Shield versus a 5% daily that still lets you scale a little
Unlimited Guardian: 4% daily, 8% static max, 8% then 4%, zero days, $400, 85% split, higher of at GMT+2/GMT+3. Elite: 10% max. Rapid: 4% daily, 6% trail. FundingPips Standard: 5%, 10%, 8% then 5%, three days, $399, 80% to 100% menu, UTC+3. Fees are a tie. Air is not. Combined hurdle is 12% at Unlimited versus 13% at FundingPips, with no day count in Dubai's rival. The 1% Shield flatten is still the tighter number than either daily.
If you scale into structure, Shield is a disqualifier and FundingPips is the 2-Step that still allows a 1.5% dip as long as 5% daily and 10% max hold. If you already take 0.40% with a hard stop, Shield is a redundant governor and the 85% split becomes real money.
Zero days and 85% versus three days and Tuesday cash
Blue Guardian pays bi-weekly from day 14 at 85%. FundingPips can pay Tuesday at 60% or monthly at 100%. Speed versus split is the cash fork. News: Guardian funded 5 minutes unless add-on; FundingPips funded 5 minutes. Weekends on both evaluation stories. Platforms: Guardian MT5, Match-Trader, TradeLocker. FundingPips adds cTrader. cTrader desks skip Guardian. EAs allowed at both; Shield is the extra EA you did not install.
Two or three Shield strikes can end the funded account. FundingPips 2-Step Standard has no strike counter at 1% float. Risk review still exists in Dubai for gambling. It is not an auto-flatten at $1,000 on $100,000. That distinction is the whole funded-stage comparison.
Who should take 85%, and who should take $5,000 of air
Pick Blue Guardian Unlimited if 85%, 4% Phase 2, zero days, and a 1% idea cap are acceptable, at a $400 fee that matches $399. Pick Elite if you need 10% max and still accept Shield. Pick FundingPips if you scale, you want cTrader or Tuesday/100%, or you refuse strikes. Do not pick Rapid 1-Step as a FundingPips 2-Step substitute. Size Guardian at 0.35% and FundingPips at 0.50% if you run both. Never copy the 0.50% onto Shield.
Dubai versus Dubai/Scotland is the same region story with different software. Shield is the identity. Tuesday Payday is the other. Higher-of midnight is the shared overnight tax. Flatten both winners. Then pick strikes versus air.
Flatten inside Shield so the firm never records a strike
Set Venasri Equity Guard at 0.90% per-symbol float and 3.25% daily on Blue Guardian so your flatten beats Shield. Set FundingPips at 4.25% daily with pre-UTC+3 flatten above $1,500 float. No lot copy. If Shield fires first, you already lost the strike game even if Venasri is installed.
Venasri's free prop firm risk guard should close the Guardian book before Shield does, and close FundingPips before 5% daily. Prefer Guardian for 85% with an idea cap. Prefer FundingPips for air and Tuesday cash. Winning this pair means Shield never appears in your email.
