Dave is a popular personal finance app that puts more cash in your pocket by providing exciting rewards and employment opportunities. However, the platform is best known for offering short-term loans of up to $500.
On top of that, it doesn’t charge any overdraft fees or late fees and has no minimum balance requirement. It also offers free ATM withdrawals at more than 37,000 locations.
Dave isn’t the only platform that provides such awesome services — there are plenty of apps out there to get an interest-free cash advance and cover unexpected expenses. These cash advance platforms let users borrow small amounts of money without having to go through the complicated lending process.
Below, we have listed some of the best apps like Dave that let you borrow cash instantly. Since they all offer unique benefits, you need to choose the one that suits your requirements.
Some apps charge a monthly fee or interest rate based on the amount you’ve borrowed, and they require you to pay the sum back within a specific timeframe (usually in a few months or weeks).
Table of Contents
9. FloatMe
Cash Advance: up to $50
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription fee starts at $1.99 per month | 7-day free trial available
Rating: 4.7/5 from 90,000+ users
FloatMe helps you get ahead of your finances by saving money, preventing overdrafts, and accessing your wages early. More specifically, it allow borrow up to $50 to manage expected expenses.
To get the money, you need to link your bank account to the app and provide your employment details. The app doesn’t run a credit check, and the money you borrow is completely interest-free (no hidden fee involved). However, it requires a subscription to access its cash advance service.
FloatMe supports more than 10,000+ financial institutions, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Navy Federal Credit Union, USAA, and Chase.
Key Features
- Instant transfer to debit card
- Overdraft predictions and alerts
- Set goals and automatically contribute to them
- User data is secured with 256-bit encryption
If you’ve just signed up and linked your bank account, the app will show you how much you can borrow. The limit may change from time to time based on several factors, such as your payment history and account balance.
The app doesn’t charge late payment fees, but it won’t make you eligible for another cash advance until your outstanding balance is cleared.
8. Vola Finance
Cash Advance: up to $300
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription fee starts at $2,99 per month
Rating: 4.4/5 from 16,000+ users
Vola Finance aims to improve financial literacy among the millennial population by offering spending analytics and smart graphs for free. The driving force behind the platform is to provide cash flow solutions to people with less-than-perfect credit scores.
It allows users to borrow up to $300 through instant cash advances. There is no processing or interest fee involved. But the catch is that users will have to pay a monthly subscription fee to get this opportunity.
Eligibility criteria
While the platform supports more than 6,000 banks and credits unions, a user asking for a cash advance must hold an account that
- is at least three months old
- maintains an average balance of over $150
- should be active (or show some activity once or twice a week)
Once your request is approved, Vola instantly transfers the fund to the linked bank account.
You can repay before the due date, or the app will automatically deduct the borrowed sum from the account on your next paycheck. If you are behind on bills, you can request to extend the due date. They will most likely give you 10-day relief, but not more than that.
Additional Feature
Vola gives you the option to report your rent or utility payments to credit agencies, so you can build your credit score while managing payments on your own schedule.
Overall, it is a great app to track finances and build savings and a credit score you may need in the near future.
7. Chime
Cash Advance: up to $200
Fees: Interest-free
Rating: 4.7/5 from 1,100,000+ users
Chime is known for its low-cost accounts that do not include annual maintenance fees or overdraft fees. Users can open two types of deposit accounts: saving and checking accounts. The former offer up to 2% APY, much more than the industry average.
You get a Chime debit card as soon as you open an account. It can be accessed via a network of 60,000+ fee-free ATMs at stores like 7-Eleven, CVS Pharmacy, Circle K, Target, and Walgreens.
The app keeps your money safe with state-of-the-art security standards and allows you to get paid early with direct deposit.
How does it work?
- Download the app and open a Chime Saving or Current account (takes only two minutes).
- Set up a direct deposit by filling out a form.
- Once direct deposit is approved by your employer, you start receiving money in the Chime account.
- Manage the Chime account directly from the app.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of Chime is “SpotMe.” It allows eligible members to borrow up to $200 when their account balance is low. However, this feature is only available to users who have a direct deposit of at least $200 per month into their Chime account.
If you qualify, Chime may cover up to $200 on your debit card purchase and ATM withdrawals with zero interest or fee.
Additional Feature
The Chime app comes with a credit builder tool that helps you improve your FICO score. According to the company, it can increase your credit score by an average of 30 points with regular on-time payments.
6. Empower: Instant Cash Advance
Cash Advance: up to $250
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription costs $8 per month
Rating: 4.7/5 from 175,000+ users
Empower allows you to borrow up to $250 and repay it from your next paycheck. There are no interest fees, late fees, or credit checks. All you need to do is link your bank account to the app and verify your income.
Once your account is approved, you can request a cash advance anytime through the app, and funds will be delivered immediately. You may be charged a small fee, between 0.99% and 3.99%, for instant fund delivery.
The following are the key benefits of Empower’s cash advance:
- No processing fee and late fee
- No interest or zero APR
- Instant fund delivery is available at a small price
- Automated repayment from your next paycheck
Let’s say you accept a $100 instant cash advance to your bank account for a $4 instant delivery fee, then the amount Empower will deduct from your next paycheck will be $104.
What makes you eligible for Empower cash advance?
While cash advances themselves have no additional fee, you need to purchase a subscription plan to become eligible for cash advances. Empower also checks your bank account for key information like income and expenses to determine the amount of cash advance you qualify for.
The other eligibility requirements are that you must be at least 18 years old and have a social security number.
Additional Feature
Empower also offers a debit card, which gives you the perks of a credit card. The card has no annual or overdraft fees and can be used for ATM withdrawals and everyday purchases. Plus, you may earn decent cashback at certain grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants.
Besides borrowing money, you can use this app to track your expenses, create budgets, and set financial goals. Customize it to receive alerts when your account balance falls below a threshold amount or when there is a large transaction on your account.
5. Brigit: Borrow & Build Credit
Cash Advance: up to $250
Fees: Interest-free | Plus plan costs $9.99 per month
Rating: 4.7/5 from 330,000+ users
Brigit simplifies your personal finance by making it easier to borrow money, repay it on time, and build a credit score in the process.
To date, Brigit users have collectively saved more than $300 million. On average, each user has saved $514 annually, and about 91% of Brigit users have reported a reduction in their financial stress.
The app offers interest-free money (up to $250) whenever you need it. It doesn’t run a credit check or levy processing fees and late payment fees. You can repay them on your terms.
For example, if you borrow a $200 cash advance, you can set a repayment date (usually within four weeks of the loan being issued). They won’t charge any origination fee, processing fee, or tip if you pay before or on the due date.
Conditions to qualify for a paycheck advance
Brigit analyzes the bank account where the money will be deposited. It mainly looks for
- An account that is at least two months old
- has a balance above $0
- the account is actively being used
- the account is credited with at least three recurring deposits from an employer
The app analyzes various data (such as the size of the deposit, the ratio of earnings and spending, and account balance over time) and assigns users a score between 0 and 100. The score determines whether users qualify for the advance and how much they can borrow.
Paid version
While the free version offers some financial insights and educational content, users must pay a monthly subscription fee to access more features, like the ability to use the cash advance and build credit score.
The paid version also lets you monitor your credit score and receive alerts about significant changes. Though some platforms offer this feature for free.
Furthermore, the company offers impressive data breach and identity theft protection. It covers you for up to $1 million and also helps you cancel and replace lost ID and credit cards.
4. Albert
Cash Advance: up to $250
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription starts at $8 per month
Rating: 4.6/5 from 200,000+ users
Initially released in 2016, Albert has grown into an all-in-one financial app that helps you save, spend, and borrow money without worrying about interest rates. It offers many perks like fee-free ATM withdrawals, cash-back rewards, and investment portfolios for its premium users.
Perhaps the most worthy feature of Albert is its fee-free cash advances. Eligible users can borrow up to $250 or get a paycheck two days early after signing up and linking their bank accounts.
It sounds great in theory, but how does it work?
Once you sign up, you will be asked a series of questions related to your current income and employment history. If you qualify, Albert will make you eligible to borrow interest-free money anytime.
It still charges a $6.99 processing fee to users who want instant fund transfers. If you can wait 2-3 days, that fee is waived. And since they don’t look at your credit history (not even a soft pull), your credit score won’t change.
The app is integrated with various budgeting tools that allow you to track income and expenses in real time and configure automatic bill payments.
Furthermore, the app uses machine learning algorithms to analyze your financial health and spending habits accurately. It then offers personalized suggestions to help you cut down on spending and achieve your financial goals.
Paid feature
Its premium version, called Albert Genius, costs $8 a month. It gives you access to a team of financial experts who can provide personalized advice on savings, debt management, and investments. You can also ask them about valuable stocks and themed ETFs.
As for security, Albert uses top-notch technology to protect your data. Their accounts are FDIC-insured, which means you will be insured for up to $250,000 of your money.
3. Line: Instant Cash Advance
Cash Advance: up to $1,000
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription cost starts at $2.47 per month
Rating: 4.1/5 from 28,000+ users
Line app is developed by Line Financial, a public benefit corporation based in the United States. It allows you to withdraw cash between $20 and $1000 without credit checks.
No matter how much you borrow, it won’t impact your FICO score and you won’t be charged any interest or late fee. However, getting your request approved depends on whether you maintain an active paid subscription while adhering to Line’s community guidelines.
How does it work?
Like all cash advance apps, you need to link your bank account to Line before requesting a cash advance. They will review your account and may ask for some additional information to approve your request.
To increase your approval chances, start with low amounts and repay them before the deadline. Though the app automatically withdraws the amount owed from your linked bank account on the due date.
Pricing structure
The app has three plans to meet all users’ requirements
- Small ($2.47 per month): lets you borrow up to $50
- Medium ($9.97 per month): lets you borrow up to $500
- Large (about $15 per month): lets you borrow up to $1,000
All plans include credit monitoring and alerts, theft protection, dark web monitoring, and $1 million identity theft insurance.
Additional Feature
The app helps you track your expenses and file federal and state taxes. It supports multiple states and all combinations, including 1099, single, joint, and W2, free of cost.
The company also guarantees to reimburse up to $250 if you get a better tax refund through other platforms. And if they make any error, they will pay up to $10,000 in IRS penalties and interests.
2. Cleo: Budget and Cash Advance
Cash Advance: up to $120
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription costs $5.99 per month
Rating: 4.3/5 from 131,000+ users
Cleo is perfect for people who want cash advances and budgeting tools in one place. It can help users break their unnecessary spending habits and meet their financial targets — all while providing payday advances or small-term loans at zero interest rates.
Unlike most other financial platforms, Cleo
- Doesn’t run credit checks
- Doesn’t charge processing or late fee
- Doesn’t have a minimum or maximum repayment time frame
The app sends you money, and you pay it back on your chosen date. That’s it — you own only what you borrow.
How does it work?
You need to sign up and link your bank account to the app. Once everything is set up, Cleo reads your bank statement to analyze your earnings and spending patterns. It then determines the amount you can safely borrow and offers an interest-free cash advance.
The borrowed amount is automatically deducted from your next paycheck.
Although Cleo doesn’t charge any interest or late fee, it generates revenue through its premium subscription model called Cleo Plus. This premium model offers deeper insights into your spending habits and suggests a personalized budget.
In the United States, the subscription costs $3.99 per month if paid annually or $5.99 per month if paid monthly.
Additional Feature
Cleo is integrated with an AI chatbot to provide a more conversational and seamless experience for managing personal finance. It allows you to easily and quickly access key information. For example, you can simply ask, ‘How much I spent on groceries last month,’ and Cleo will show an exact amount by looking at your linked bank account.
1.EarnIn: Your Money in Advance
Cash Advance: up to $750
Fees: Free | No subscription cost
Rating: 4.7/5 from 445,000+ users
With EarnIn, you can borrow up to 100 per day or $750 per paycheck to cover unexpected expenses. The company states that it offers ‘access to earned wages’ instead of a ‘loan or paycheck advance.’
However, what EarnIn offers is more like a loan or paycheck advance because it acts as a middleman who provides cash and takes it back as soon as you get paid.
What makes it popular is its zero interest fee, zero membership fee, and no credit check. It gives options to users to leave a voluntary tip when they request an advance. Users can add up to $14 as a tip (per advance). There are no penalties or consequences if users choose not to leave a tip.
How does it work?
First, you need to link a bank account to the app, which shouldn’t take more than 3-4 minutes. Then, you can request any amount up to $750 or $100 per day. Let’s say you borrow $100 and add $5 as a tip. The app will automatically deduct the $105 from the linked account on your next payday.
You can withdraw funds immediately by paying a small fee between $0.99 and $3.99. Without this fee, it takes up to three business days to receive funds.
EarnIn works with most American banks, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Chase, USAA Bank, TD Bank, Capital One, PNC Bank, and Navy Federal Credit Union.
Additional Feature
The app is integrated with an account monitoring tool called Balance Shield Alert. It notifies you when your account balance falls below a threshold amount (specified by you).
If you enable “automatic cash out,” EarnIn can transfer up to $100 to your bank account when the balance falls below the threshold. The sum of the transferred amount will be deducted on your next payday.
Other Equally Reliable Cash Advance Apps
10. Credit Genie
Cash Advance: up to $100
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription costs $2.99 per month
Rating: 4.3/5 from 7,000+ users
Credit Genie is a personal finance platform that helps you with cash advances and provides tools to break the cycle of borrowing. It can analyze your spending habits and recommend best practices to become debt free.
The app offers an instant cash advance of up to $100. The advance amount you are eligible for depends on various factors, such as your income history, account balance over time, and general spending patterns, etc. The amount may change from time to time.
Plus, the bank account linked to the app must be at least three months old and contain at least $750 per month in recurring direct deposits.
Although the amount you borrow is completely interest-free, you need to subscribe to the premium version of the app (which costs $2.99) to become eligible for a cash advance.
Let’s say you instantly transfer $100 to your account for an optional fee of $4.99 express delivery fee; then your total bill will be $104.99. You can repay it anytime between 3 days and 90 days, either in smaller amounts or the full amount.
11. Gerald
Cash Advance: up to $215
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription costs $9.99 per month
Rating: 4.1/5 from 7,000+ users
Gerald is a simple-to-use app to get the money to pay your household bills and manage finances. All you have to do is link your bank account and request the money you need. The app gives you two options to borrow money:
- Request up to $215
- Request half of your paycheck early
You will get the money in your bank account as soon as your request is approved. There is no processing fee or interest involved. You can pay back later or allow the app you automatically deduct the money from your next paycheck.
The caveat is that you need to pay a membership fee of $9.99 per month in order to use the cash advance. Plus, you can’t borrow again until you have paid back what you have borrowed.
Gerald is also integrated with bill tracking, budgeting, and credit monitoring tools, making it easier for you to manage everything in one place. You can even open up an FDIC-insured account with them and get rewards and cash back.
12. Grid Money
Cash Advance: up to $200 per advance
Fees: Free | Grid+ costs $10 per month
Rating: 4.7/5 from 23,000+ users
With Grid Money app, you can get advances between your paychecks whenever you need them. There is no credit check, interest fee, or hidden fee involved.
You can also opt for a Grid debit card that gives you up to $100 cashback rewards on eligible purchases. This card will help you build a credit score — the more you spend through the card, the faster your score will improve. The app tracks all your spending and repayments and shows your estimated future credit score.
There is a premium version of the app called Grid+, which costs $10 per month. It allows you to request multiple cash advances between paychecks, find out how much tax refund you will get next year, and access the refund early.
Just fill in some financial and household information, select your Grid Tax refund amount, and the app will send you a part of your tax refund every month (up to $250 per month). This way, you can take home more of your paycheck.
13. Klover
Cash Advance: up to $200
Fees: Interest-free | Subscription costs $3.99 per month
Rating: 4.5/5 from 160,000+ users
Klover gives you early access to earned wages — you can access up to $200 up to two weeks earlier than your payday. Just sign up by entering your name, email, and phone number, and connect your current bank account to the app.
Klover doesn’t check your credit score and lends you money at zero interest. And unlike other platforms, it allows you to borrow an extra $30 by completing tasks like watching ads or taking surveys.
While it’s a reliable cash advance app, it’s quite expensive if you choose expedited processing — it may charge you up to $9.99 to instantly deliver funds to your account.
The repayment date is automatically set based on the days you regularly get paid. You can’t change this date or repay the advance early. Once you’ve paid back, the app will let you request another dance within 48 hours.
14. Payday Advance
Short-term Loan: up to $5,000
Fees: from 5.99% to 35.99% APR
Rating: 4.3/5 from 2,400+ users
In addition to cash advances, this app allows you to request a small-term loan of up to $5,000. Its simple user interface makes the whole process of borrowing easy and quick.
It is important to note that the app is not a lender — it’s just a platform that connects you with direct lenders. It asks for some information, which you agree to share with participating lenders. You are not obliged to apply for credit options or accept any offers.
While the service offered by Payday Advance is completely free, the loan is not. Lenders may charge between 5.99% and 35.99% APR on personal loans, depending on borrowers’ financial health.
Moreover, the minimum and maximum duration for loan tenure is usually from 2 months to 2 years. The terms vary based on the lender you connect with.
More to Know
How do cash advance apps usually work?
Most cash advance apps allow users to borrow a small amount of money quickly, usually between $50 and $500. Here’s what the complete process looks like:
1) Sign up — Provide personal information, like social security number and address, and link your bank account or debit card with the app.
2) Request cash — Once the account is set up, you can request a specific amount to be deposited in your bank or made available for withdrawal via debit card.
3) App reviews your request — The app reviews your credit history or past payments to approve the request.
4) Repayment — The app clearly mentions the repayment conditions, interest fee (if there is any), and the last date to repay the full amount. While some apps allow you to repay the money in installments, some require the loan to be paid in a lump sum.
Is the Dave app legit?
Yes. Dave (company) has been in the money lending business since 2017. Its app has been downloaded more than 11 million times on iOS and Android devices, with an average rating of 4.6/5 from 1.1 million users.
The company is backed by reputed investors, including the venture capital firm Norwest Venture Partners and American entrepreneurs Mark Cuban and Jason Wilk. It is also a memory of FINRA (short for Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), which regulates member brokerage firms and exchange markets in the United States.
However, we won’t recommend trusting it blindly. No financial platform is completely risk-free. Understand the fee structure and carefully read the terms and conditions before withdrawing money from any app.
How does Dave make money?
While Dave doesn’t charge interest or late fees, it offers a subscription-based service that allows users to monitor their accounts, make budgets, and keep their bank accounts linked with the app. The subscription costs $1 per month.
A significant portion of revenue comes through partnerships with banks and retailers, which offer rewards and discounts to Dave users. The company also charges a small fee (between 1% and 3%) for each transaction made through Dave Debit Card.
All in all, Dave generates revenue through its subscription-based model, partnerships with merchants, and Dave Debit Mastercard transactions.
Merchant cash advance market size
The global merchant cash advance market size, which stood at $2.79 billion in 2022, is expected to exceed $9.1 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 21.72% from 2023 to 2028.
This phenomenal growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of merchant cash advances across retailers and restaurants, the emergence of small and medium-sized businesses that need small-term loans to strengthen infrastructure, and less strict credit requirements.
Unlike traditional loans, merchant cash advance offers greater flexibility in managing cash flow. Plus, advances are available to individuals with less-than-perfect credit scores, and are approved within 1 or 2 days.
Why you can trust us?
We thoroughly analyzed over 40 cash advance platforms and read users’ reviews. It took more than 15 hours to do the comprehensive research. Finally, we decided to shortlist the 14 most reliable Dave alternatives based on their quick online applications, low-interest rates and fees, and transparent lending practices.
Our “Rating” is the average of all ratings given by genuine users on the Play Store and App Store. In order to show you the true picture, we haven’t considered reviews and testimonials featured on the app’s official website.
We DO NOT earn commission from any of the featured apps. Moreover, we have two independent editors who have no influence over our listing criteria or recommendations.
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