:
- AquaFunded uses a one-time fee model for evaluations. If you fail, you lose the initial fee.
- Hola Prime uses a monthly subscription for its Prime Challenge ($259/month for $100K). This adds "time risk": the longer you take to pass, the more capital you have at stake.
- Payout Safety:
- AquaFunded offers a 24-hour payout guarantee or they pay you an extra $500. They charge a $35 flat fee.
- Hola Prime charges a 2.5% fee ($25 minimum for wires). They have a "mandatory buffer" rule: after a payout, your floor becomes the starting balance. If you withdraw all your profits, you have zero room for error, and the next losing trade will blow the account.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm has a stricter consistency rule, AquaFunded Futures or Hola Prime Futures?
AquaFunded Futures is generally stricter during the evaluation phase with a 40% to 50% consistency limit depending on the plan. Hola Prime Futures uses a 40% rule for its Prime Challenge but becomes more restrictive once funded, lowering the limit to 35% for Prime Funded accounts and a very tight 20% for Direct accounts.
Is it cheaper to maintain an evaluation with AquaFunded Futures or Hola Prime Futures?
AquaFunded Futures is more cost-predictable because it uses a one-time fee for evaluations (e.g., $226 for a $100K Daily account). Hola Prime Futures uses a recurring monthly subscription model ($259 per month for a $100K Prime account), meaning that if you do not pass within the first 30 days, your costs will double, making it significantly more expensive over time.
Which firm requires a mandatory Stop Loss, AquaFunded Futures or Hola Prime Futures?
Hola Prime Futures requires a mandatory Stop Loss for all Sim Funded and Direct accounts; failing to use one is a violation. In contrast, AquaFunded Futures does not explicitly require a Stop Loss in its rules, allowing traders more flexibility but also increasing the risk of catastrophic account loss during high volatility.
How do the withdrawal fees compare between AquaFunded Futures and Hola Prime Futures?
AquaFunded Futures charges a flat processing fee of $35 deducted from the first approved withdrawal of each month. Hola Prime Futures charges a percentage-based fee of 2.5% per payout, with a minimum of $25 for bank wires or $5 for crypto. For large withdrawals, AquaFunded's flat fee is significantly more economical than Hola Prime's percentage model.
