For a $50K futures evaluation with daily payouts, AquaFunded Futures is the better value: its Daily 1-Step costs $84 with code AUTUMN, $14 less than Blue Guardian Futures’s Express, and it only asks for $550 of net profit per payout cycle. Blue Guardian Futures is the better pick if platform choice and room to grow matter more: it supports NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Deepcharts, lets you run up to 5 accounts and scales to $750,000 in total allocation.
On paper these two plans are almost twins: same $3,000 target, same $2,000 EOD trailing drawdown, same 90% split and the same $1,100 daily payout cap. The real differences are price, how you unlock your first payout, platforms and a handful of trading rules. We compare the AquaFunded Futures Daily 1-Step with the Blue Guardian Futures Express 1-Step, both at $50,000, and cover each firm’s other $50K plans below.
- Cheaper: AquaFunded Futures, $84 vs $98 (both 25% off, with codes AUTUMN and INSIDE).
- Same drawdown: $2,000 EOD end-of-day trailing at both; AquaFunded Futures’s drawdown stops trailing at the starting balance + $100.
- Payouts: both pay 90% daily with a $1,100 cap per request; Blue Guardian Futures first needs a $2,100 buffer cleared.
- More platforms: Blue Guardian Futures, with 4 options vs 2 (Tradovate and Deepcharts).
Side-by-Side Comparison: $50K Daily-Payout 1-Step
| Feature | AquaFunded Futures | Blue Guardian Futures |
|---|---|---|
| Plan compared | Daily 1-Step | Express 1-Step |
| Price after code | $84 (code AUTUMN, 25% off) | $98 (code INSIDE, 25% off) |
| Regular price | $113 | $130 |
| Profit target | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Max drawdown | $2,000 EOD trailing (locks at start balance + $100) | $2,000 EOD trailing |
| Daily loss limit | $1,000 | Yes (check the firm’s site for the $50K amount) |
| Minimum trading days | Check the firm’s site | Check the firm’s site |
| Consistency rule | 40% in the challenge only | 40% or 50% in the challenge only; none once funded |
| Profit split | 90% | 90% |
| Payout frequency | Daily | Daily once the buffer is cleared |
| Payout limits | $500 minimum; $550 net profit per cycle; max $1,100 per request | $2,100 buffer; max $1,100 per day |
| Positions closed daily | 8:10 PM UTC | 4:10 PM ET |
| News trading | Allowed | Allowed |
| Platforms | Tradovate, Deepcharts | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Deepcharts |
| Payout methods | Crypto, Rise Works | Crypto, Rise Works |
| Max accounts / allocation | 3 / $450,000 | 5 / $750,000 |
Price: AquaFunded Futures Is $14 Cheaper
Code AUTUMN takes 25% off the AquaFunded Futures $50K Daily 1-Step, from $113 to $84. Code INSIDE takes 25% off the Blue Guardian Futures $50K Express, from $130 to $98. AquaFunded Futures also advertises the current offer as including a refundable fee; confirm the refund terms on its checkout page before you rely on it.
Both firms sell other $50K one-step plans. At AquaFunded Futures, the Standard costs $120 with payouts on demand and a 40% consistency rule once funded, and Flex DLL costs $98 with payouts after 5 win days. At Blue Guardian Futures, the Reserve costs just $84 and pays after 5 win days, while the Standard costs $157 with no consistency rule in the challenge. If you don’t need daily withdrawals, Blue Guardian Futures’s Reserve matches AquaFunded Futures’s Daily price.
Rules & Drawdown
Drawdown: a tie on size, a small edge to AquaFunded Futures on behaviour. Both plans give you $2,000 EOD of trailing room measured on end-of-day balance, so intraday swings don’t move your floor. Once funded, AquaFunded Futures’s drawdown stops trailing when it reaches the starting balance + $100 and stays there, which turns it into a fixed floor as you build profit.
Daily loss: both have one. AquaFunded Futures’s Daily plan caps a single day’s loss at $1,000. Blue Guardian Futures’s Express also uses a daily loss limit; the firm lists $1,500 on the $100K, so check the exact $50K figure before you buy.
Consistency: similar, challenge-only. AquaFunded Futures applies a 40% rule while you pass the Daily challenge, so no single day can be 40% or more of your profit. Blue Guardian Futures’s Express uses a 40% or 50% rule in the challenge, and neither plan carries it into the funded stage.
Other rules worth knowing. News trading is allowed at both, and both ban bots and fully automated trading. AquaFunded Futures also caps you at fewer than 100 trades a day and needs a trade every 7 days. Blue Guardian Futures asks for a trade every 30 days in the evaluation and every 7 days once funded, forbids trading without stops while leaning on the drawdown, and caps risk-to-reward at 5:1. Both firms limit ultra-short scalping: at least half your profit must come from trades held longer than 10 seconds, and AquaFunded Futures applies the same 50% test to the number of trades.
Payouts
AquaFunded Futures’s Daily plan pays 90% every day you qualify. Each cycle needs $550 of net profit, the minimum withdrawal is $500 and the maximum is $1,100 per request.
Blue Guardian Futures’s Express also pays 90% daily with a $1,100 daily cap, but only after you clear a $2,100 buffer: on the $50K account, your balance has to sit above $52,100 before anything comes out, and only profit above it can be withdrawn. That makes the first withdrawal slower than at AquaFunded Futures, but once you are past it the two plans pay at the same maximum rate.
Payout methods are identical: Crypto or Rise Works at both firms.
Platforms & Trading Conditions
Both firms trade CME Group futures. The difference is software: AquaFunded Futures runs on Tradovate and Deepcharts only, while Blue Guardian Futures adds NinjaTrader and TradingView.
Neither firm holds positions overnight. AquaFunded Futures trades Sunday to Friday and closes open positions at 8:10 PM UTC; Blue Guardian Futures closes them at 4:10 PM ET. At both, the automatic close is not a breach. For scaling, Blue Guardian Futures allows up to 5 accounts and $750,000 in total, against 3 accounts and $450,000 at AquaFunded Futures. Both allow copy trading between accounts you own; Blue Guardian Futures explicitly permits third-party copiers.
Pros & Cons
AquaFunded Futures
- Pro: $84 with code AUTUMN, $14 less than Blue Guardian Futures’s Express.
- Pro: no payout buffer listed; $550 net profit per cycle is the bar.
- Pro: drawdown stops trailing at the starting balance + $100 once funded.
- Pro: news trading allowed; 90% split.
- Con: only Tradovate and Deepcharts; no NinjaTrader or TradingView.
- Con: $1,000 daily loss limit and a 40% consistency rule while you pass; max 3 accounts.
Blue Guardian Futures
- Pro: four platforms: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Deepcharts.
- Pro: up to 5 accounts and $750,000 in total allocation.
- Pro: 90% split, daily payouts up to $1,100, and third-party copiers allowed between your own accounts.
- Pro: cheaper $50K Reserve plan ($84) if you can wait for 5 win days.
- Con: $98 for the Express, $14 more than AquaFunded Futures’s Daily.
- Con: $2,100 buffer before the first payout, plus extra risk rules (stops, 5:1 cap).
Which Should You Choose?
AquaFunded Futures — you want the cheapest daily-payout $50K futures account ($84) and the quickest route to a first withdrawal, with no listed buffer to build first. Accept a two-platform setup (Tradovate and Deepcharts), a $1,000 daily loss limit and a 40% consistency rule while you pass.
Blue Guardian Futures — you trade on NinjaTrader or TradingView, plan to run several accounts, or want to scale toward $750,000. The trade-off is a $98 entry price and a $2,100 buffer before daily payouts start.
Read the full AquaFunded Futures review and Blue Guardian Futures review, see how Blue Guardian Futures stacks up in E8 Futures vs Blue Guardian Futures, browse all futures prop firms and more prop firm comparisons, or grab every live code on our prop firm discount codes page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, AquaFunded Futures or Blue Guardian Futures?
AquaFunded Futures. With code AUTUMN, its $50K Daily 1-Step costs $84, while Blue Guardian Futures’s $50K Express costs $98 with code INSIDE.
Do AquaFunded Futures and Blue Guardian Futures have the same drawdown at $50K?
Yes, both allow $2,000 EOD of end-of-day trailing drawdown. AquaFunded Futures’s stops trailing once it reaches the starting balance + $100.
Do both firms pay out daily?
Yes. Both pay 90% daily with a $1,100 cap. AquaFunded Futures needs $550 net profit per cycle; Blue Guardian Futures needs a $2,100 buffer cleared first.
Can I use NinjaTrader with AquaFunded Futures?
No. AquaFunded Futures supports Tradovate and Deepcharts. Blue Guardian Futures supports NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Deepcharts.
What discount codes work for AquaFunded Futures and Blue Guardian Futures?
Use AUTUMN for 25% off AquaFunded Futures and INSIDE for 25% off Blue Guardian Futures. Both apply to all futures accounts.
Ready to start your $50K futures challenge?
Use code AUTUMN for 25% off AquaFunded Futures or INSIDE for 25% off Blue Guardian Futures.
This article is for information and education only and is not financial advice. Trading futures, forex and CFDs carries a high risk of loss. InsidePropFirm may earn a commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.
