Dave is one of the most popular cash advance apps, but there are plenty of other alternatives with a variety of benefits, including interest-free loans with instant access to your money.
Here are 13 other online banking options that can help you get the cash you need to get to payday.
Our Top Dave Alternative: Brigit
- Get up to $250 quickly
- Start building your credit today
- Stop overdrafts in their tracks
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Table of Contents
Dave ExtraCash at a glance
Dave ExtraCash is a popular option for short-term cash advances until payday. Here are some of Dave’s key features:
| Loan amount | Up to $500 |
| Repayment term | Two weeks |
| Subscription fee | $1 per month |
| Credit check | No |
| Time to funding | 5 minutes or less (with extra fee) |
| Does Dave offer a checking account? | 5 minutes or less (with an extra fee) |
| Does Dave require Plaid? | No |
| Does Dave offer an ATM/debit card? | Yes |
| Credit-building | Dave reports regular rent payments to the credit agencies to help boost your credit score. |
| Fees | None |
| Does Dave require direct deposit? | No, unlike most cash advance apps, Dave Extracash doesn’t require direct deposit. |
Here are a few of the best cash advance apps like Dave
If Dave doesn’t work for you — or you simply want to explore other options — here are some of the best apps like Dave that are available.
Empower Cash Advance
Like the apps mentioned so far, Empower acts more like a bank/money manager than a lender. If you want help managing your money, Empower connects to all your existing accounts and helps you track your spending and savings from a single location. If you’re interested in the cash advance, you’ll need to open an account. Here’s the important stuff:
Empower Cash Advance specs:
- Credit check: No
- Minimum credit score: N/A
- Maximum advance: up to $250.
Other Empower features:
- Checking account?: Yes
- Debit/ATM card? Yes
- Credit builder loan: No
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: No
- Other perks: Cashback (up to 10%), budgeting tools, etc.
Brigit
Brigit offers users various products and tools to help them stay on track financially. It also offers help with building credit, budgeting and even finding part-time or gig work for users who don’t mind paying a monthly fee. Here’s the important info:
Cash Advance specs:
- Credit check: No
- Minimum credit score: N/A
- Maximum advance: up to $250, depending on your “Brigit Score.”
Other Brigit features:
- Checking account?: No
- Debit/ATM card? No
- Credit builder loan: Yes
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: No
Earnin
Earnin bills itself as the app that lets you “get access to money as soon as you earn it.” The app lets you advance up to $100 per day and $500 per pay period. The app also offers Balance Shield, which links to your bank account. With it, you choose a minimum account balance that you want to maintain. When you get close to that amount, the Earnin app will notify you and let you know how much you can advance to keep your account from overdrafting.
Earnin offers Lightning Speed, which promises instant access to your money. However, there are a number of criteria you must meet, and you’ll have to pay an extra fee for the convenience.
Here’s what else you need to know
Cash advance specs:
- Credit check: No
- Minimum credit score: N/A
- Maximum advance: $100 per day, $500 per pay period
Other Earnin features:
- Checking account: No
- Debit/ATM card? No
- Credit builder loans? No
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: None
- Installment or Personal Loans?: No
- Cashback/Other incentives? “WeWin” members are entered for a chance to win money every time their account increases by $10
Albert
Banking and financial advice are Albert’s primary services, and the app also offers small cash advances and budget tracking. Albert users who set up an account with direct deposit can access their paycheck up to two days early.
What sets Albert apart is that it doesn’t rely on an AI bot for financial advice. Albert allows users to connect to actual humans (or “Geniuses”) for answers to their questions. However, that feature isn’t free. It costs a minimum of $8 per month.
Depending on your banking history, you could qualify for up to $250 in advance funds.
Cash advance specs:
- Credit check: No
- Minimum credit score: N/A
- Maximum advance: Albert will advance up to $250 from your next paycheck straight to your bank account. The transfer is free if you can wait 2-3 days to get your money. There is a small fee ($6.99) for an instant transfer.
Other Albert features:
- Checking account: Yes
- Debit/ATM card? Yes, Genius subscribers can withdraw cash fee-free at 55,000+ ATMs.
- Credit builder loans? No
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: None. Albert doesn’t charge fees, though you could incur a fee through your bank. In addition, Albert will reimburse you for overdraft fees incurred due to automatic withdrawals or payments initiated by Albert. You can receive up to two reimbursements.
- Installment or Personal Loans? No
- Cashback/Other incentives? In addition to Albert’s sign-up bonus, Genius subscribers get cash back on gas️, groceries, delivery, and more when they use their Albert debit card. Subscribers can earn an average of $2.00 per tank of gas and $1.50 per fast food order.
MoneyLion
In addition to a cash advance, which it calls “Instacash,” MoneyLion offers a checking account, credit building, and much more. It offers so many options, it can feel overwhelming!
For its Instacash customers, the process is straightforward. Like Dave, you need to link your bank account directly to the app. You’ll be approved for an advance if you have a steady income or qualifying deposits. New users are usually limited to $25 for their first advance. However, as they build a history with the app, they can increase their borrowing limit to $250.
Cash advance specs:
- Credit check: No
- Minimum credit score: N/A
- Maximum advance: $25-$250, more if you have their “Roar!” checking account.
Other MoneyLion features:
- Checking account?: Yes (the aforementioned “Roar!”)
- Debit/ATM card? Yes
- Credit builder loans? Yes
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: None
- Installment or Personal Loans?: No
- Cashback/Other incentives? It depends on the product
Possible
Possible Finance insists it is a better alternative to payday and installment loans. This is true, but only barely. Like payday and installment loans, Possible loans are only offered in small amounts and the interest rates are very high.
First-time borrowers will only be approved for up to $500 and the interest rates are 150%-200%, depending on where you live, the amount you borrow, etc. This is much lower than you’d pay a payday lender but much higher than you would pay any of the other apps listed here.
Other popular cash advance apps include Kora, Current, Vola, 15M Finance, Gerald and Loan Hunter.
Cash advance apps that don’t require Plaid
Dave doesn’t require access to Plaid, a platform that connects your banks to various money sites. If you don’t have access to Plaid, your cash advance options are much more limited, Right now, in addition to Dave, only B9, Grid Money, Cash App Borrow, Venmo, Branch and Line don’t require Plaid.
Other popular online banking options
While there aren’t cash advance apps, these three banking options offer some longer-term financial solutions.
Avant
Avant offers personal loans and credit cards and has an app. It can be a good option for debt consolidation. Here’s what you need to know:
Personal Loan specs:
- Credit check: Yes
- Minimum credit score: 550
- Maximum loan $2K-$35K depending on criteria
- APR: 9.95%-35.95%
Other Avant features:
- Checking account?: No
- Debit/ATM card? No
- Credit builder loans? Not officially, but personal loans can help you build credit.
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: Varies by state. Here is where to look for your state’s fee schedule
- Other products: Credit card
Chime
Chime is a bank account that allows its users to access their paychecks a few days early—with qualifying direct deposits, of course. The company also has a product they call “Spot Me.” “Spot Me” is a sort of overdraft protection that allows users to overdraft their accounts without facing any penalties. The amount a user is allowed to overdraft depends on various factors.
Chime also offers a savings account and a credit-building account.
Chime account specs:
- Credit check: Yes
- Minimum credit score: No. Chime doesn’t run credit checks.
- Maximum loan: Chime doesn’t loan money directly, but a few cash advance apps work with Chime, including Dave and MoneyLion.
Other Chime features:
- Checking account?: Yes
- Debit/ATM card? Yes, with a credit builder loan
- Credit builder loans? Yes
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: No
Varo
Varo is another banking app that’s similar to Chime. Varo offers paycheck advances through a program it calls Varo Advance.
Varo Advance works kind of like overdraft protection. Once you qualify, it gives you access to instant cash up to $100, so you can avoid overdraft fees.
Varo account specs:
- Credit check: Yes
- Minimum credit score: No. Varo doesn’t run credit checks, so applying won’t hurt your credit score
- Maximum loan: $100, but it may be less to start
Other Varo features:
- Checking account?: Yes
- Debit/ATM card? Yes
- Credit builder loans? No, instead it offers the Varo Believe secured credit card
- Overdraft/Returned Payment fees: No
Ingo Money
Nobody wants to pay the fees charged by most check-cashing places. This is where Ingo Money can come in handy. The Ingo app lets you take a photo of the check and then deposit the check’s amount wherever you want. You can deposit into PayPal, your bank account, a pre-paid card, etc.
If you’re able to wait ten days, the deposit is free. If you need the money immediately, there is a fee. The fee is between $5 and 5% of the check. The amount you pay will depend upon the type of check you’re cashing and its amount.
Employer-sponsored payday advance apps
Your employer may have already partnered with a cash advance app service to help you manage your money. These are especially popular among employers of “on-demand” workers, like rideshare drivers, delivery drivers, etc.
Even Instapay
Even Instapay is an app that allows someone to access the money they have already earned at work, even before payday. Even works with employers to track employees’ time and wages. Employees can log into their Instapay app to see how much money they have earned so far during that pay period. If the employee needs the money before payday, they simply request it. The employee doesn’t have to pay taxes or fees on their advance. All of that is taken care of by the employer.
Unfortunately, right now, even Instapay is not available for individuals or the self-employed. It is only available through your employer. The other drawback: you’ll have to pay the $8 Even Plus membership fee to qualify for an Instapay cash advance.
Branch
Like Even Instapay, Branch is a tool that employers can use to allow employees to access their wages as soon as they are earned. What makes Branch great is that it is also set up for people who employ gig workers and independent contractors.
In addition to on-demand payments, Branch also offers resources like tip and mileage trackers to help with reimbursements, off-cycle payments, etc.
Axos Bank Direct Deposit Express
Axos Bank has grown greatly in popularity over the last couple of years. This is probably because of its Direct Deposit Express. While not a cash advance app, Axos Bank’s Direct Deposit Express helps you get your paycheck a few days earlier than usual. Usually, banks make you wait to access your funds until after your paycheck has cleared. Axos deposits the amount of your paycheck into your account as soon as they get notified of an incoming direct deposit. Then they keep your deposit when it clears. Viola! Payday a few days early!
Other good options to check out (or to mention to your employer) are:
What makes the Dave app stand out?
Dave is one of the most popular financial apps currently on the market. You may have seen Dave’s TV ads featuring a cute cartoon bear. It offers cash advances up to $75 to $100 for people to help them prevent their bank accounts from over-drafting while waiting for their next paycheck. The company also offers a checking account to people who might have trouble getting (or do not want to use) traditional bank accounts.
Dave doesn’t require direct deposit to get an advance through ExtraCash. This makes it ideal for gig workers or people who have a steady income but not a steady paycheck. Instead, you need:
- At least three recurring bank account deposits into your Dave checking account
- Monthly deposits amounting to at least $1,000
- A minimum history of 60 days with your bank account
- A U.S. resident
- Age 18 or up
- To pass an identity verification
- A Social Security number
For returning users, Dave also considers repayment history when deciding whether to provide another advance and how much to advance you.
Pros: Dave’s biggest pro is that it learns your spending habits. That sounds a bit invasive, but the information it learns is used to help you keep better track of your money. It lets you know if your account gets below a certain amount and if you have an automatic payment coming up but don’t currently have enough in your account to cover it.
Dave also offers Dave Banking, a cash management account similar to an online checking account. If you choose to use Dave Banking, you’ll get a Visa debit card and access to a network of fee-free ATMs. There’s no minimum deposit requirement to open a Dave Banking account.
Other pros include:
- No interest charges
- Easy qualification terms
- Dave doesn’t charge late fees
- Cash advances up to $500 with Extracash
- No credit check
- Much cheaper than dealing with an overdraft fee
Cons: The biggest drawback to using Dave is the same as its biggest benefit: it requires access to your bank account and tracks your spending habits. Not everybody loves sharing that information.
Other cons include:
- Monthly membership fee (it’s only $1, but every bit counts)
- Automatically withdraws payments for both advances and monthly fees from your bank account
Customer reviews
Dave has earned a B grade from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It has 4.4 out of 5 stars from Google Play, and 4.8 stars in Apple’s App Store.
Upvoted helpful customer review:
Upvoted helpful negative review:
Want to learn more about Dave? Check it out now.
How do cash advance apps work?
A cash advance app, also called a payday advance app, is a mobile app that will send you money to help you cover your expenses while waiting for your next paycheck. When that next payday arrives, the app will automatically deduct the amount of your advance from your deposit.
These apps are available on iPhone (iOS) and Android smartphones. Many even have traditional websites you can use if you’re not entirely sure you want to use your phone.
Cash advance apps allow users to access money they’ve already earned before it has been deposited.
They are skyrocketing in popularity: 33% of Americans have borrowed money using a cash advance app.
How quickly can I get my cash advance?
You can submit a request once you have been approved for an advance. These apps are designed for speed, so the money should arrive quickly. Some loans are approved and funds are sent within minutes. Others may take 1-2 business days. If you need the funds immediately and need to bypass a waiting period, some apps will allow you to do so for a small fee.
Why are loan apps like Dave better than payday loans?
There are many reasons that cash advance apps are better than payday loans. Apps rarely charge any interest, let alone exorbitant interest. Their repayment terms are flexible. They are easier to access.
Payday loans are designed to keep you financially desperate, so you need more payday loans. This is what keeps them in business.
The bottom line
Even the best budgeter can run short on cash toward the end of a pay period. Cash advance apps are made for this: to help you bridge the gap between paychecks.
Dave is an excellent option with a low subscription fee and minimal requirements. But Dave won’t work for everyone, and if you need an alternative, you have plenty of options.
FAQs
Earnin offers small cash advances and does not require a paid membership.
If you use them smartly, yes. Apps like Dave are more willing to be flexible if you can’t afford to pay them back from your next paycheck. You can get a new loan without being forced to pay additional fees or penalties. Don’t feel obligated to pay the “suggested” tip amount. A dollar or two is usually a reasonable amount for such a small loan.
Dave won’t check your credit score to determine whether you’re eligible for a cash advance. Dave reviews your banking information instead, weighing factors like income, account balance and spending patterns.
Plaid is a platform that securely connects apps with financial institutions. But some of the major banks aren’t compatible with Plaid. Because Dave uses both Plaid and Galileo Financial Technology (a similar platform), you can often sign up for Dave even if you use a bank that isn’t compatible.
