The Dave app offers cash advances for those who can’t make it to their next payday. It also offers features that help you take control of your finances, but several cash advance apps like Dave are available today.
If you’re looking for more features or other options, I’ve narrowed down the top cash advance apps like Dave below.
Remember, with any cash advance app, always consider why you need the funds. They shouldn’t help you live beyond your means but be used only for emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.
11 Best Apps Like Dave
Most cash advance apps don’t offer cash advances as high as Dave, but these apps offer other features along with cash advances to help you get control of your personal finances.
1. Varo
- Advance amount: Up to $500
- Fee: Varies based on the amount borrowed
- Processing time: Instant to your Varo bank account
Varo is a full-service online bank offering a cash advance option like Dave, with some users qualifying for as much as $500. What sets Varo apart from other cash advance apps is there aren’t any monthly subscription fees or ‘recommended tips.’ Instead, they charge a flat fee for each transfer, depending on the amount.
For example, a $20 transfer is $1.60, but a $100 advance is $8. The fee percentage is high if you need a $100 advance, but it can be helpful in an emergency.
The Varo bank account comes with a Varo Visa debit card and free transfers via Zelle or to other Varo members. You may also earn cashback at select retailers using your Varo Visa debit card. Each time you hit $5, they’ll automatically transfer it to your bank account. Varo doesn’t require minimum balances or charge monthly fees. They also have 40,000+ fee-free ATMs, 2-day early access to direct deposit funds, purchase round-ups for savings, and up to 5% APY on savings.
Pros
- Cash advances have set fees, so you know the cost
- Direct deposit offers early access to your funds
- Savings account balances earn high interest rates
Cons
- The percentage of fees compared to the amount advanced is high
- Cash advance limits usually start low
2. Chime
- Advance amount: Up to $200
- Fee: None
- Processing time: Instant
Like Dave, Chime offers cash advances, but only on purchases made with your Chime debit card or cash withdrawals. The SpotMe program is a line of credit you can access if you overdraft your account. The amount you use is deducted from your total line and replenished when you repay it.
SpotMe offers cash advances up to $200, and you repay the amount advanced with your next direct deposit.
Chime is a mobile banking app that doesn’t charge monthly fees and includes a free Visa debit card. You can check your balance 24/7 on the Chime app or set up push-through alerts to be aware of all debit card transactions.
Other features include a fee-free ATM network, mobile check deposit, and instant transfers between Chime checking and savings or external accounts. Chime also offers early access to direct deposit funds, giving you access to pay up to two days early.
Pros
- No monthly fees
- The SpotMe program allows advances up to $200
- All Chime users get early access to their paycheck with direct deposit
Cons
- Cash advances only apply to debit card transactions or cash withdrawals
- First-time users may only get advances of $20
3. Empower
- Advance amount: Up to $250
- Fee: Free for standard or small fee for instant
- Processing time: 2- 5 business days
Empower offers members up to a $250 cash advance if they can prove they have consistent direct deposits from their employer and use their checking account responsibly. You can have funds sent directly to your bank account or your Empower card.
The funds take a few days, but for a small fee, you can get an instant transfer if you need the funds immediately.
The Empower app charges an $8 monthly subscription fee and offers other standout financial management features, including budgeting and savings features. Create personalized budgeting categories, set spending caps, and set up automatic savings to reach your financial goals. You can also monitor your credit score for good credit score health.
Pros
- Offers a high cash advance limit
- Makes it easy to take control of your finances with budgeting and savings tools
- You can get instant access to funds if necessary
Cons
- $8 a month is a steep cost for the few features it offers
- There are no banking features
4. MoneyLion
- Advance amount: $500 for external accounts and $1,000 for RoarMoney℠ accounts
- Fee: Free for standard delivery and up to $8.99 for Turbo delivery
- Processing time: 1 – 5 business days for free or instant for a small fee
MoneyLion is an app like Dave; however, you may be eligible to advance up to $500, which is much higher than the limit for most cash advance apps. If you need more, you may qualify for up to $1,000 if you have a RoarMoney℠. MoneyLion doesn’t charge interest or fees on the advances, but if you want the funds faster than a few days, you may pay for Turbo Delivery to get it faster.
MoneyLion is much more than a cash advance app. It’s a powerful banking app with many opportunities to manage your finances.
The MoneyLion mobile banking account offers everything you’d want in a bank account, including no fees, cashback rewards on debit card purchases, and early access to your direct deposit. They also offer Mastercard Price Protection that detects when a price drops on a purchase you recently made.
MoneyLion also offers the option to round up debit card purchases to purchase Bitcoin or invest in your portfolio. It also tracks your spending with weekly reports and personalized insights to improve your finances.
Pros
- Offers many personal finance features to help you take control of your finances
- Offers easy access to cash advances
- Has an investment component to help you easily and affordably build a portfolio
Cons
- Turbo delivery fees can cost as much as $8.99 to an external account
- Cash advances take a while to receive if you don’t pay the Turbo Fee
5. Brigit
- Advance amount: $50 to $250
- Fee: Free for standard transfer, or a small fee for instant
- Processing time: 2 – 3 business days
Brigit is a personal finance app that offers cash advances. Most users start with a low limit, but you may work up to a $250 cash advance limit with a solid repayment history. The transfers take a few days, but you can pay for an instant transfer and have the funds within minutes.
Brigit doesn’t charge fees or interest for cash advances; however, they charge a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 or $14.99 if you use their Credit Builder features.
Besides the cash advance features, Brigit offers powerful personal finance tasks to keep you on track. To do this, they monitor your income and spending, helping you understand what changes you can make to improve your financial situation. The services include credit monitoring, $1 million identity theft coverage, exclusive offers, and help finding side gigs. You can also pay for the higher subscription ($14.99/month) and get a credit builder loan to build credit from scratch or repair bad credit.
Pros
- There are no fees for cash advances
- You can set up advances to cover overdrafts to avoid fees
- Brigit is a full-service mobile banking app
Cons
- You must provide access to your external bank account
- The monthly cost is high
6. Earnin
- Advance amount: $100/day and up to $750/pay period
- Fee: Free standard, or small fee for instant transfer
- Processing time: 1 – 3 business days
Earnin is a spinoff of a cash advance app. Instead of a true cash advance, you get an advance on money you’ve already earned. Earnin works with your employer to determine the hours you’ve worked to determine how much money you’ve made.
You won’t be able to access your full paycheck, but most members can access up to $100 a day and $750 per pay period. On your payday, Earnin will keep the portion of your pay they advanced you, and it won’t cost you any fees or interest.
Cash advances can take a few days, but you can get it instantly if you pay for a Lightning Speed transfer. Earnin doesn’t charge fees; instead, they recommend you tip them to keep the service running, but it’s not mandatory.
Earnin focuses primarily on cash advances, giving employees access to funds as they earn them; however, they also offer a feature called Balance Shield. This feature watches your bank account balance; if you near the threshold, it alerts you. If you can’t fix the issue, they can send an automatic cash advance of up to $100 to avoid overdraft fees (these advances are subject to Lightning Speed fees).
Pros
- You have access to your funds as you make them
- There aren’t mandatory fees
- You don’t pay interest on your cash advances
Cons
- It could be a bad habit to access your earned funds early
- You can only use Earnin if you have a direct deposit
7. One@Work (formerly Even)
- Advance amount: Up to 50% of weekly earnings
- Fee: Only a small instant transfer fee if your employer doesn’t cover it
- Processing time: Usually one day, but is based on employer settings
One@Work (Formerly Even) is another app that offers early access to your earned income. With One@Work, you can access up to 50% of your income weekly (based on employer settings), paying it back when your employer pays you.
Your employer must sign up for One@Work for you to use it, but when they do, it offers access to your funds as you earn them.
Along with offering early access to your earned income, One@Work offers helpful tools to handle your personal finances.
One@Work helps you understand how much money you can safely spend after considering your income and expenses. They also offer an automated savings program that transfers money to your savings account each payday. If you like projecting your income based on worked hours, the app also helps you see the money coming in so you can properly budget.
Pros
- You can access funds you’ve earned without waiting for payday
- The savings feature helps you stay on track with your savings goals
- You can get help with budgeting to stop going over your budget
Cons
- It’s only available if your employer signs up for it
- Accessing your income before payday can be a bad habit
8. Branch
- Advance amount: Up to 50% of earned wages
- Fee: None unless you want instant transfer to an external bank account
- Processing time: 3 – 5 business days
Branch is an app that offers independent contractors and employees access to earned funds. Most apps that advance earned income only work with people who work for someone, but Branch is different. It works well for people who work on tips, such as stylists or anyone who performs services yet has to wait to get paid.
With Branch, contractors can get paid after each job, including nights and weekends. In addition, the funds are sent electronically, so there are no checks or paperwork to deal with; everything is online and takes seconds to manage.
Branch subscribers get access to a Branch card, a zero-fee debit card where employees and remote workers can receive funds instantly.
Branch also offers early access to direct deposit funds, giving employees access to their funds up to two days early.
Pros
- Gives users early access to their funds to avoid overdrafts
- Offers tips to save more money
- Can keep funds in the Branch wallet or transfer them to an external account
Cons
- It can be a bad habit to access funds before payday
- Everything is online and can be confusing for new users
9. Albert
- Advance amount: Up to $250
- Fee: $14.99/month
- Processing time: 2 – 3 business days (or instant for a small fee)
Albert is one of the most popular cash advance apps. Members can access cash advances of up to $250, but most users start with a much lower limit.
The Albert app does much more than offer cash advances. It’s a personal finance app that helps you get control of your finances.
The Albert app works with FDIC-insured banks to offer checking and savings accounts and a Visa debit card. With a Genius subscription, you can earn cashback when making purchases with the Visa debit card, and an active direct deposit in the Albert checking account provides two-day early access to your funds.
Albert subscribers can access a large fee-free ATM network, build customized investment portfolios, or set up auto savings to reach their financial goals.
Pros
- Offers a few free features
- Users can get advances of up to $250
- Genius subscribers may have early access to direct deposit funds
Cons
- Most of the personal finance features require an $8 monthly Genius subscription
- You can’t open a joint account
10. Payactiv
- Advance amount: Up to 50% of earned wages
- Fee: Up to $3.49 if transferred to non-Payactiv card
- Processing time: 1 – 3 days
Payactiv is one of the apps like Dave that operates as an Earned Wage Access app, allowing you to access funds as you earn them. You can schedule automatic payments or request funds as you need them.
Up to 50% of your earned daily wages become accessible in the Payactiv app. You can transfer the funds to your bank account, debit, payroll, or Payactiv Visa® card. Unlike most other apps like Dave, you can also pick up cash at your local Walmart.
If you set up scheduled payments, you can receive up to 90% of your net earnings transferred to your Payactiv Visa® card, and there are no fees.
Other features Payactiv offers include early access to direct deposit or tax refunds, fee-free ATMs using the MoneyPass® network, goal-based savings, exclusive discounts, and financial coaching.
Pros
- Offers easy access to funds you’ve already earned
- No fee transfers for ACH transfer, Payactiv Visa® (with direct deposit)
- Option to set up scheduled transfers
Cons
- Fee for cash pickup or transfers to non-Payactiv cards
- Can form bad habits of accessing funds early
11. DailyPay
- Advance amount: Based on the DailyPay algorithm
- Fee: Free for standard transfers; otherwise $3.49
- Processing time: Next business day
DailyPay is another of the apps like Dave that are on-demand payment apps. With DailyPay, you can track your hours and wages, accessing funds as you earn them. DailyPay uses an algorithm to determine how much of your earnings to make available. You can schedule a transfer for the next business day for free or pay a small fee and get the funds instantly. Any money you don’t transfer gets deposited via direct deposit on your regular payday.
Other features DailyPay offers include the ability to set aside earned funds for savings and in-app financial counseling for no fee. This feature can help you manage expenses, reach savings goals, and get out of debt.
There’s no fee to sign up for DailyPay, and unless you request instant transfers, it remains free.
Pros
- Get access to already earned funds for no fee
- Offers other financial insights to help you get control of your finances
- Helps you track incoming earnings to properly budget
Cons
- Can be a bad habit to access funds early
- $3.49 instant transfer fee is steep
What Are Apps Like Dave?
Cash advance apps provide subscribers with cash between paydays. Most apps require direct deposit and members to pay back their advance on their next payday. Some apps offer an option to extend the repayment period if they’re experiencing financial trouble.
Cash advance apps are meant to help with emergencies or to make ends meet when you can’t quite make it to the next payday. Of course, you shouldn’t use them consistently, but they can be helpful in situations you can’t help.
To qualify for cash advances, most apps require a direct deposit from your employer, an active checking account, and proof of consistent receipt of income.
Many cash advance apps start users with a low advance limit, usually $40 or less, but with timely repayment and use, they can work toward higher advances.
How Does Dave Work?
To get cash advances from the Dave app, you must have an active checking account with at least a 60-day history and at least three direct deposits from your current employer, and your account balance should always be positive.
The Dave app also uses a unique algorithm to determine if you qualify for an advance, including how many times you request cash advances, the time before your next payday, and your spending habits.
The Dave app has a $1 monthly membership fee you must pay whether you request a cash advance that month.
To receive your funds, you can have them sent to an external bank account, your Dave card, or a Dave spend account through Evolve Bank & Trust. There is a small fee if you send the funds to a prepaid debit card (not a Dave card).
All users pay back their advances through automatic withdrawal on their next payday.
Features
In addition to the cash advance, the Dave app offers some great personal finance features, including a budgeting feature that helps you understand how much of your money is free to spend after considering your upcoming bills and income.
The Dave app also has a neat feature that matches you with eligible side gigs, either in-person, on the phone, or online. This helps increase your income streams and reduces the chance you’ll need cash advances in the future.
Pros
- Cash advances are free (except the Dave subscription fee)
- Offers high cash advance amounts
- There’s no credit check required
Cons
- It takes a while to get cash advances higher than $30 to $50
- A monthly membership fee is required
How Do You Apply to Receive Funds on Cash Apps Like Dave?
To receive a cash advance on apps like Dave, you must provide access to your checking account and sometimes employment information.
Most services use a site like Plaid to securely access your bank account information, but ensure they don’t store your bank information.
To apply for a cash advance, you’ll first create a profile on the app, providing the information they require to decide how much they will advance. You must also grant access for an automatic withdrawal of the cash advance amount to repay it on your next payday.
Each app has different requirements regarding applying for a cash advance. For example, some have strict requirements regarding the number of direct deposits, the age of your checking account, or the monthly amount you make.
FAQs
Apps like Dave make handling financial emergencies easier. Here are some common questions people have about cash advance apps.
How do you apply for a cash advance app like Dave?
Most cash advance apps like Dave have an online application process that usually starts with downloading the app and creating a profile. From there, you’ll provide information about your income and share your personal banking information. Applying for a cash advance takes only a few minutes, and you’ll usually know instantly if you’re approved.
What is the maximum cash advance on apps like Dave?
Each of the cash advance apps like Dave have different maximum cash advance limits. The Dave app, for example, allows up to $500 (for qualified borrowers), and others allow limits of $50 – $200.
Can you get instant cash advances with apps like Dave?
Most cash advance apps allow instant payout options, usually for a small fee. Try sticking with standard transfers, if possible, but if you have an emergency, know you’ll pay for the instant transfer. It’s usually $4 or less.
Do all cash advance apps use Plaid?
Most cash advance apps use Plaid to securely transfer your financial information. This also ensures they don’t store your financial information on their platform, which reduces the risk of identity theft and financial breaches.
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