YRM Prop Account Types 2026: Starter, Prime, Instant Prime, Live

YRM Prop runs four distinct stages: a Starter Challenge for evaluation, Prime as the earned funded account after passing Starter, Instant Prime as the purchased funded account that skips evaluation, and a Live Account at the top where Risk Management allocates real capital. The four products differ on consistency rules (50% / 35% / 20% / n/a), qualifying days to payout (2 to pass eval, 6 on Prime, 8 on Instant Prime), payout cap tables, and entry mechanism. Starter and Instant Prime are bought, Prime is earned, Live is invited. This is the complete overview of how the four products fit together, what each one costs, and which path matches which trader profile.

For product-specific deep dives see the Starter Challenge guide, Prime account guide, Instant Prime guide, and the Starter vs Instant Prime comparison. For pricing detail with current promos see the pricing and discount article.

Four products at a glance

The cleanest mental model: Starter is the cheapest entry, Prime is what you earn from a Starter, Instant Prime is what you buy if you want to skip Starter, and Live is what you progress to after enough Prime or Instant Prime payouts.

Three things shift as you move down the table. First, consistency tightens from 50% (Starter) to 35% (Prime) to 20% (Instant Prime). A single big day can blow the 20% concentration rule on Instant Prime that would still pass on Prime. Second, qualifying days extend (2, then 6, then 8) so first payout takes longer the further into the funded products you go. Third, entry mechanism flips: Starter and Instant Prime are direct purchases, Prime is earned, Live is invite-only.

Profit split is 90/10 across all funded sim products (Prime and Instant Prime). Live keeps the 90/10 for the first $10,000 cumulative withdrawn and then drops to 80/20. All funded accounts use a Trailing Max Drawdown in End-of-Day mode. There is no static drawdown anywhere in the YRM product line. For drawdown mechanics, see the static vs trailing drawdown explainer.

Starter Challenge: eval-only, one-time fee

Starter is the evaluation product. No payouts on Starter; it exists to qualify you for Prime. The fee is one-time (confirmed on yrmprop.com homepage), paid at checkout, and your account stays open until you pass or breach.

Two things stand out vs other firms. First, no daily loss limit on Starter. The only constraint is the trailing drawdown floor (see the consistency rules article for how 50% concentration is calculated against your best single day). You can have a $1,500 down day on $50K Starter and you are still alive as long as account balance stays above the trailing floor. Second, the entry fee is one-time, not monthly. The YRM Help Center has an outdated `select-tier` article showing "$149/month" but the homepage and the more authoritative `funding-programs` page confirm one-time pricing. If you breach, you buy a new one.

Worked example, $50K Starter pass: You start at $50,000 balance, $48,000 trailing floor. Hit $3,000 profit (account at $53,000), trade at least 2 days, keep your highest single day under 50% of cumulative profit, and you pass. Activation fee is currently $0 per launch promo, so the $50K Prime upgrade is free at this writing. Drawdown lock kicks in once your end-of-day balance reaches $52,000. The floor stops trailing and locks at $50,000 starting balance.

The 2-minimum-trading-day rule is one of the lowest in the industry. Most firms require 5 to 10. That makes Starter passable in two consecutive sessions if you size for the $3,000 target, though the 50% consistency rule means you cannot front-load the entire profit on one day. A balanced $1,800 + $1,200 across two days satisfies both the target and the concentration rule. For drawdown floor mechanics see the trailing drawdown article.

Best fit: Cost-conscious traders, traders who want to demonstrate a real edge before paying for funded status, traders comfortable with the 50% consistency rule and the no-DLL setup. Avoid if: You want immediate payout potential (buy Instant Prime instead), you don't want to grind through eval first, or you need resets (currently not available).

Prime accounts: earned, not purchased

Prime is the funded sim account you receive after passing a matching-size Starter Challenge. There is no $25K Prime; Prime starts at $50K because Starter starts at $50K. Prime carries 35% consistency (looser than Instant Prime's 20%, tighter than Starter's 50%), 6 qualifying days to first payout, and the 90/10 profit split.

Soft daily loss limit is not a hard breach. On Prime, the DLL equals the trailing drawdown amount: $2,000 on $50K, $3,000 on $100K, $4,500 on $150K. Hitting it pauses trading for the day and may delay payouts on review, but does not auto-close the account. The hard breach is still the trailing floor. Drop below it intraday and the account closes immediately. For DLL mechanics across products see the rules overview.

No profit target on Prime. Once you have 6 qualifying days (one trade plus at least $150 net profit per day) and meet the 35% concentration rule, you can request a payout up to the cap-table amount for your size and payout number. Cycle resets after each payout, and qualifying-day count starts over.

Old vs New Prime payout structure (Feb 1, 2026 grandfathering)

A material rule change took effect on February 1, 2026. Pre-Feb-1 funded Prime accounts keep the original cap table. Post-Feb-1 Prime accounts run a new cap table plus a 50% cycle-profit cap.

Old Prime payout caps (funded before Feb 1, 2026):

New Prime payout caps (funded on or after Feb 1, 2026):

The 4th-and-beyond cap dropped on every size, most painfully on $50K, where the old $4,000 became $2,750 (a 31% cut). New Prime adds a 50% cycle-profit cap: you can withdraw the lower of the cap-table value or 50% of cycle profit. Pre-Feb-1 accounts keep the old table and have no 50% rule. For full payout structure see the payout rules article.

Best fit for Prime: Disciplined traders who want to earn funding rather than buy it, who can grind through the 6 qualifying days per cycle, and who prefer 35% consistency over 20%. Avoid if: You want to skip Starter (buy Instant Prime), you need a $25K size (only on Instant Prime), or you want a tighter consistency requirement.

Instant Prime: purchased funded, no challenge

Instant Prime is the buy-your-way-in funded account. One-time fee from $399 to $899, no eval, immediate funded status. The trade-offs vs Prime: tighter consistency (20% vs 35%), longer first-payout window (8 days vs 6), tighter contract caps at the same size, and (for accounts purchased on or after Feb 1, 2026) a profit-target requirement per payout.

Critical correction vs older PTV content. The contract limits are 1 / 2 / 4 / 7 minis, not 2 / 5 / 10 / 15 as some legacy articles stated. That is roughly half the contract size at every tier. The 1-mini cap on $25K Instant Prime forces small position sizing as a feature: 10 micros is the maximum exposure, which makes the $1,250 trailing floor manageable for traders learning the product.

Soft DLL exemption on $25K. $25K Instant Prime has no daily loss limit. The other three sizes have soft DLLs ($1,500 / $3,000 / $4,500) equal to the trailing drawdown. As on Prime, hitting the soft DLL pauses trading for the day and may delay payouts on review; it does not auto-breach.

Old vs New Instant Prime payout structure (Feb 1, 2026 grandfathering)

Old Instant Prime payout caps (purchased before Feb 1, 2026):

Old Instant Prime: no profit-target requirement, 20% consistency, 8 qualifying days, $100 buffer rule on the account.

New Instant Prime payout caps (purchased on or after Feb 1, 2026):

New Instant Prime: profit target required per payout, 20% consistency, 8 qualifying days, $100 buffer.

New Instant Prime profit-target requirements (per payout cycle):

The first-payout target on $150K New Instant Prime ($8,000) is the highest single-cycle profit requirement on any YRM product. Pre-Feb-1 Instant Prime accounts have no profit target on any payout. That is the most valuable grandfathered benefit.

Best fit for Instant Prime: Experienced traders willing to pay one-time to skip eval, traders who can size small enough that 20% concentration is manageable, traders who want immediate funded status. Avoid if: You want loose concentration rules (Prime's 35% is easier), you want larger contract caps at the same size (Prime caps are higher than Instant Prime caps at $50K and above), or you want profit-target-free withdrawal (only available on pre-Feb-1 grandfathered accounts).

Live Account: final stage, real capital

Live is the real-capital final stage. Reaching it requires multiple Prime or Instant Prime payouts (typically by the 4th, possible from the 2nd). Risk Management decides when. Once invited, you cannot decline: declining means the account closes and pending profits are forfeited. All eligible funded accounts merge into one Live account at transition, and pending sim payouts are canceled.

Capital transfer (the 16% rule):

If you transition from multiple funded accounts at once, 16% from each consolidates into the single Live account.

Forced transition at lifetime payout caps: YRM imposes a lifetime cumulative payout limit per account size before forcing a Live transition.

These caps are combined across multiple accounts of the same or different sizes. So two $50K accounts share a $50,000 combined lifetime cap before forced Live, not $50,000 each.

Live profit split:

• First $10,000 cumulative withdrawn: 90/10
• After $10,000: 80/20

The first-$10K period preserves the funded-account split. Beyond that, the firm takes a larger share to reflect the real-capital risk transfer.

30-day Risk Management review: After 30 days in Live, Risk Management may increase capital allocation based on demonstrated discipline. This is discretionary, not guaranteed, and not a published scaling formula. Third-party reports describe it as a behavior-based review rather than a numeric milestone.

YRM publishes the Live structure in the Help Center but does not publicly document specific increase amounts or the exact decision criteria. The cluster's payout cap and capital-transfer tables above represent everything verifiable from the Help Center. Most traders will spend significant time on Prime or Instant Prime before Live becomes relevant. First-payout traders should focus on the funded-sim mechanics and treat Live as a downstream consideration. For the full Live progression details see the main YRM Prop review.

Pricing and promos summary

YRM Prop pricing is straightforward. Starter and Instant Prime are one-time fees, Prime is earned, Live is invited.

Activation fee: $99 on Starter-to-Prime upgrade, currently waived per launch offer. End date for the waiver is not published; assume it could change at any time. Confirmed waived as of April 2026.

Affiliate code: VIBES is the PTV affiliate code, applied via the affiliate link yrmprop.com/ref/proptradingvibes. Active discount amount and end date appear on the live site; the homepage shows current promo pricing. For deeper pricing analysis including cost-per-payout and promo timing see the YRM Prop pricing and discount article.

No monthly subscriptions on YRM. Unlike subscription-based competitors, YRM uses one-time fees. That means you pay once at checkout and the account stays open until you pass or breach. There is no monthly renewal cost while you are evaluating or trading funded.

February 1, 2026 grandfathering: what changed

This is the single most important contextual fact for anyone reading older PTV content or considering a current purchase. On February 1, 2026, YRM updated payout rules for both Prime and Instant Prime. Old funded accounts (created or purchased before Feb 1) keep the original rules. New funded accounts (created or purchased on or after Feb 1) run on updated rules.

What stayed the same across both groups:

• 90/10 profit split on funded accounts
• Trailing Max Drawdown (EOD mode) on all products
• Consistency rules (50% Starter, 35% Prime, 20% Instant Prime)
• Qualifying day requirements (6 Prime, 8 Instant Prime)
• $100 buffer rule (every payout leaves at least $100 in account)
• Withdrawal method (Rise only)
• Maximum 3 funded accounts (Prime + Instant Prime combined)

What changed for Prime accounts funded Feb 1+:

• 4th+ payout caps reduced (e.g., $50K Prime: $4,000 → $2,750)
• New 50% cycle-profit cap (lower of cap-table or 50% of cycle profit applies)
• 6 qualifying days unchanged
• No profit target requirement (still none)

What changed for Instant Prime accounts purchased Feb 1+:

• New cap table grouped 1st-3rd payouts together at the same level
• Profit-target requirement added per payout cycle
• 4th+ caps still tighter than pre-Feb-1 across all sizes
• 8 qualifying days unchanged

Why grandfathering matters for buyers today: As of April 2026, anyone purchasing a Starter Challenge or Instant Prime is on the new rules. The pre-Feb-1 cap tables and no-profit-target Instant Prime structure are not available to new buyers. Existing pre-Feb-1 funded accounts retain their original terms permanently. For the full payout deep-dive including cycle examples see the payout rules article.

Account limits

YRM's account-count rules are simpler than most competitors:

• Unlimited Starter Challenges. Buy as many as you want. Pass any one and you can upgrade that one to Prime.
• 3 funded accounts max combined across Prime and Instant Prime, in any mix. Examples: three $50K Primes, two $50K Instant Primes plus one $100K Prime, one $25K Instant Prime plus two $150K Primes.
• 1 Live account. All eligible funded accounts merge into a single Live account at transition.

The 3-funded-account cap means the maximum simultaneous funded exposure is one $150K Prime plus one $150K Instant Prime plus one $150K Instant Prime, totaling $450K combined, $9,000 to $13,000 in trailing drawdown across the three depending on grandfathering, and three independent payout cycles to track. Not all combinations are practical, but the cap allows that level of stacking if you want it.

Cross-account rules:

• Copy trading allowed across your own YRM accounts. Internal YRM tools and external copiers are both permitted.
• Hedging not allowed. Long one instrument and short the same instrument across accounts is prohibited.
• Same strategy across multiple accounts allowed as long as it is not used to hedge. For full copy-trading rules see the copy trading rules article.
• Independent risk limits per account. Each account tracks its own trailing drawdown, soft DLL, and qualifying days separately.

How to pick your path

Three trader profiles cover most decisions:

Cheapest entry, no payout pressure → Starter $50K. $149 one-time, no daily loss limit, 50% consistency, 2 minimum trading days. If you breach, you're out $149 with no recurring cost. If you pass, you upgrade to $50K Prime free (activation waived as of April 2026) and start the 6-day clock to your first $1,500 payout. This is the path Paul has used twice.

Earn funding via eval, then scale, Starter to Prime path. Same starting point as above, but the goal is the Prime payout cycle, not just a pass. Best for traders who want to prove edge before paying more. Move up sizes once you have a $50K Prime payout under your belt; the $100K Starter at $249 brings $2,000 first-payout potential on Prime.

Skip eval, instant funding → Instant Prime. Best fit if you have a proven edge and want immediate funded status. Pick the size that matches your account-management style: $25K at $399 for tight position sizing (1 mini cap forces discipline), $50K at $599 for moderate sizing (2 minis), $100K at $749 if you want larger contract room and a $3,000 soft DLL buffer, $150K at $899 if you want the firm's biggest funded sim and can handle the $8,000 first-payout profit-target requirement on new accounts.

Tight budget, instant funding → Instant Prime $25K. $399 one-time, 1 mini cap, no daily loss limit, $1,250 trailing floor. The 1-mini cap removes overtrading risk by design. Trade-off: 20% consistency means a $200 day on a $1,000 cycle profit blows the rule.

Concentrated single-day trader, Prime over Instant Prime. 35% consistency vs 20% means Prime gives you 75% more concentration headroom on a big day. If your edge produces a few large winners per cycle, Prime is the better structural fit.

Personal experience: my Starter to Prime path

I have passed two $50K Starter Challenges at YRM Prop and used both to fund $50K Prime accounts on the pre-Feb-1, 2026 grandfathered structure. Across the two Prime accounts I have pulled four $1,500 payouts via Rise. That is the first-payout cap on $50K Prime under the old payout table, hit four times across the two accounts. Total realized: roughly $6,000 on $298 of upfront cost ($149 × 2 Starters).

What surprised me on the path:

The 50% Starter consistency is forgiving in practice. With a $3,000 target on $50K, splitting across two days at $1,800 + $1,200 satisfies both the 2-day minimum and the 50% rule with room to spare ($1,800 / $3,000 = 60%, over the limit). In practice my passes looked more like $1,200 + $1,000 + $800 across three sessions, which keeps the largest day at 38% of cycle profit. The rule punishes one-shot lottery passes but rewards normal multi-session trading.

The 6-day Prime cycle is the bottleneck, not the cap. First payout on $50K Prime was capped at $1,500. That took 6 qualifying days minimum. I hit the cap fast, then sat on profit waiting for the day count. The cap-table bottleneck is more about cadence than about the dollar number, especially at the first payout level.

Rise withdrawal is fast. KYC takes one round through Rise's interface, then subsequent payouts settle within a day or two. Compared to bank-wire props, the funding cycle (sim profit → payout request → Rise → bank or stablecoin) is meaningfully shorter.

The $100 buffer rule matters. My profit-management habit became "leave $200, withdraw the rest" rather than testing the buffer. Withdrawing too aggressively risks tripping the buffer if the next day opens negative.

I have not personally tested Instant Prime, the post-Feb-1 New Prime payout structure, the Live Account stage, or any $100K or $150K size at YRM. Everything in the Instant Prime, Live, and post-Feb-1 sections of this article is sourced from YRM's published Help Center documentation rather than personal experience.

The bottom line

YRM's product structure rewards two trader profiles cleanly. Cost-conscious traders willing to grind a Starter eval should buy a $50K Starter at $149, pass it, and use the resulting $50K Prime to start a 6-day-cycle payout cadence. That path has the lowest upfront cost and the most forgiving 35% consistency. Capital-rich experienced traders skipping the queue should buy Instant Prime at the size matching their account-management style: $25K for tight discipline, $50K to $100K for normal sizing, $150K for max funded sim.

The four-stage structure (Starter, Prime, Instant Prime, Live) gives YRM a coherent progression path from $149 entry to real-capital trading. The February 1, 2026 grandfathering split means the old payout structure is closed to new buyers, so anyone purchasing now is on the new rules: Prime gets a 50% cycle-profit cap, Instant Prime requires per-payout profit targets. Account limits are clean: unlimited Starter, three funded accounts max, one Live. Activation fee is currently $0 per launch promo. Use code VIBES via the PTV affiliate link at checkout.

For deeper analysis on each product see the Starter Challenge guide, Prime account guide, Instant Prime guide, and the Starter vs Instant Prime comparison. For beginner-specific guidance see the best YRM Prop account for beginners article. For pricing comparisons against other firms see YRM vs Apex vs Topstep pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What account types does YRM Prop offer?

Four stages: Starter Challenge (evaluation, no payouts), Prime (earned funded after passing Starter), Instant Prime (purchased funded, skip the eval), and Live Account (real-capital final stage, allocated by Risk Management). Starter and Instant Prime are entry points you choose at checkout. Prime is reached by passing a Starter. Live is invite-only after multiple Prime or Instant Prime payouts.

What is the difference between Prime and Instant Prime?

Both are funded simulated accounts with 90/10 profit split, but they are not the same product. Prime is earned by passing a Starter Challenge: 35% consistency, 6 qualifying days to first payout, no upfront cost beyond the Starter you already paid. Instant Prime is purchased directly: $399 to $899 one-time, 20% consistency (stricter), 8 qualifying days. Pick Prime if you want to prove yourself first; pick Instant Prime if you want immediate funded status.

How much does YRM Prop cost?

Starter Challenge is $149 (50K), $249 (100K), or $349 (150K) as a one-time fee, confirmed by YRM on the homepage. Instant Prime is $399 (25K), $599 (50K), $749 (100K), or $899 (150K) one-time. Activation fee is $99 but currently waived per launch promo. As of April 2026, code VIBES is the standard PTV affiliate code if YRM is running discounts.

Are YRM Prop Starter Challenges monthly or one-time?

One-time. The YRM homepage and the funding-programs Help Center page state $149/$249/$349 one-time entry. The select-tier article shows "$149/month" but that is an outdated label; Paul confirmed the one-time pricing on yrmprop.com. If a Starter is breached, you buy a new one (no auto-renewal, no resets currently).

Is there a $25K Prime account?

No. The $25K size exists only on Instant Prime. Prime sizes are $50K, $100K, and $150K, earned by passing the matching Starter Challenge size. If you want $25K funded at YRM, your only option is Instant Prime $25K at $399 one-time, which caps you at 1 mini (10 micros) and uses a $1,250 trailing drawdown.

How many YRM Prop accounts can I run at once?

Three funded accounts maximum, combined across Prime and Instant Prime in any mix. You could run three $50K Primes, or one $100K Prime plus two $50K Instant Primes, or any other combination up to three. Starter Challenges are unlimited; buy as many as you want. Live accounts are capped at one (all eligible funded accounts merge at Live transition).

What is the YRM Prop Live Account?

Live Account is the real-capital final stage. After multiple Prime or Instant Prime payouts (most commonly the 4th, possible from the 2nd), Risk Management invites the trader to Live. 16% of each funded account's starting capital transfers to one consolidated Live account. Profit split is 90/10 on the first $10,000 cumulative withdrawn, then 80/20. A 30-day Risk Management review may increase capital allocation. The invite cannot be declined without forfeiting profits.

What changed on February 1, 2026?

YRM updated payout rules for both Prime and Instant Prime. Pre-Feb-1 funded accounts keep the original payout cap tables (grandfathered). Post-Feb-1 Prime accounts get a 50% cycle-profit cap (lower of cap-table-or-50% rule applies). Post-Feb-1 Instant Prime accounts must hit a profit target per payout ($1,500 first payout on $25K, scaling up to $8,000 on $150K; subsequent targets are lower). The 50% rule and profit targets did not exist before February 1.

Which YRM account is best for beginners?

The $50K Starter Challenge at $149 one-time. Lowest entry cost, no daily loss limit (Starter has no DLL; only Prime and Instant Prime do), 2 minimum trading days to clear the eval, and a $3,000 profit target. Pass it, upgrade to $50K Prime, start pulling payouts. For deeper guidance, see the article on the best YRM Prop account for beginners.

Which YRM account is best for experienced traders?

Instant Prime, typically $50K or $100K. You skip the evaluation phase entirely, get funded status from day one, and immediately work toward an 8 qualifying-day payout. Trade-off: 20% consistency rule (tighter than Prime's 35%) and tighter contract caps relative to Prime at the same size. Best fit if you have a proven edge, capital to deploy, and the discipline to size small enough that 20% concentration is feasible.

Can I refund or reset a YRM Prop account?

Resets are not currently available on Starter Challenges (per the YRM Help Center). If your Starter breaches, you buy a new one. Refund policy specifics are not published in the Help Center; direct refund questions to support@yrmprop.com. Instant Prime is a one-time purchase with no recurring fees, so cancellation is implicit at breach.

What is the YRM Prop profit split?

Funded simulated accounts (Prime + Instant Prime) pay 90/10, so the trader keeps 90%. Live accounts pay 90/10 on the first $10,000 cumulative withdrawn, then 80/20 after. There is no tiered ramp on Prime or Instant Prime; you get 90% from your first qualifying payout. Withdrawals are processed exclusively through Rise (riseworks.io).

Does Paul recommend Starter or Instant Prime?

For most traders Paul recommends starting with the $50K Starter at $149. Cheap entry, no DLL during eval, and the upgrade to $50K Prime gives you the 35% consistency rule which is more forgiving than Instant Prime's 20%. Paul has personally passed two $50K Starters to Prime and pulled four $1,500 first-payout-cap payouts via Rise on the grandfathered structure. Instant Prime makes sense for experienced traders willing to pay the higher one-time fee to skip the eval queue.

What are the YRM Prop account size differences?

Starter and Prime offer 50K, 100K, 150K. Instant Prime offers 25K, 50K, 100K, 150K (only product with a 25K). Larger size means larger trailing drawdown room, larger contract limits, and larger payout caps, but also higher entry fees on Instant Prime. Live consolidates all eligible funded accounts into one 16%-capital-transfer account at the top.

Can I switch between YRM Prop account types?

Not directly. Account types are separate purchases. To go from Starter to Prime, you pass the Starter eval; that is the upgrade path. To go from Instant Prime to Prime, you would need to buy a new Starter and pass it (Prime is earned, not purchased). Live is invite-only and replaces your funded accounts at transition. You can hold Prime and Instant Prime simultaneously within the 3-funded-account cap.

Where can I see current YRM Prop pricing?

On yrmprop.com. The homepage shows live promo pricing including any active discount on the activation fee. Use the affiliate link yrmprop.com/ref/proptradingvibes to apply the VIBES discount if available. Help Center articles document the standard fee structure ($149/$249/$349 Starter, $399/$599/$749/$899 Instant Prime), but launch promos and discount codes appear on the live site.