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Comparison · Futures

Trading styles allowed at AquaFunded Futures and IQ Capital Futures

AquaFunded Futures offers futures trading from Dubai with a focus on fast payouts and end-of-day drawdown across its Daily, One Step, and Instant plans. IQ Capital Futures, based in Saint Lucia, provides a wider range of platforms like NinjaTrader and ATAS, using a trailing end-of-day drawdown and specialized payout cycles ranging from daily to every ten sessions. While AquaFunded is generally more affordable for standard evaluations, IQ Capital offers a unique $9 welcome account and specific plans for high-frequency or daily payout seekers.

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AquaFunded Futures View profile 25% off
IQ Capital Futures View profile 85% off

Scalping and Micro-scalping

Both firms permit scalping, but they impose time-based restrictions to ensure trades are executed based on market intent rather than exploiting simulation latency.

  • Time restrictions: AquaFunded requires a minimum trade duration of 10 seconds. IQ Capital is stricter, applying a 15-second rule where at least half of your trades and profits must come from positions held longer than that threshold.
  • Platforms: Scalpers at IQ Capital benefit from professional order-flow tools like ATAS, Quantower, and NinjaTrader. AquaFunded users are limited to Volumetrica, Tradovate, DeepCharts, and TradingView.
  • Costs and Risk: AquaFunded’s end-of-day drawdown is more forgiving for high-frequency traders as it doesn't trail intra-day. IQ Capital uses a trailing EOD drawdown that locks at the starting balance after the first payout.
  • Payout influence: IQ Capital restricts "tick scalping" and high-frequency trading (HFT). AquaFunded limits automated scalping to 200 trades per day.

News Trading

Trading during high-impact economic events is permitted by both companies, which is a significant advantage for volatility traders.

  • Rules: Neither firm has specific "no-trade zones" around news releases. AquaFunded explicitly allows it across all accounts. IQ Capital also permits it, though traders must still adhere to the 15-second minimum duration rule.
  • Risk Management: Because both firms use end-of-day drawdown, a news-driven spike that goes against you and then recovers won't fail your account mid-session, unlike firms with intra-day trailing drawdowns.
  • Execution: AquaFunded warns about a "Price Limit Trading" rule where trading is restricted if a contract is within 2% of the CME price limit.

Automated Trading (EAs and Bots)

The approach to automation is where these two firms differ most significantly, creating a clear divide for algorithmic traders.

  • AquaFunded Stance: Fully automated trading via bots or AI is strictly forbidden. They only allow semi-automation where the trader maintains active manual control.
  • IQ Capital Stance: They allow Expert Advisors (EAs) with major caveats. You must have full access to the source code and the system must be self-developed; commercial "black-box" bots are prohibited.
  • Limitations: Since both firms prohibit holding positions over the weekend and overnight, any EA used at IQ Capital must be programmed to flatten all positions before the market close.
  • Alternative: If you cannot use an EA at AquaFunded, your only option is manual execution using their supported platforms like TradingView.

Copy Trading

If you manage multiple accounts, the ability to replicate trades is vital for efficiency.

  • AquaFunded Rules: They allow copy trading between accounts owned by the same person. You can freely copy trades across your own AquaFunded accounts without penalty.
  • IQ Capital Rules: Copy trading and external signals are strictly prohibited. Using third-party management or copying between accounts will lead to account termination.
  • Strategic Impact: AquaFunded is the better choice for those looking to maximize their $450,000 allocation limit by running multiple accounts simultaneously.

Swing Trading

Neither firm is designed for long-term swing trading due to strict closure rules.

  • Overnight/Weekend holding: Both AquaFunded and IQ Capital prohibit holding positions overnight or over the weekend. All trades must be closed before the daily market halt.
  • Inactivity: IQ Capital has an inactivity rule where the account is closed after 8 calendar days without a trade. AquaFunded does not list a specific inactivity expiration but focuses on the trading day limits of specific plans.
  • Alternative: Traders looking for longer-term moves must close their positions daily and re-enter the following day, which increases commission costs ($0.75-$2.88 per side at IQ Capital; not specified at AquaFunded).

If you trade like this

  • The Multi-Account Scalper: Choose AquaFunded Futures. Their 10-second rule is more lenient than IQ Capital’s 15-second consistency rule, and they allow internal copy trading to manage multiple accounts.
  • The Professional Order-Flow Trader: Choose IQ Capital Futures. The availability of NinjaTrader, ATAS, and Quantower provides the technical edge required for high-precision trading that AquaFunded's platform list lacks.
  • The Algorithmic Developer: Choose IQ Capital Futures. It is the only one of the two that allows self-developed automated systems, provided you have the source code.
  • The Payout-Focused Trader: Choose AquaFunded Futures. Their 24-hour payout guarantee (with a $500 penalty if they miss it) and "on-demand" payouts for One Step and Instant accounts are superior to IQ Capital’s 10-session requirement for Core accounts.

Frequently asked questions

Which firm is cheaper to start a $50,000 account, AquaFunded Futures or IQ Capital Futures?

AquaFunded Futures is generally cheaper for a standard evaluation, with the Flex DLL $50k account costing $131 and the One Step costing $160 with no activation fee. IQ Capital Futures charges $195 for its $50k Core account plus a $129 activation fee ($324 total), although they do offer a one-time "Welcome" account for $9.

Who pays out faster, AquaFunded Futures or IQ Capital Futures?

AquaFunded Futures provides faster access to profits, offering on-demand payouts for One Step and Instant accounts and daily payouts for the Daily plan, backed by a 24-hour processing guarantee. IQ Capital Futures requires 10 active sessions for Core and Instant accounts, though their "Rapid Daily" plan allows payouts after just one session.

Between AquaFunded Futures and IQ Capital Futures, which has better platform support for NinjaTrader?

IQ Capital Futures is the only choice for NinjaTrader users, as it officially supports NinjaTrader, ATAS, and Quantower. AquaFunded Futures does not support NinjaTrader, limiting users to Volumetrica, Tradovate, DeepCharts, and TradingView.

Which firm has stricter rules for scalping, AquaFunded Futures or IQ Capital Futures?

IQ Capital Futures is stricter because of its "15-second rule," which requires 50% of trades and profits to come from trades held longer than 15 seconds, and its prohibition of tick scalping. AquaFunded Futures only requires a minimum duration of 10 seconds per trade and allows up to 200 automated trades per day.

Field by field

AquaFunded Futures and IQ Capital Futures, side by side

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

Head to head

38 differences

AquaFunded Futures
View profile Official site
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IQ Capital Futures
View profile Official site
85%off · Exclusive
Headquarters

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

Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

CEO

Jason Blax

Christoph Radecker

Country

United Arab Emirates

Saint Lucia

Foundation

2023

No data
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
AF, BY, CF, CU, CD, ER, IR, IQ, LY, ML, MM, NI, KP, RU, SO, SS, SD, SY, VE, YE
Payout Fee

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

No data
Platforms
Volumetrica, Tradovate, DeepCharts, TradingView
Deepchart, ATAS, Quantower, Tradovate, Tradingview, NinjaTrader
Payout Methods
Rise, Crypto
Transfer, Crypto
Payment Methods
Card, Crypto
Card, Crypto
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.

Core and Instant: every 10 active sessions. Rapid Daily: after one session; Rapid Futures 3D: every 3 sessions. Rapid closes after the fifth payout.

Payout Guarantee

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

The website advertises processing within 48 hours or a 100% split on that payout. Bank transfer or USDC ERC-20 according to the help center.

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

Up to 50% of profits per request, before the split. Core/Instant 50K: $1,500/$2,000/$2,500 for payouts 1-2/3-4/5+; 100K: $2,000/$2,500/$3,000. Rapid Daily 50K: $1,000 for the first two, then $1,500; 100K: $1,500/$2,000. Rapid 3D 50K: $2,000; 100K: $2,000 for the first two, then $3,000. After the first payout, new profits of at least 50% of the next requested amount are required.

Minimum Withdrawal
  • Instant Standard, One Step Standard, Flex DLL and Flex No DLL: $500

No published minimum.

Assets
No data
Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Futures
Brokers
No data
dxFeed
Live Account
No data
Limited

Elite trades real capital by risk-team invitation; standard Funded accounts use simulated capital.

Commission
No data

Per contract per side: dxFeed $0.75 micro / $2 mini; Tradovate $0.80 / $2.88. CME L1 included; other exchanges and L2 cost extra. Tradovate is limited to DLL accounts; evaluations cannot migrate.

Add-ons
No
No data
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.

Limited

Discretionary invitation to Elite with real capital and individual limits. The website also advertises a waiting list; automatic scaling is not guaranteed.

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

EOD trailing: the threshold follows the highest closing value and never decreases. It locks at the initial balance when reached or after the first payout. Subsequent loss room consists of the profits left in the account.

Max Allocation
450,000
No data
Maximum Trading Days

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

New purchases: 90-day evaluation; Instant accounts have no expiry. No monthly renewal fees for purchases from 22 October 2026 at 18:00. Older accounts retain their renewal terms.

Minimum Trading Days

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

Core: no minimum evaluation days. Rapid: the help center specifies 3 evaluation days and consistency.

Funded Phase Pricing Model

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

No data
Account Reset
No data
Limited

Evaluation resets and up to two funded or Instant resets. Help articles exclude promotional accounts from resets, although the Welcome Futures checkout displays a reset price. Confirm before purchasing a Welcome reset.

Free Trial
No data
No
Daily Drawdown
No data

Core DLL and funded Rapid Daily: the checkout specifies one soft closure and account termination on the second breach. Older Core DLL articles still describe an immediate hard breach.

Maximum Accounts
No data

Core and Instant: up to 10 funded accounts. Rapid: up to 5. One Welcome account per user. Unlimited evaluations; passed accounts can wait for an activation slot. Futures limits are separate from CFD/crypto limits.

Expert Advisor (EA)
No
Limited

Only self-developed or transparent systems with full source access and control over their logic. No commercial black-box bots, HFT or arbitrage.

VPN
Yes
Limited

Allowed for security or connectivity, never to conceal identity or bypass restrictions.

Hedging
No
No
Requires Stop Loss
No
No data
Scalping
Yes

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

Limited

No HFT or tick scalping. Payouts require the 15-second rule: at least half of trades and profits must come from trades exceeding that threshold, as described in payout help.

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

Position Loss plans aggregate all trades in the same market, including fees, spread and slippage. Limit: 1% in evaluation and 0.5% funded/Instant. Two soft closures; the third breach ends the account. Rapid Futures does not use this limit.

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
Inactivity Rule
No

Closure after 8 calendar days without trading. Opening or closing a trade resets the timer; an open position pauses it.

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%
Limited

Core: 30% funded and Instant, none during evaluation. Rapid: 40% during evaluation; none for funded Rapid Daily. Rapid Futures 3D: 40% per funded cycle. Resets after each payout.

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.

Latency arbitrage, price or platform manipulation, spoofing/layering, bug exploitation, copying/external signals, third-party management, account sharing, multiple identities and excessive exposure.

Overnight positions
No
No
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