AquaFunded vs Funded Trader Markets
AquaFunded and Funded Trader Markets are not the same product at different prices. Below is every term each firm publishes, side by side, and the differences that decide which one suits a given trader.
The difference in two lines: AquaFunded is $5 cheaper at the entry tier ($15 against $20). Verification differs: AquaFunded publishes no KYC policy, Funded Trader Markets verifies identity before the account activates. Open AquaFunded
| Term | AquaFunded | Funded Trader Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest evaluation | $15 | $20 |
| Size at that price | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| 25k fee | $194.93 | $59 |
| Profit split | 90% (100% with add-on) | Up to 90% |
| Drawdown (25k) | 6% max trailing, 3% daily (1-Step Standard) | 6% from the highest recorded balance, fixed at the initial size once 6% profit is reached, 4% of the initial balance (3% on the 300k) (1 Step Nitro) |
| Profit target (25k) | 9% (1-Step Standard) | 10% (1 Step Nitro) |
| KYC | Not stated by firm | Before activation |
| Payout rail | Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDC ERC20/TRC20) / Rise (bank transfer or crypto) | USDC / USDT / BTC / ETH / SOL / Rise |
| Payout speed | Bi-weekly, 24 business-hour guarantee | 24-hour guarantee, average around 20 minutes |
| Leverage | 1:100 forex / 1:20 indices / 1:20 commodities / 1:2 crypto (evaluation); 1:50 forex / 1:2 crypto (funded) | BTC/ETH 1:5, other crypto 1:2, FX 1:100 |
| Allocation ceiling | $400,000 per funded account (up to $4,000,000 via scaling plan) | $300,000 per account |
| Instruments | Forex pairs, indices, commodities and crypto CFDs on the CFD accounts (crypto 24/7 at 1:2 leverage); separate futures product via AquaFutures | 76 instruments including roughly 40 crypto CFDs |
Each drawdown above is the rule of the plan its own $25k fee buys. The rest of the ladder at that size: AquaFunded: 2-Step Pro at $71.20 (10% of room), 2-Step Standard at $142.15 (8% of room), 3-Step Standard at $157 (8% of room), Instant Funding Standard at $172 (3% of room), Instant Funding Pro at $185.34 (6% of room), 1-Step Pro at $199 (6% of room) and Aqua Man at $269 (6% of room); Funded Trader Markets: Instant Standard at $97 (5% of room) and 2 Step Plus at $98 (10% of room).
Which is cheaper, size by size
Funded Trader Markets is cheaper at 3 of the 3 sizes where both publish a price. Comparing the entry tier alone hides that: fee ladders do not scale at the same rate, so the cheaper start can become the dearer account.
| Account size | AquaFunded | Funded Trader Markets | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25k | $194.93 | $59 | Funded Trader Markets |
| $50k | $281.08 | $120 | Funded Trader Markets |
| $100k | $453.39 | $249 | Funded Trader Markets |
What the fee buys, and what it takes back
Put differently, the difference is 2.3 more of the cheapest evaluation. The fee is also only the entry cost: at the headline split, AquaFunded has to make $217 of profit before the attempt has paid for itself, and $66 at Funded Trader Markets.
| Measure | AquaFunded | Funded Trader Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Fee for a $25k attempt | $194.93 | $59 |
| Fee per $1,000 of account | $7.80 | $2.36 |
| Profit needed to win the fee back at the headline split | $217 | $66 |
| Account destroyed on a bad day (drawdown in dollars) | $1,500 (6%) | $1,500 (6%) |
| Drawdown type | Trailing | Trailing |
Cost per $1,000, the break-even profit and the cost of 1% of drawdown are our arithmetic from each firm's published fee, split and limit; each drawdown figure is the firm's own percentage for the plan that fee buys, applied to a $25,000 balance.
Getting the money out
AquaFunded pays Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDC ERC20/TRC20) / Rise (bank transfer or crypto), Funded Trader Markets pays USDC / USDT / BTC / ETH / SOL / Rise. Timing is not the same either: Bi-weekly, 24 business-hour guarantee against 24-hour guarantee, average around 20 minutes.
Worth checking against your own cash-flow: a fast rail that pays into an account you then have to move is not the same as one that lands where you spend it.
Where they actually differ
- Payout rails are not the same: AquaFunded pays Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDC ERC20/TRC20) / Rise (bank transfer or crypto), Funded Trader Markets pays USDC / USDT / BTC / ETH / SOL / Rise.
- the profit target at $25k runs 9% (1-Step Standard) at AquaFunded against 10% (1 Step Nitro) at Funded Trader Markets.
- how far each one scales, AquaFunded: $400,000 per funded account (up to $4,000,000 via scaling plan); Funded Trader Markets: $300,000 per account.
The decision rule
If the first attempt is a test rather than a plan, AquaFunded at $15 costs less to be wrong about. If identity documents are the sticking point, note that AquaFunded publishes no KYC policy and Funded Trader Markets verifies identity before the account activates.
Which one, and for whom
Choose AquaFunded if Traders who want a big choice of challenge formats, large per-account size and fast documented payouts, and who will trade crypto alongside FX.
Choose Funded Trader Markets if Cost-sensitive traders who also want weekend crypto CFDs.
Both reviews carry the specific terms and the source pages: AquaFunded review and Funded Trader Markets review. If a figure here has changed since it was read, email research@cryptopropfirms.com and it will be re-checked against the firm's own page.