BuoyTrade - Prop Firm Review
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- Singapore-registered prop firm (BuoyTrade Private Limited) offering no-evaluation instant funding on MetaTrader
- Runs on essentially one rule: a 5% static max drawdown — no daily loss limit, no minimum days, no time limit
- 50% base split up to 80%, earned by scaling (FAQ still says “up to 50%” in places)
- One-time desk fee from ~$50, no recurring fees; scales to a $1,024,000 account
- The catch: marketing says real “A-Book” trading, but Terms define it as simulated with “fictitious” funds
Table of contents
TL;DR: BuoyTrade in 30 seconds
- What it is: a Singapore-registered prop firm (BuoyTrade Private Limited) offering no-evaluation, instant-funding forex/CFD accounts on MetaTrader. $1k entry, scaling to a $1,024,000 account.
- The rule that defines it: it runs on essentially one rule - a 5% static maximum drawdown - with no daily loss limit, no minimum trading days, no time limit and no mandatory stop-loss.
- The split: 50% base, up to 80%, earned by scaling to the top level (not a paid add-on). Note the FAQ still says “up to 50%” in places - see below.
- Cost: a one-time desk fee from about $50, with no recurring or monthly fees.
- The catch: marketing calls it a real “A-Book” firm that trades on major exchanges, but the Terms define all trading as simulated with “fictitious” funds. Read the Terms, not the homepage.
- Best for: traders who want maximum freedom and the lowest possible barrier to a funded account - and who are comfortable that, per its own Terms, the account is a simulated one.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026. Checked against BuoyTrade’s own homepage, FAQ, Trading Rules and Terms & Conditions. Where its marketing and its Terms disagree we have flagged it below. Confirm current terms on the firm’s own pages before buying.
Pricing snapshot
CFD pricing
| Program | Account size | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed challenge | $10K | USD 99 | One-time | Migrated from existing JoinProp product price field. |
| Listed challenge | $25K | USD 199 | One-time | Migrated from existing JoinProp product price field. |
| Listed challenge | $50K | USD 299 | One-time | Migrated from existing JoinProp product price field. |
| Listed challenge | $100K | USD 449 | One-time | Migrated from existing JoinProp product price field. |
| Listed challenge | $200K | USD 599 | One-time | Migrated from existing JoinProp product price field. |
Company and regulation
BuoyTrade is operated by BuoyTrade Private Limited, a company registered in Singapore (registration 202104630D). It is not regulated: its own footer states it “does not provide any investment services… is not a broker and do[es] not accept deposits.” Trading is on MetaTrader via a partner broker.
There is an important gap between how BuoyTrade markets itself and what its Terms say, and it is worth being upfront about it. The marketing describes a real “A-Book” operation whose trades are placed on major exchanges. The Terms say the opposite: the service provides “tools for simulated foreign exchange trading”, that “any trading that you perform… is not real”, and that “the funds provided to you… are fictitious.” This is the standard simulated-account model used across the sector; just don’t buy on the strength of the “real trading” language.
The rule that defines it: (almost) one rule
BuoyTrade’s defining feature is its radical simplicity. Where most firms enforce a daily loss limit, minimum trading days, time limits, consistency rules and stop-loss requirements, BuoyTrade’s Trading Rules boil down to a single hard rule: do not breach the 5% static maximum drawdown. Your equity must never fall below 95% of your initial balance - a $950 floor on a $1,000 account. That’s it, plus an inactivity rule to close dormant accounts.
There is no daily drawdown limit, no minimum number of trading days, no time limit, no mandatory stop-loss and no position-size cap. Because the drawdown is static - fixed to your starting balance rather than trailing your profits - the more you earn, the larger your effective buffer becomes. Combined with a $50 one-time entry that scales all the way to a $1,024,000 account, this is one of the lowest-barrier, lowest-friction structures in the market. The trade-off, again, is that all of this freedom sits on top of Terms that classify the trading as simulated.
Products, split and payouts
The flagship is Buoy Direct, a no-evaluation instant-funding account (a separate multi-step evaluation path also exists in the Terms for some programs). Editions include Standard (leverage up to 1:5-1:10) and Apex (leverage 1:20); a crypto edition is advertised as “coming soon.” Entry tiers are $1k, $2k and $4k, scaling through ten levels to a maximum funded $1,024,000 per account, and up to ten accounts.
The split starts at 50% and rises to 80% as you scale to the top level - earned, not a paid add-on. Payouts are bi-weekly (or on hitting a 10% scale-up target, whichever comes first), processed within one to two business days; withdrawals are free at $30 and above, with a $12 admin fee below that. There is no minimum number of trading days.
Contradictions to be aware of
- Real vs simulated: “A-Book, trades on major exchanges” marketing vs Terms stating trading “is not real” and funds are “fictitious.”
- Profit split: homepage headlines “up to 80%” while the FAQ repeatedly says traders keep “up to 50%” - the 80% only applies at the max level.
- Payout cadence: mostly described as bi-weekly, but one FAQ answer says the profit share is paid “monthly.”
Rules and fees at a glance
- One rule: 5% static max drawdown (95% of initial balance floor); plus an inactivity rule.
- No daily loss limit, minimum trading days, time limit, mandatory stop-loss or size cap.
- Split: 50% base up to 80% (earned by scaling).
- Payouts: bi-weekly; free at $30+, $12 fee below; 1-2 business days.
- Cost: one-time desk fee from ~$50; no recurring fees.
- Platform: MetaTrader (simulated); forex and CFDs; crypto “coming soon.”
Verdict
BuoyTrade’s pitch is genuinely appealing to the right trader: instant funding, essentially a single drawdown rule, no minimum days or time limits, a static buffer that grows with your profits, and a $50 entry that scales to a seven-figure account with no monthly fees. For traders who feel boxed in by the usual thicket of rules, that freedom is the main attraction.
Two things temper it. First, the headline economics are best-case: the real starting split is 50%, and 80% only arrives at the top of the scaling ladder. Second, and more important, the firm’s own Terms define the trading as simulated with “fictitious” funds, which sits at odds with its “real A-Book” marketing. Neither is disqualifying - this is how much of the sector works - but buy on the Terms, treat the 80% and “real trading” claims accordingly, and it is a legitimately low-friction option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BuoyTrade regulated, and is the trading real?
BuoyTrade Private Limited is registered in Singapore but is not regulated, and its footer states it is not a broker and does not accept deposits. Although its marketing describes a real A-Book operation trading on major exchanges, its own Terms state that the trading is simulated, that any trading you perform is not real, and that the funds provided are fictitious. Treat it as a simulated-account firm.
What are the BuoyTrade trading rules?
BuoyTrade runs on essentially one rule: do not breach the 5 percent static maximum drawdown, meaning your equity must never fall below 95 percent of your initial balance. There is no daily loss limit, no minimum number of trading days, no time limit, no mandatory stop-loss and no position-size cap, plus an inactivity rule to close dormant accounts. Because the drawdown is static, your effective buffer grows as you profit.
What is the BuoyTrade profit split?
The split starts at 50 percent and rises to 80 percent as you scale to the top level, earned through the scaling plan rather than bought as a paid add-on. Note that the homepage headlines up to 80 percent while the FAQ repeatedly says traders keep up to 50 percent, because the 80 percent only applies at the maximum level.
How does BuoyTrade instant funding work?
The flagship Buoy Direct account is a no-evaluation, instant-funding product: you pay a one-time desk fee and begin trading a funded account immediately, subject to the 5 percent static drawdown. Entry tiers are $1k, $2k and $4k, scaling through ten levels to a maximum funded account of $1,024,000, with up to ten accounts allowed.
How do BuoyTrade payouts work?
Payouts are bi-weekly, or triggered by hitting a 10 percent scale-up target, whichever comes first, and are typically processed within one to two business days. Withdrawals are free at $30 and above, with a $12 admin fee below that. There is no minimum number of trading days, though one FAQ answer inconsistently describes the profit share as paid monthly.
Does BuoyTrade charge a monthly fee?
No. BuoyTrade charges a one-time desk fee, advertised from around $50 for the entry tier, with no recurring or monthly fees. The fee is non-refundable, and there is no subscription to maintain your funded account.
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