Dave is a banking app that offers cash advances, and doesn’t require minimum deposits. Dave’s $500 cash advances are high compared to many other apps, but it’s possible to find a cash advance app like Dave that offers twice that amount to select borrowers.
Depending on how much money you advance, express fees range from $3 to $25. If you don’t want to pay the instant funding fee, you’ll wait up to three business days for your cash advance.
If you’d rather have a cash advance app with stronger budgeting features or flexible repayment, these cash advance apps may be a better alternative to Dave.
- Dave’s core perk is a comparatively high cash-advance limit up to $500 with free standard delivery in up to three business days. The trade-off is instant funding fees that range roughly $3–$25.
- It’s a banking app, so you don’t need a minimum deposit to use it. But depending on how you get funds, costs like instant fees can make small advances pricier than they look.
- Many alternatives emphasize lower or no monthly costs and sometimes higher maximum advance amounts, so you may find a lower total cost if you don’t need Dave’s specific setup.
Our 8 top picks for apps like Dave
- For budgeting features: Cleo
- For accessing wages: EarnIn
- For building a portfolio: Albert
- For flexible repayment: Brigit
- For all mobile banking needs: Cash App
- For tracking your finances: One@work
- For when you have an ITIN: B9
- For short-term loans: Possible
Alternative for budgeting features
Cleo
If you love to stay on top of your finances, look no further than Cleo. This AI-powered app excels at helping you stay on top of your spending and bills with payment reminders, overdraft alerts, and a spending tracker with an optional “roast mode” to let you know when you’ve gone overboard.
In addition, Cleo’s paid version offers cash advances through its app with no minimum income requirement or credit checks. As long as you have regular income coming into your bank account, you could qualify for cash advances starting at $20 to $250.
| Loan Amount | $20 – $250 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | 3 to 4 days or instant for a fee. |
| Costs | $5.99 monthly membership fee to access cash advances |
| Loan Amount | $20 – $250 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | 3 to 4 days or instant for a fee. |
| Costs | $5.99 monthly membership fee to access cash advances |
Read review
Alternative for accessing wages
EarnIn
EarnIn is a cash advance app that lets you borrow up to $750 of your earned wages before payday with its Cash Out feature. This borrowing limit is significantly higher than most cash advance apps, and unlike payday loans, there are no interest or financing fees to use Cash Outs.
To qualify for EarnIn Cash Outs, you need to be employed, have regular direct deposits, and earn a minimum of $320 each pay period. You can transfer $150 a day to a linked bank account or more than $150 per day to an EarnIn card. Regular transfers are available in one to three business days or in minutes for a fee with Lightning Speed.
| Loan Amount | Up to $750 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | 1 to 2 business days or within 30 minutes for a fee |
| Costs | Free to use or within minutes with a fee as low as $2.99 per transfer |
- Not available in: Connecticut
| Loan Amount | Up to $750 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | 1 to 2 business days or within 30 minutes for a fee |
| Costs | Free to use or within minutes with a fee as low as $2.99 per transfer |
Read review
Alternative for building a portfolio
Albert
Albert is a banking app that offers overdraft protection from $25 to $1,000. What makes Albert different is its Genius feature. Genius is a technology-driven, human-backed financial service that can build a custom investment portfolio based on your goals, but it costs $12.49 a month when billed yearly, or $14.99 a month when billed monthly.
Unlike other cash apps, Albert automatically enrolls all new borrowers in a free 30-day trial of Genius in order to use the app to get free advances. To prevent getting charged on the next renewal, you’ll need to cancel Genius within the 30-day trial period.
| Loan Amount | $25 – $1,000 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Instant |
| Costs | Optional $14.99 monthly subscription to access budgeting and basic savings |
| Loan Amount | $25 – $1,000 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Instant |
| Costs | Optional $14.99 monthly subscription to access budgeting and basic savings |
Read review
Alternative for flexible repayments
Brigit
Brigit is one of the few apps that allows you to extend your due date if you can’t make your repayment. You can extend your due date up to three times, making it a useful option if you need flexible repayment options. Standard funding takes up to three business days, or you can opt to get your money in as little as 20 minutes for a small fee.
With more than 4 million users, Brigit’s standard cash advance and overdraft protection features won’t cost you extra, but you have to pay a monthly membership fee ranging from $8.99 to $14.99.
| Loan Amount | $50 – $250 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | 1 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee. |
| Costs | Brigit Plus: $8.99/month; Brigit Premium: $14.99/month |
| Loan Amount | $50 – $250 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | 1 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee. |
| Costs | Brigit Plus: $8.99/month; Brigit Premium: $14.99/month |
Read review
Alternative for all mobile banking needs
Cash App
Cash App is full of banking features, including early paycheck arrival and investing options. Its latest feature is called Borrow, which the app hasn’t officially launched yet.
Currently, qualified users can borrow small loans from $20 to $200. It’s still in the early stages, so it’s not widely available just yet, and you’ll likely need to live in an eligible state, have good credit, and be an active user.
And while Cash App is a widely-known app and highly ranked, it does have a lot of negative reviews on Trustpilot, mostly related to users accidentally sending money to a scam account or issuing refunds if money is accidentally sent to the wrong account. The Better Business Bureau has, on the other hand, given it an independent A+ rating, despite negative customer reviews.
| Loan Amount | $20 – $200 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Same day |
| Costs | 5% flat fee |
| Loan Amount | $20 – $200 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Same day |
| Costs | 5% flat fee |
Read review
Alternative for tracking your finances
ONE@Work
One@Work (formerly Even) is a budgeting app that offers up to 50% advances on wages you’ve already earned through its Instapay feature. The service is free for employees if employers have configured these benefits in the Instapay app. A small fee will apply if not. On top of this, One@Work helps you stick to a budget by alerting you about upcoming bills and how much you need for them. Your employer determines how often you can take an Instapay and how much of your net earnings you can access.
| Loan Amount | Up to 50% of earned wages |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Same day if employer has configured this benefit. If not, small fee applies |
| Costs | Free |
| Loan Amount | Up to 50% of earned wages |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Same day if employer has configured this benefit. If not, small fee applies |
| Costs | Free |
Read review
Alternative for nonresidents
B9 pay advance app
B9 is one of the few cash advance apps that offers an FDIC-insured cashback Visa card. Additionally, B9 doesn’t charge fees or require tips when you request an advance.
But you’ll have to join either their B9 Advance plan at $9.99 a month or B9 Premium plan at $19.99 a month to access cash advance benefits. Some extra benefits in the premium plan include a credit score simulator and credit reporting. B9 isn’t the cheapest option out there, but it may be worth it if you need larger advances sooner.
| Loan Amount | $30 – $500 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Instant |
| Loan Amount | $30 – $500 |
|---|---|
| Turnaround time | Instant |
Read review
Alternative for short-term loans
Possible Finance Mobile Installment Loans
Possible Finance is another mobile app, but unlike Dave, it offers short-term installment loans — not cash advances. You can borrow up to $500, the same maximum amount as Dave, but without that monthly membership fee. Additionally, Possible reports to two of the three credit bureaus, so there’s a chance to build your credit with timely payments. Dave doesn’t offer any credit-building services.
However, Possible charges $15 to $20 per $100 borrowed, depending on your state, with rates reaching 460% APR in some cases. This rate makes it significantly more expensive than Dave’s, even if you pay a fee for instant funding. However, the loan term can be much longer than a cash advance, with up to eight weeks to repay the loan. Most cash advance apps automatically deduct the repayment when your next paycheck clears.
| Loan Amount | $50 – $500 |
|---|---|
| APR | 150% to 460% |
| Turnaround time | As fast as 1 business day |
- Available in: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington
| Loan Amount | $50 – $500 |
|---|---|
| APR | 150% to 460% |
| Turnaround time | As fast as 1 business day |
Read review
How does Dave compare?
With Dave you get access to cash advances up to $500 within 5 minutes, while many apps limit advances to around $250 per pay period. The app also offers a checking account with no overdraft fees, and a feature called Side Hustle, which can help you find local jobs for extra cash.
Dave is accredited with the BBB, carrying a A+ rating, but does have poor customer reviews on the BBB profile and over 1,250 BBB customer complaints in the last three years. It also doesn’t have a Trustpilot profile, so insight is limited.
For a more detailed look, read our full Dave app review.
Pros
- $500 cash advances per pay period
- Checking account with no overdraft fees
- Other features like Side Hustle
Cons
- Not many customer reviews
- Over 1,250 BBB complaints
- No investing feature
