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Apps like Dave

Compare alternatives with higher pay advances or no monthly membership fees.

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By

Bethany Hickey

Edited by

Holly Jennings

Reviewed by

Anna Serio

Updated

Dave is a banking app that offers cash advances, but you’ll need to pay a $1 monthly membership fee. While that’s pretty inexpensive for a financial app, it’s still another monthly membership to account for.
Dave’s $500 cash advances are high compared to many other apps, but it’s possible to find an app that offers twice that amount to select borrowers. Same-day funding also isn’t free, and Dave’s $1.99 to $13.99 instant funding fee is high compared to competitors. 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 that doesn’t require a membership fee or you want some additional banking features, these cash advance apps may be a better alternative to Dave.

Our 8 top picks for apps like Dave

Alternative for overdraft feature: Chime SpotMe

Chime SpotMe®

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Chime's SpotMe is a no-fee overdraft service that provides up to $200 to cover overdrafts to your Chime Checking account. To qualify, you need to make a monthly direct deposit of $200 or more into your Chime checking account and activate your Chime debit card.
SpotMe only covers overdrafts caused by ATM or debit card transactions and starts with just $20 of protection. You can raise this limit with regular deposits and a solid account history, by qualifying for promotional bonuses offered by Chime or by using SpotMe Boost, a program that allows existing members to boost each other's SpotMe protection.
  • Available in all states
Partner terms and conditions
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. Direct deposit: Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date. SpotMe: Chime SpotMe is an optional, no fee service that requires a single deposit of $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to the Chime Checking Account each at least once every 34 days. All qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their account up to $20 on debit card purchases and cash withdrawals initially, but may be later eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime Account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your limit. Your limit may change at any time, at Chime’s discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third party fees associated with ATM transactions. SpotMe won’t cover non-debit card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. See Terms and Conditions.
Pros
  • No fees or tipping obligation
  • Low monthly direct deposit requirement of $200
Cons
  • Overdraft limits start at $20 and max out at $200
  • Must use with Chime Checking account and debit card
  • Overdraft only covers debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals
Loan amount$20 - $200
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan TermN/A
Turnaround timeSame day

Alternative for frequent cash advances: Albert

Albert

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Albert is a newer banking app, offering cash advances up to $250. While that is lower than Dave's maximum advance, Albert allows qualifying users to take out multiple cash advances per pay period — provided you maintain a good repayment history. There are also no late fees, required tip, inactivity fees, interest charges or membership fees required.
Albert does offer a paid membership called Genius, costing $96 per year. With the paid membership, you can access additional features, such as investing options. However, when you create an account with Albert, you're automatically enrolled in the Genius free trial, which you must cancel after 30 days if you don't want Albert to automatically charge you the $96 yearly fee. Most negative reviews for Albert revolve around the inconvenience of the free trial, so it's something to be aware of.
  • Available in all states
Pros
  • No membership required
  • Multiple advances per pay period
  • No late fees or interest charges
  • Most features accessible with free membership
Cons
  • $96 yearly Genius membership
  • Automatically enrolled in Genius free trial
  • Lower cash advance amount than Dave
Loan amountUp to $250
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan TermVaries
Turnaround time2 to 3 days

Alternative for flexible repayment: Brigit

Brigit

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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.
Its standard cash advance and overdraft protection features won't cost you extra, but you have to pay a $9.99 monthly membership fee — much higher than Dave's $1 monthly membership. And for those with life partners or spouses, know that Brigit doesn't accept joint bank accounts.
  • Available in all states
Pros
  • Auto overdraft protection
  • No interest or fee on advance
  • Due date extensions available
  • Instant delivery available
Cons
  • Pricey $9.99 monthly membership fee
  • Standard delivery may take up to two business days
  • Doesn't accept joint bank accounts
Loan amountUp to $250
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan TermVaries
Turnaround time1 to 3 days or same-day in some circumstances

Alternative for short-term loans: Possible Finance

Possible Finance Mobile Installment Loans

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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 does report 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 is not cheap. It 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, 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.
  • 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
Pros
  • Same borrowing amount as Dave
  • Reports to two credit bureaus
  • Longer repayment terms than cash advances
  • No monthly membership fee
Cons
  • APRs can reach 460%
  • Costs vary by state
  • Limited state availability
Loan amountUp to $500
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan Term2 to 8 weeks
Turnaround timeAs fast as 1 business day

Alternative for large cash advances: MoneyLion

MoneyLion Instacash advances

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MoneyLion offers some of the highest cash advance amounts. If you stick with the free membership, you can get advances up to $1,000. And with the $1-per-month RoarMoney membership, you may qualify for advances up to 80% of your paycheck, capped at $1,000. By contrast, Dave's cash advances require a $1 membership and are capped at $500.
In addition to the cash advances, MoneyLion has other features like Credit Builder Plus, which allows you to take out credit-building loans, and MoneyLion Crypto, where you can buy and sell crypto assets. However, MoneyLion has run into some issues with regulators and has many consumer complaints on its Better Business Bureau profile.
  • Available in: Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Pros
  • No paid membership required
  • Up to $1,000 advances with paid membership
  • No interest or required tip
  • Credit builder and crypto features
Cons
  • Pattern of negative customer complaints
  • Issues with regulators in 2022
Loan amount$50 - $1,000
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan TermVaries
Turnaround time3 to 5 business days to external checking account, 12 to 48 hours to RoarMoney account

Alternative for all mobile banking needs: Cash App

Cash App

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Cash App is the #1 banking app in the Apple App Store. It's widely known for its peer-to-peer (P2P) payment system, which allows you to quickly send money to other users for free. Cash App is also full of banking features, including early paycheck arrival and investing options. It also has a free Visa debit card, called the Cash Card, which can be used for purchases connected to your Cash App balance.
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 with refunds if money is accidentally sent to the wrong account.
  • Available in all states
Pros
  • Full of mobile banking features
  • Highly-ranked banking app
  • Simple P2P payment system
  • Borrow small loans
Cons
  • Borrow feature in pilot
  • Loans have interest charges
  • Mostly negative Trustpilot reviews
Loan amount$20 - $200
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan TermVaries
Turnaround time1-3 business days

Alternative for tracking your finances: Even

Even

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Even calls itself an “earned wage access” app, and it offers advances of up to 50% of the money you've already earned through its Instapay feature — as long as you work at a qualifying employer. It states its partner with leading employers to allow its 900,000 active members to access their money early. You can pick up your cash the same day at any US Walmart.
It also offers saving features, where you can choose a percentage of your earnings to be automatically placed in a savings account. It also features budgeting features, work schedule tracking and paycheck tracking. But unlike Dave, Even requires a $6 monthly Even Plus membership fee to access its Instapay advance feature.
  • Available in all states
Pros
  • Cash advances of 50% of earnings
  • No interest or required tip
  • Same-day cash pickup available at any US Walmart
  • Budgeting and finance trackers
Cons
  • $6 monthly membership
  • Advances limited to earnings
  • Must have eligible employer
Loan amount50% of paycheck
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan TermVaries
Turnaround timeSame day

Alternative for nonresidents: B9

B9 pay advance app

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B9 offers cash advances of up to 100% of your paycheck. You can access your paycheck up to 15 days before your scheduled payday. And B9 doesn't require a Social Security Number to register like most other cash apps — you can sign up with an ITIN. It also offers customer service in English and Spanish.
To get advances, you need to open a B9 checking account and set up direct deposit. After you're paid, B9 will alert you if there's an advance available to you within one hour of getting paid. However, it can be expensive compared to Dave. The basic plan, which costs $9.99 per month, only allows you to take out advances up to $100. B9 Premium plan can advance up to 100% of your paycheck but costs $19.99 per month. B9 does offer other features, such as its B9 Visa debit card with cashback.
  • Available in all states
Pros
  • Up to 100% of your paycheck in advances
  • Accepts ITIN and SSN
  • Debit card with cashback
  • Instant transfer to other B9 users
Cons
  • Low $100 advance for basic plan
  • High $9.99 to $19.99 monthly membership fee
Loan amount$30 - $500
Interest rate typeFixed
Loan TermNot Stated
Turnaround timeInstant

How does Dave compare?

Dave launched in 2017 and reporting 10 million users, Dave is a top competitor amongst banking apps. Its low $1 monthly membership fee lets you take out cash advances up to $500 — many apps limit advances to around $200 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.
However, other apps such as MoneyLion, Albert and Cash App don’t require a monthly membership fee to get cash advances.
Dave is accredited with the BBB, carrying a B rating, but does have poor customer reviews on the BBB profile and over 1,568 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

  • Low $1 monthly membership fee
  • $500 cash advances per pay period
  • Checking account with no overdraft fees
  • Other features like Side Hustle

Cons

  • Not many customer reviews
  • Over 1,568 BBB complaints
  • No investing feature

More guides on Finder

  • Apps like Empower

    6 apps like Empower that may offer bigger advances and lower fees.
  • Cash advance apps that don’t use Plaid

    Most cash advance apps use Plaid. Here are 5 that don’t.
  • Apps like SoLo Funds

    Compare 9 alternatives that are very similar to the cash advance app SoLo Funds.
  • 8 Best cash advance apps to cover you until payday

    Compare the 8 best cash advance apps for low fees, high limits and more.
  • Apps like Possible Finance

    Choose from 7 options to find the best pay advance solution. Top names like MoneyLion and Brigit are joined by 5 other pay advance apps.
  • Apps like Lenme

    If you’re considering using Lenme for a pay advance but its negative reviews are holding you back, we’ve lined up 8 alternatives that could offer more reliability and transparency.
  • Apps like Even

    Don’t work for an employer that uses this app? Here are others that may be a better fit.
  • Apps like Brigit

    Don’t want to pay a high monthly fee? Consider these other cash advance apps instead.
  • Apps like Earnin

    Compare apps that give you quick access to money you’ve already earned.

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    DavidMay 3, 2019

    How do you apply?

    Reply
      AvatarFinder
      MaiMay 4, 2019Finder

      Hi David,

      Thank you for reaching out to Finder.

      Loan application may differ from one lender to another. To apply from any of the lenders from this page, you may directly visit their website and see if they have online application so you can do it over the internet. You may also reach out to their support team to check if they have other ways on how to apply.

      Hope this helps! 😊

      Kind Regards,
      Mai

      Reply
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