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Comparison · Futures

AquaFunded Futures vs TradeDay: at a glance

See the field-by-field table Compare with another firm

Updated on

AquaFunded Futures View profile 45% off
TradeDay View profile 55% off

The short answer

AquaFunded Futures is better for traders seeking one-time payments and direct funding (Instant), while TradeDay is the superior choice for those wanting a path to a real live brokerage account and the ability to use EAs.

Where they actually differ

  • Styles (EAs): TradeDay allows the use of your own automated systems (EAs) on supported platforms. AquaFunded Futures strictly prohibits all forms of full automation or bots.
  • Price (Payment Model): AquaFunded uses a one-time fee model per challenge. TradeDay operates on a monthly subscription basis, meaning the cost increases the longer you take to pass the evaluation.
  • Risk (News Trading): AquaFunded allows news trading across all accounts. TradeDay prohibits trading Tier 1 news (2 minutes before/after), which results in auto-liquidation.
  • Cobro (Payout Minimums & Fees): TradeDay is more accessible with a $250 minimum withdrawal and free US wire transfers. AquaFunded requires a $500 minimum and charges a flat $35 fee on the first withdrawal of the month.
  • Risk (Drawdown Type): AquaFunded focuses almost exclusively on End-of-Day (EOD) drawdown. TradeDay offers a choice between EOD and Intraday Trailing Maximum Drawdown (TMD).
  • Platforms: TradeDay offers a wider professional range including NinjaTrader, Jigsaw, and Quantower via Rithmic or Tradovate. AquaFunded is more limited, focusing on Tradovate-compatible platforms like Volumetrica and DeepCharts.

Where they are basically the same

  • Platforms: Both firms support Tradovate and TradingView.
  • Instruments: Both are dedicated exclusively to CME Futures.
  • Price (Activation): Both companies have eliminated activation fees ($0) for their main modern plans.

Pick this one if

  • AquaFunded Futures:
    • You want to skip the evaluation and go straight to funding (Instant Standard).
    • You prefer paying once and not worrying about monthly recurring bills.
    • You trade news events regularly.
  • TradeDay:
    • You want a clear path to a real, live-funded account (Funded Live).
    • You use your own automated trading strategies or EAs.
    • You live in the US (free wire transfers) and want lower withdrawal minimums.

Frequently asked questions

Which firm is cheaper to start a $50k account, AquaFunded or TradeDay?

For a $50k account, TradeDay is cheaper for the first month, with its Quick Pay plan costing $62 compared to AquaFunded’s $131 (Flex DLL) or $160 (One Step). However, because TradeDay is a monthly subscription, AquaFunded becomes cheaper if you need more than two or three months to reach the profit target.

Can I use Expert Advisors (EAs) in AquaFunded or TradeDay?

You can only use EAs in TradeDay, provided they are your own systems and not purchased from third parties. AquaFunded Futures forbids all forms of full automation, bots, and "hands-off" trading, though they do allow semi-automation with active manual control.

Which firm has a lower minimum withdrawal, AquaFunded or TradeDay?

TradeDay has a lower minimum withdrawal of $250. AquaFunded Futures requires a minimum of $500 for its Instant, One Step, and Flex accounts. Additionally, TradeDay offers free US wire transfers, while AquaFunded deducts a $35 processing fee from your first withdrawal each month.

How do risk rules for news trading compare between AquaFunded and TradeDay?

AquaFunded is more flexible, as it explicitly allows news trading. TradeDay, conversely, prohibits trading during Tier 1 news releases (2 minutes before and after the event); violating this rule in TradeDay leads to auto-liquidation of your positions.

Field by field

AquaFunded Futures and TradeDay, side by side

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

Head to head

42 differences

AquaFunded Futures
View profile Official site
45%off
TradeDay
View profile Official site
55%off
Headquarters

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

2nd Floor, 412 S. Wells, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States

Country

United Arab Emirates

United States

Foundation

2023

2020

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, Barbados, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Croatia, Cuba, DR Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guam, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
CEO
No data

James Thorpe

Payout Fee

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

  • US Wire Transfer: Free
  • International Wire Transfer: $15/withdrawal
  • Crypto L1: $2.5/withdrawal + estimated gas fees
  • Crypto L2: Free
Platforms
Volumetrica, Tradovate, DeepCharts, TradingView
Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Tradingview, Jigsaw, Quantower, Rithmic
Payout Methods
Rise, Crypto
Transfer, Crypto
Payment Methods
Card, Crypto
Card, PayPal
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.

Day-one payouts on Quick Pay (no buffer). Requests submitted before 17:30 CT processed within 24 hours on business days. No frequency limit.

Payout Guarantee

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

No data
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

Fast Pass Funded Sim maximum per request: $1,500 (50K), $1,875 (100K), $2,250 (150K).

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

$250 minimum per payout request.

Assets
No data
Futures
Brokers
No data
Tradovate, Rithmic
Live Account
No data
Yes

Funded Live Access
Up to 5 active Funded Live accounts per trader.
90% profit split on Funded Live.
Clear position scaling rules and structured account transition.

No Activation Fee
TradeDay 2.0 removes the activation fee that existed in the previous model.

Add-ons
No
No
Instant
Yes
No
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.

No
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

Two drawdown types available, both Trailing Maximum Drawdown:

Intraday TMD
Calculated in real time from unrealized profits during the session.

End of Day TMD
Calculated from realized profits at end of day (16:00 CT close). Follows account growth until frozen at the initial balance.

Funded Sim drawdown type matches the evaluation type purchased.

Max Allocation
450,000

Up to 10 Evaluation accounts and 5 Funded Sim accounts simultaneously per trader. Up to 5 active Funded Live accounts per trader. Multiple Funded Sim accounts allowed. Single-member US LLC allowed. Multi-member LLC, S-corps and C-corps not allowed.

Maximum Trading Days

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

Unlimited

Minimum Trading Days

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

  • Quick Pay: 5 trading days minimum (non-consecutive).
  • Fast Pass: no minimum trading days.
Funded Phase Pricing Model

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

No activation fee on TradeDay 2.0.

Account Reset
No data

Available on current plans. See challenges for reset price.

Profit Split
No data

Quick Pay Funded Sim

  • 80% trader / 20% TradeDay above $4,000 gross profit
  • 50% trader / 50% TradeDay below $4,000 gross profit
  • Split evaluated per account

Fast Pass Funded Sim

  • 80% trader / 20% TradeDay

Funded Live

  • 90% trader / 10% TradeDay
Free Trial
No data
No
Mandatory buffer
No data
No
Merge Accounts
No data
No
Minimum Profitable Days
No data

Fast Pass Funded Sim: 5 profitable days per payout; $150/$200/$250 minimum daily profit on 50K/100K/150K.

Position size scaling
No data
Yes

Fast Pass Funded Sim starts at 2/3/4 contracts for 50K/100K/150K, then adds one contract per $2,000 of EOD profit. Quick Pay limits are fixed by account size.

Evaluation Phase Pricing Model
No data

Monthly subscription. See challenges for current list prices and promotions for active discounts.

Expert Advisor (EA)
No
Yes

Allowed if using supported platforms: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Tradingview, Jigsaw, Quantower. TradeDay does NOT expose Tradovate API. Own systems allowed (NOT purchased from third parties). If multiple users make same trades: All accounts closed.

VPN
Yes
No
Hedging
No
No
Requires Stop Loss
No
No
Scalping
Yes

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

Yes

Scalping allowed EXCEPT: High-frequency ATS, >200 trades per day, trades in few seconds for 1-2 ticks, playing with sim matching engine.

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

Yes

Allowed from a trader's own account into their TradeDay account, and between two of the trader's own TradeDay Funded Sim accounts. NOT allowed between Funded Live and Funded Sim, and NOT allowed between two different users. Compatible third-party tools: Tradesyncer (TDTC), Flowbots (tradeday), Expert Trading Programmers (TradeDay25OFF).

News Trading
Yes
No
Inactivity Rule
No

TradeDay does not charge inactivity fees. However, Tradovate archives the account after 1 month without login.

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

Quick Pay: 30% consistency in evaluation. Fast Pass: 45% consistency in evaluation and Funded Sim. Funded Live has no consistency rule.

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.
  • Using bots/ATS purchased from third parties
  • Systems generating >200 trades in a day
  • Strategies trading in few seconds to capture only a few ticks
  • Attempting to capture queue position advantage by playing with sim engine
  • Spoofing and layering (per CME Group rules)
  • Order splitting (multiple limit orders at same price simultaneously)
  • Trading in illiquid markets to benefit from missed fills
  • Exploiting lack of slippage in simulation (e.g., bracket orders in data releases)
  • Trading outside best bid/offer
  • Using external or slow data feed
  • High-frequency trading or short-term trading
  • Simultaneous opposite positions between accounts
  • Multiple registrations with different names/emails
  • Using VPN or VPS to mask location
  • Hedging: Prohibited (trading long in one account and short in another for same product)
  • Trading within 2% of price limit (Funded Live only, loss of account)
  • Microscalping (positions held <5-10 seconds dominating profit)
  • Trading Tier 1 news/data releases (2 min before/after, auto-liquidation)
Overnight positions
No
Yes
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