Atlas Funded vs Aqua Funded: Which Prop Firm Is Better in 2026?

Atlas Funded vs Aqua Funded: Quick Comparison

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Aqua Funded is one of those names that pops up when traders start shopping around for prop firms. Not the biggest, not the loudest, but present enough to make the shortlist.

Atlas Funded has taken a different path since launching in 2024. Pay-after-you-pass evaluations, guaranteed 24-hour payouts, and terms designed to make traders question why they ever paid upfront for a challenge they might fail.

Two firms. Different approaches to the same goal.

This comparison cuts through the marketing to see which one actually delivers better value for traders in 2026.

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What Is Atlas Funded?

Atlas Funded is a prop trading firm launched in 2024 that did things differently from the start. Most firms want your money before you've traded a single lot. Atlas said no to that.

Their Access program lets you take the evaluation first. Pass, then pay. Fail, and you owe nothing. Simple idea, but almost nobody else offers it.

The firm is registered in Saint Lucia with operations running out of the UAE and UK. Single accounts go up to $300k, with a $400k cap if you're holding multiple. Profit splits hit 100% with an upgrade. Payouts process within 24 hours, and if Atlas is late, they add $1,000 to your withdrawal.

For traders who want to skip the proving ground, instant funding is available. Challenges come in 1-Step, 2-Step, and 3-Step formats. You can trade on TradeLocker, Match Trader, or MT5 if you're outside the U.S.

What Is Aqua Funded?

Aqua Funded launched in October 2023 out of Dubai, making them relatively new to the prop trading space. In just over two years, they've onboarded 118,000+ traders and built out a range of funding options.

The firm offers one-step, two-step, and three-step evaluation challenges with funded amounts from $2,500 to $400,000. Scaling can take you up to $2 million. Instant funding is available for traders who'd rather skip evaluations, with accounts ranging from $2,500 to $100,000. 

Profit splits start at 90% across all models, which is higher than most competitors out of the gate. A 100% split is available as an add-on. On-demand payouts are also an add-on option, with the first withdrawal available after 7 days.

They've partnered with Purple Trading Seychelles as their broker and operate globally, including the EU and U.S., though some countries, like Vietnam, are excluded.

One thing worth noting: their Trustpilot rating is currently hidden. Trustpilot detected and removed fake reviews, which raises questions about what's happening behind the scenes. That doesn't mean the firm is bad, but it's something to consider before handing over money.

Account Types and Funding Options

Aqua Funded undercuts on price. Atlas Funded removes upfront risk. Different strategies for getting traders through the door.

Atlas Funded Account Types

Atlas runs five programs.

• Instant Funding gets you trading without proving anything first. Accounts from $5,000 to $300,000, 100% profit split, no evaluation.
• 1-Step Challenge is one phase, 11% target, funded.
• 2-Step Challenge splits it up. Standard asks for 9% then 5%. Pro adjusts the numbers.
• 3-Step Challenge gives you three 6% targets. Easier to digest if big profit goals stress you out.
• Atlas Access is the one nobody else offers. Take the challenge, pay nothing upfront. Only pay after you pass. Fail and your wallet stays closed.

Single accounts max at $300k. You can hold up to $400k total.

Aqua Funded Account Types

Aqua Funded keeps pricing aggressive with three evaluation paths plus instant funding.

• 1-Step Challenge has Standard (9% target) and Pro (6% target). Both run 3% daily and 6% max drawdown. $100k costs $342 Standard, $298 Pro.
• 2-Step Challenge also splits into Standard and Pro. Standard needs 8%, Pro needs 10%. Drawdowns are 5% daily, 8-10% max. $100k is $336 or $299.
• 3-Step Challenge is the cheapest entry. 6% target per phase, 4% daily, 8% max. $245 for $100k.
• Instant Funding runs two versions. Pro at $412 for $100k with 3% daily and 6% max. Standard at $421 with 3% static.

Accounts start at $2,500 and go up to $400k for instant funding, $200k for challenges. Scaling reaches $2 million. Profit split starts at 90%, with 100% available as an add-on.

No pay-after-you-pass. You can get your fee refunded, but not until your fourth successful payout. That's months of trading before you see that money again.

Comparison Table – Account Types

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Verdict: Aqua Funded starts you at 90% and prices challenges lower. Atlas Funded lets you attempt evaluations without spending a cent. Aqua's fee refund takes four payouts to materialize. Atlas Access costs nothing if you fail. Depends whether you trust yourself to pass on the first try or want insurance if you don't.

Profit Splits Compared

Every percentage point matters. On a $10,000 profit, the difference between 80% and 90% is $1,000 in your pocket versus the firm's. Over a year of trading, that gap adds up fast.

Atlas Funded Profit Split

Atlas starts at 80%. Not the highest in the industry, but the path to 100% is straightforward. Pay for the upgrade, done. No profit milestones, no tier progression, no waiting for multiple payouts. You decide what split you want at checkout.

Aqua Funded Profit Split

Aqua Funded hands you 90% from the start. That's 10% more than Atlas without paying extra for anything.

The 100% split is available as a paid add-on at checkout or through their Fast-Track Ticket program. Beyond splits, Aqua runs two progression systems. 

The scaling plan bumps your balance by 25% when you hit 12% profit within three months, with a ceiling of $4 million. The Aqua Elite program adds career-style perks as you climb. Bronze tier unlocks on-demand payouts. Silver brings a $1,000 monthly salary after 9 months and $75k in withdrawals. Gold gets you $3,000 monthly and a dedicated account manager.

No hidden fees eating into your profits. cTrader users pay $15. Standard withdrawal fees apply. That's it.

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Comparison Table – Profit Splits

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Verdict: Aqua Funded takes this one. 90% starting split beats 80%, and their scaling reaches $4 million with monthly salaries at higher tiers. Atlas keeps things simple, but simple doesn't pay an extra 10% on every withdrawal. If profit split is your priority, Aqua wins.

Payout Speed and Withdrawal Terms

Making money means nothing if you can't get it out. Both firms promise speed, but the details matter.

Atlas Funded Payout Policy

Atlas processes payouts within 24 hours. Miss that window and they add $1,000 to your withdrawal. No exceptions, no excuses.

Default cycle is 30 days, with add-ons for weekly or bi-weekly access. No minimum withdrawal on most accounts. Access Challenge has a $50 floor.

Aqua Funded Payout Policy

Aqua Funded guarantees processing within 48 hours. If they miss the 24-hour mark, they add $500 to $1,000 to your payout, depending on your tier. Similar concept to Atlas, slightly longer window.

Standard payout frequency is bi-weekly. On-demand payouts unlock through the Aqua Elite program or as a purchased add-on. First withdrawal is available 14 days after your first funded trade, or 7 days if you grabbed that add-on at checkout.

No minimum withdrawal amount stated. No maximum either. Withdraw what you've earned.

Payment methods include bank transfer through Wise, crypto via USDT/USDC, and PayPal. No commission on withdrawals. Challenge fees get refunded at 125% to 150% with your first successful payout, not the fourth, as some sources suggest.

Comparison Table – Payouts

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‍Verdict: Close call. Atlas processes faster at 24 hours versus 48. Aqua Funded matches the late penalty concept and throws in a 125-150% fee refund with your first payout. If raw speed matters most, Atlas wins. If getting your challenge fee back quickly appeals to you, Aqua's refund policy is more generous than most competitors.

Trading Rules and Restrictions

Rules determine whether you're trading freely or constantly checking if your next move will get you flagged. The fewer trading restrictions, the more you can focus on the market instead of the fine print.

Atlas Funded Trading Rules

Atlas keeps drawdowns between 4-5% daily and 6-10% max, depending on your account type. Everything is calculated from balance, nothing complicated.

There are no minimum trading days and no time limits on challenges. Consistency rules don't exist here, so you won't be penalized for having one great day that carries your profits.

News trading is allowed during evaluations. Funded accounts may see profit adjustments on trades within 5 minutes of high-impact events, but your account stays safe regardless.

Weekend holding is permitted as long as you don't open new positions on Saturday or Sunday. Stop losses aren't mandatory. The only real restriction is that strategies built primarily on sub-3-minute trades are prohibited.

Aqua Funded Trading Rules

Aqua Funded structures drawdowns differently by challenge type. The 1-Step runs 3-4% daily with 6% max trailing. The 2-Step and 3-Step use 5% daily with 8-10% max static.

No minimum trading days and no time limits on evaluations, which matches Atlas.

Where things diverge is consistency. Pro and Aquaman accounts have a rule stating no single day can exceed 25-30% of your total profit. You won't get disqualified for breaking it, but you'll need to keep trading to dilute that percentage before you can withdraw.

News trading is allowed during evaluations but restricted on funded accounts. A 4-minute blackout window surrounds high-impact events, and repeated violations can lead to profit deductions or breach.

Weekend holding depends on your account type. Swing and Pro accounts allow it. Standard accounts require closing all positions by Friday market close.

Lot sizes don't have hard caps, but drastic increases get flagged as gambling behavior. Martingale, HFT, latency arbitrage, and hedging between accounts are all prohibited. EAs are fine as long as they avoid those strategies.

Leverage reaches 1:100 on forex trading, 1:20-30 on indices and metals, and 1:2 on crypto.

Comparison Table – Trading Rules

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Verdict: Atlas Funded is the simpler option. One set of rules across all accounts, no consistency requirements, no news blackout windows. 

Aqua Funded adds layers depending on which account you choose, and that 25-30% best day rule can delay your payouts even when you're profitable. If you'd rather trade without memorizing which restrictions apply to you, Atlas makes that easier.

Trading Platforms and Instruments

Platform choice comes down to what you're already comfortable with. Switching platforms mid-strategy is a headache nobody needs.

Atlas Funded Platforms

Atlas offers TradeLocker, MetaTrader 5, and Match Trader. All three work across desktop, web, and mobile. U.S. traders lose MT5 access due to MetaQuotes restrictions, leaving TradeLocker and Match Trader as the available options. No MT4, no cTrader.

Aqua Funded Platforms

Aqua Funded goes broader. MT5 is their most popular option. cTrader is available for a $15 fee. TradeLocker comes with TradingView integration. Match-Trader rounds out the CFD offerings.

For futures traders, Aqua supports Tradovate, NinjaTrader, and TradingView through their dedicated futures program. That's a category Atlas doesn't touch.

MT4 and DXtrade are both absent.

Instruments

Atlas covers forex, indices, commodities, and crypto. No stocks.

Aqua Funded offers 60+ forex pairs, all major indices, gold, silver, oil, and crypto, including BTC, ETH, SOL, and LTC, available around the clock. Futures are also on the table through their separate program. No individual stocks.

Leverage runs up to 1:100 on forex during evaluation, dropping to 1:50 on funded accounts.

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Comparison Table – Platforms & Instruments

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Verdict: Aqua Funded wins on variety. cTrader access, futures trading through Tradovate and NinjaTrader, and a wider crypto selection give them the edge. Atlas keeps things straightforward with three solid platforms, but if you trade futures or want cTrader, Aqua is your only option here.

Key Takeaways – Atlas Funded vs Aqua Funded

• Best for instant funding: Both offer it, but Aqua Funded goes up to $400k while Atlas caps at $300k. Aqua wins on size.
• Best starting profit split: Aqua Funded. 90% standard versus Atlas's 80%. Both reach 100% with add-ons.
• Fastest payouts: Atlas Funded. 24-hour processing beats Aqua's 48-hour guarantee. Both pay penalties if late.
• Most flexible rules: Atlas Funded. No consistency rules, no news blackout windows, no account-dependent weekend policies. Aqua layers on restrictions depending on your account type.
• Best for beginners: Atlas Funded. The Access program lets you attempt evaluations without paying upfront. Aqua refunds fees, but not until your first payout. That's still money at risk if you fail.
• Best for experienced traders: Aqua Funded. $4 million scaling ceiling, futures trading, monthly salaries through the Elite program, and 90% splits from day one. More upside for traders who plan to stick around.
• Best platform variety: Aqua Funded. cTrader, futures platforms, and wider crypto options.
• Best scaling potential: Aqua Funded. $4 million ceiling versus Atlas's $400k cap.
• Most trustworthy reputation: Atlas Funded. Aqua's Trustpilot rating is hidden due to removed fake reviews. That's a red flag worth considering.

Overall Winner: This one is close. Aqua Funded offers better splits, bigger scaling, and more platform options. Atlas Funded offers simpler rules, faster payouts, and the only true pay-after-you-pass model between the two. If you trust Aqua's reputation despite the Trustpilot issue and want long-term growth potential, they deliver more on paper. If you'd rather minimize upfront risk and keep things uncomplicated, Atlas is the safer choice.

Conclusion

Aqua Funded looks good on paper. 90% starting splits, $4 million scaling, futures access, monthly salaries at higher tiers. For traders with long-term plans and patience for tier climbing, there's real value there.

But paper doesn't pay bills. Trustpilot hiding its rating over fake reviews raises questions. Consistency rules can block your withdrawals. News blackouts and account-dependent weekend policies add friction.

Atlas Funded keeps things clean. Pay after you pass. Get paid in 24 hours. No consistency rules. No hidden surprises. The scaling ceiling is lower, but you'll actually reach it without jumping through hoops.

Aqua Funded sells potential. Atlas Funded delivers simplicity.

Start trading without the fine print. Join Atlas Funded today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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