BuoyTrade Review 2026: Worth It or Skip?

Is BuoyTrade worth it? Yes, if you want instant funding with no evaluation (Buoy Direct model), realistic 5% profit targets, and bi-weekly payouts. No, if you need high leverage (capped at 1:20), want profit splits above 80%, or prefer one-time evaluation fees over desk fees. This BuoyTrade review covers what most reviews won’t tell you: the firm’s 4.1/5 Trustpilot rating (20 reviews) includes verified fast payouts alongside broker swap complaints post-uTrada transition, and their $1K starting capital is industry-leading low — but the 50% initial profit split and 5% static drawdown create tight operating margins for aggressive traders.

BuoyTrade is a Singapore-based prop firm founded in 2020 offering instant funding from $1,000 to $1,024,000 through an 11-level scaling system. The firm partners with Eightcap and uTrada (formerly 8cap) for execution and emphasizes “no evaluation” access — you pay a desk fee ($78 at Level 1), hit a 5% profit target to scale, and receive 50% profit split initially, scaling to 80% at Level 10.

Here’s everything you need to know before purchasing a BuoyTrade account in 2026.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. Our reviews reflect independent, honest assessments.

Trustpilot Rating	Starting Capital	Profit Split
4.1/5 (20 reviews)	$1,000 (Level 1)	50–80%

Sources: Trustpilot, TradingFinder, DayFunded, FirmFunded — February 2026

What Is BuoyTrade?

BuoyTrade launched in February 2021 and operates from Singapore (headquarters: 7 Temasek Boulevard #12-07, Suntec Tower One). The firm is registered with a globally verifiable Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), allowing traders to validate its status through the Global LEI database — a credibility feature many newer prop firms lack.

BuoyTrade offers two funding models:

• Buoy Direct (Apex Edition): Instant funding with no evaluation; pay desk fee, start trading immediately
• Standard Edition: Traditional evaluation model (less commonly promoted as of 2026)

The firm reports over 3,000 traders using its funded accounts as of 2024–2025. BuoyTrade partners with Eightcap (ASIC-regulated broker) and uTrada for execution, providing access to 60+ instruments (forex, commodities, indices) on MT4/MT5 platforms.

As of February 2026, BuoyTrade holds a 4.1/5 Trustpilot rating from 20 reviews. For comparison:

• FTMO: 4.4/5 (17,000+ reviews)
• The5ers: 4.9/5 (11,000+ reviews)
• FundedNext: 4.5/5 (56,000+ reviews)

BuoyTrade’s lower review count reflects its younger operational history (founded 2021 vs FTMO 2015).

BuoyTrade Review: Funding Model and Scaling Structure

Buoy Direct (Instant Funding) — No Evaluation Required

BuoyTrade’s flagship offering is Buoy Direct, an instant funding model with 11 scaling levels:

Level	Account Size	Profit Target (Scale)	Profit Split	Desk Fee
1	$1,000	5% ($50)	50%	$78
2	$2,000	5% ($100)	50%	$0
3	$4,000	5% ($200)	50%	$0
4	$8,000	5% ($400)	50%	$0
5	$16,000	5% ($800)	50%	$0
6	$32,000	5% ($1,600)	50%	$0
7	$64,000	5% ($3,200)	50%	$0
8	$128,000	5% ($6,400)	50%	$0
9	$256,000	5% ($12,800)	50%	$0
10	$512,000	10% ($51,200)	80%	$0
11	$1,024,000	10% ($102,400)	80%	$0

How scaling works: Hit a 5% profit target without breaching the 5% maximum static drawdown, and you scale to the next level. The account doubles at each level until Level 10, where the target increases to 10% and profit split jumps to 80%.

Key advantage: You only pay the desk fee once ($78 at Level 1). All subsequent levels are free.

Key limitation: The 50% profit split on Levels 1–9 is below industry standard. FundedNext offers 80–95% splits; FTMO offers 80–90%; The5ers scales to 100%. BuoyTrade’s 50% split means you keep only $25 of a $50 profit at Level 1.

Trading Rules: What You Need to Know

Maximum Static Drawdown: 5%

BuoyTrade enforces a 5% maximum static drawdown across all levels. Static means the drawdown never trails — your breach level is fixed from starting balance and never moves.

Example: Level 1 account starts at $1,000. Your breach level is $950 (5% max loss). Even if you make $200 profit (balance $1,200), your breach level stays at $950. This is trader-friendly compared to trailing drawdowns.

No Daily Loss Limits

BuoyTrade does not enforce daily loss limits. You can lose any amount in a single day as long as you stay above the 5% static drawdown threshold. This removes the single biggest evaluation killer for scalpers and news traders.

No Time Limits

There is no deadline to hit profit targets. You can take weeks, months, or longer to scale. This reduces psychological pressure significantly.

Leverage: 1:10 to 1:20

BuoyTrade offers 1:10 leverage on early levels, increasing to 1:20 on higher tiers. This is lower than many CFD prop firms (FTMO offers 1:100, FundedNext offers 1:100).

Lower leverage limits position sizing, especially for swing traders who need to hold positions through volatility. For scalpers using tight stops, 1:20 is often sufficient.

Permitted Strategies

BuoyTrade explicitly allows:

• News trading (no blackout periods on Buoy Direct accounts)
• Hedging (fully allowed, no restrictions)
• EAs and trading robots (non-scalping EAs only)
• Martingale and arbitrage (as long as they reflect real-market behavior)

Critical restriction: Millisecond scalpers are banned due to incompatibility with BuoyTrade’s live liquidity environment. High-frequency trading (HFT) strategies will be flagged.

Payouts: Speed and Reliability

Profit Split Structure

• Levels 1–9: 50% to trader, 50% to BuoyTrade
• Levels 10–11: 80% to trader, 20% to BuoyTrade

To withdraw profits with the 50% split, you must hit a 10% profit target. To scale without taking a profit split, you only need 5%.

Example: Level 1 account ($1,000). You make 10% ($100 profit). You can withdraw $50 (50% split) or skip the withdrawal and scale to Level 2 if you hit 5% ($50).

Payout Frequency

BuoyTrade processes payouts bi-weekly (every two weeks). This is slower than daily payout firms (My Funded Futures, FundedNext) but faster than monthly processors.

Payout Methods

• Wise (formerly TransferWise)
• PayPal
• Bank Wire

Payout Speed (Verified Reviews)

Multiple Trustpilot reviews confirm fast processing:

• “Got my payout within a few hours. Thanks Amanda and the team that made this possible.” (Trustpilot, Sep 2023)
• “I made a profit split request and received it in 1 business day.” (Trustpilot, verified)
• “Paid as agreed! Wanted to make sure I got my profits paid out before doing the review. BuoyTrade paid me through Wise!” (Trustpilot, verified)

Winner: Fast payouts — Sub-24-hour processing confirmed by multiple verified reviews.

Platforms and Execution

BuoyTrade offers MT4 and MT5 on desktop, Android, and iOS via the uTrada platform. The firm previously partnered with 8cap (Australian broker) but switched to uTrada in 2024.

Critical complaint (post-uTrada switch): One Trustpilot review (March 2024) reports: “Buoy has went to hell… They closed all my trades on 8cap without notice… They settled on utrada, which sucks bad! Swaps are terrible, leverage is different on most tradeable instruments.”

This suggests execution quality degraded after the broker switch. However, no other recent reviews (2024–2026) corroborate this complaint.

Available instruments: 60+ assets including forex pairs, commodities, and indices. Crypto trading is under development as of February 2026.

Trustpilot Reputation: BuoyTrade Review

BuoyTrade holds a 4.1/5 Trustpilot rating from 20 reviews as of February 2026. This is a small sample size but generally positive.

Positive Reviews (Verified)

• “They are amazing!! I’ve never seen support as fast as theirs. Daniel is online all time and aswer all questions as soon as possible.” (Trustpilot)
• “I focus to scale up the account first from one foot in to level 3 and today is my first payment from buoytrade and scale up the account to level 4 as well. Their team is very cooperative and friendly.” (Trustpilot)
• “Very fast customer service. I love the Direct model. Top notch.” (Trustpilot)

Negative Reviews (Verified)

• “Max drawdown is always less than the profit you made on the previous steps. What the sense to trade with that rules? For example, I pay $68 for ticket. Then I make 10% of profit. The prop firm gets $50.” (Trustpilot, Sep 2023)
• “Buoy is now operating as a deceptive practice, and now 2 times they have closed my ‘live’ trades without notice. But sadly its all a fraudulent operation, as they are offering to pay people for demo trades.” (Trustpilot, March 2024)

Pattern Analysis

Positive reviews consistently praise fast payouts, responsive support (Daniel mentioned by name multiple times), and the Direct model’s simplicity. Negative reviews focus on the 50% profit split being “too low” and post-uTrada broker issues.

Important note: The “fraudulent operation” claim (March 2024) appears to stem from misunderstanding that BuoyTrade is a prop firm (simulated accounts) rather than a live broker. This is a common misconception among traders unfamiliar with prop firm structures.

Costs and Fees: BuoyTrade Review

Desk Fee (One-Time)

BuoyTrade charges a one-time desk fee of $78 at Level 1. This is significantly lower than evaluation fees at traditional prop firms:

• FTMO $100K evaluation: $556
• FundedNext $100K evaluation: $550
• The5ers $100K evaluation: ~$500

However, BuoyTrade’s $78 desk fee only gets you a $1,000 account. To reach $100K+ funding, you must scale through multiple levels — a process that takes weeks or months.

No Monthly Fees After Level 1

Once you pay the $78 desk fee, all subsequent levels (2–11) are free. You scale by hitting profit targets, not by paying additional fees.

Total Cost Analysis

If you pass Level 1 and scale to Level 5 ($16,000 account), your total cost is $78. If you eventually reach Level 10 ($512,000 account), your total cost is still $78.

This is the most cost-effective scaling model in the prop firm industry — if you can hit consistent 5% profit targets without breaching the 5% drawdown.

Pros and Cons: BuoyTrade Review

Pros

• $1,000 starting capital (lowest in industry)
• $78 one-time desk fee (no monthly subscriptions)
• No evaluation required (instant funding via Buoy Direct)
• 5% profit target (realistic and achievable)
• Static drawdown (no trailing; breach level never moves)
• No daily loss limits
• No time limits (trade at your own pace)
• Fast payouts (sub-24-hour confirmed by verified reviews)
• Bi-weekly payout cycles
• LEI-registered (globally verifiable legal entity)
• News trading, hedging, EAs allowed
• Scaling to $1,024,000 possible

Cons

• 50% profit split on Levels 1–9 (below industry standard of 80%+)
• Only 80% split at Levels 10–11 (still below FTMO 90%, The5ers 100%)
• 1:20 max leverage (lower than FTMO 1:100, FundedNext 1:100)
• Small Trustpilot sample size (20 reviews vs 17K for FTMO)
• Post-uTrada broker complaints (swap costs, execution issues reported)
• Millisecond scalping banned (HFT traders excluded)
• Young firm (founded 2021; 5-year track record vs FTMO 10+ years)
• 60+ instruments only (vs 300+ at FTMO, 1,100+ at Blueberry Funded)
• Crypto trading not yet available (under development)

Bottom Line: Is BuoyTrade Worth It in 2026?

BuoyTrade is worth considering if you want the lowest entry barrier in the prop firm industry ($78 for instant $1K funding), realistic 5% profit targets, and no evaluation pressure. The static drawdown, no daily limits, and no time limits create trader-friendly conditions for consistent scalpers and swing traders.

However, the 50% profit split on Levels 1–9 is materially below industry standards. For comparison, you keep only $25 of a $50 profit at Level 1 with BuoyTrade, whereas FundedNext would give you $40–$48 (80–95% split). The lower split compounds over time — at Level 9 ($256K account), you’re still splitting 50/50.

The path to 80% split requires scaling to Level 10 ($512K account) with a 10% profit target ($51,200 absolute profit). For most traders, this takes months of consistent performance. By comparison, FTMO offers 80–90% splits immediately after passing a one-time evaluation.

Best for: Traders with limited capital ($78 entry vs $550+ for traditional evaluations), patient scalers who can compound slowly, traders who value static drawdowns and no time pressure

Skip if: You need profit splits above 50% immediately, want 1:100 leverage, require established operational history (10+ years), or need access to 300+ instruments

BuoyTrade occupies a unique niche: ultra-low entry cost with no evaluation, but lower profit splits that penalize traders until they reach Level 10+. For traders with $78 and patience to scale methodically, it’s a legitimate pathway. For traders seeking high profit splits immediately, traditional evaluation firms (FTMO, FundedNext, The5ers) offer better economics despite higher upfront costs

Frequently Asked Questions: BuoyTrade Review

Is BuoyTrade legit?

Yes, BuoyTrade is a legitimate prop firm registered in Singapore with a globally verifiable Legal Entity Identifier (LEI). The firm holds a 4.1/5 Trustpilot rating from 20 reviews, with verified traders confirming fast payouts (sub-24-hour processing). BuoyTrade has operated since 2021 and reports over 3,000 traders using funded accounts. However, the firm is younger than established competitors (FTMO 10+ years, The5ers 8+ years).

How fast are BuoyTrade payouts?

BuoyTrade processes payouts bi-weekly with sub-24-hour approval times. Multiple verified Trustpilot reviews confirm: “Got my payout within a few hours,” “received it in 1 business day,” and “Paid as agreed… through Wise!” Payment methods include Wise, PayPal, and Bank Wire. Payout speed is competitive with top-tier firms (FundedNext 24hr, FTMO 14 days).

What is the BuoyTrade profit split?

BuoyTrade offers 50% profit split on Levels 1–9 and 80% on Levels 10–11. The 50% initial split is below industry standard (FTMO 80–90%, FundedNext 80–95%, The5ers scales to 100%). To withdraw profits at the 50% split, you must hit a 10% profit target. To scale without withdrawing (5% target), you keep all profits in the account until the next level.

Does BuoyTrade have daily loss limits?

No. BuoyTrade does not enforce daily loss limits on any funding level. The only constraint is the 5% maximum static drawdown, which never trails. You can lose any amount in a single day as long as you stay above the static breach level. This makes BuoyTrade suitable for news traders, scalpers, and swing traders who face intraday volatility.

How much does BuoyTrade cost?

BuoyTrade charges a one-time $78 desk fee for Level 1 ($1,000 account). All subsequent levels (2–11) are free — you scale by hitting profit targets, not by paying fees. This is the lowest entry cost in the prop firm industry (FTMO $100K evaluation: $556; FundedNext $100K: $550). However, you start with only $1,000 capital and must scale to reach larger account sizes.