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9 Apps Like Tilt (Formerly Empower) for Quick Cash Advances in 2026

9 apps like Tilt that may give you a bigger bang for your buck.

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By

Lacey Stark

Edited by

Holly Jennings

Updated

Fact checked

Tilt (formerly Empower) is a financial services company that offers up to $500 cash advances with no credit checks or interest. But to get advances, you need to pay a monthly membership fee of $8. This fee covers instant transfers to your Tilt card, or transfers to your linked bank account usually within one business day. Instant transfers to your bank account are also available but cost between $1 and $8 depending on the advance amount.

While many people like it, Tilt isn’t the only cash advance app on the block. These other apps like Tilt are similar, but may offer higher advance limits, lower fees and additional features like free overdraft, which could help you save.

LenderLoan amountFeesSpeed
Cleo$20 to $250$5.993 to 4 days or instant for a fee.
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EarnInUp to $150/day, with a max of $1000 between paydaysNo membership fee1–2 business days standard; minutes with Lightning Speed
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Brigit$50 to $500$8.99 to $14.991 to 3 business days or instant with a Premium subscription or for a fee.
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Current$50 to $1,000FreeUp to 3 days or within an hour for a fee
Read Review
VaroUp to $250 today. Build up to $700 over time with direct deposit at Varo. Average loan: $195. Qualifications Apply.$1.60 to $100Instant, once qualified
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Albert$25 to $1,000No subscription requiredWithin minutes
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DaveUp to $500Up to $5Free instant transfers to Dave Checking, up to 3 business days for free, or within an hour for a fee
Read Review
B9Basic: up to $250/pay period. Premium: up to $1,000/pay period. New users typically start between $10 to $50.$11.99 or $19.99Instant
Read Review
Solo Funds$20 to $575FreeAs soon as same day or instant for a fee
Read Review

Our 9 top picks for apps like Tilt

  • Alternative for longer repayment window: Varo
  • Alternative for freelancers: Cleo
  • Alternative for large advance amounts: EarnIn
  • Alternative for building a portfolio: Albert
  • Alternative for flexible repayments: Brigit
  • Alternative for no monthly fees: Current
  • Alternative for a spending account: Dave
  • Alternative for no instant transfer fees: B9
  • Alternative for peer-to-peer advances: SoLo Funds

Alternative for longer repayment window

Varo Cash Advance

9.4 Excellent

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Varo's cash advance gives you up to 30 days to repay, longer than many similar apps. You can borrow between $20 and $700 with no credit check, no late fees, and no tipping pressure. Funds are delivered instantly to your Varo Bank account once approved.

To qualify, you'll need at least $800 in qualifying direct deposits over the past 30 days and an active Varo Bank account in good standing. Fees are flat and transparent, starting at $1.60 and maxing out at $100, depending on the advance amount.

Loan Amount $20 - $700
Turnaround time Instant, once qualified
Costs No membership fees, Flat Fees of $1.60 to $100

Alternative for freelancers

Cleo

8.2 Great

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If you're a freelancer or gig worker with multiple jobs, Cleo may be a good fit. Cleo is a financial budgeting app with a free and paid version. The free version offers a plethora of tools to help you track your spending and save more. The paid version offers the free features plus cash advances in the app, overdraft protection and cashback to your Cleo wallet.

What makes Cleo good for freelancers is that it doesn't require employment verification and has no minimum income requirement. As long as you have consistent income, you could qualify for cash advances. Its cash advance amounts start at $20 to $70, but could increase to $250 over time.

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
  • Available in all states

Alternative for large advance amounts

EarnIn

9.5 Excellent

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EarnIn is a popular wage-based app with no monthly fees. Unlike Tilt, EarnIn lets you borrow up to $150 a day and up to $1,000 every pay period on wages you've already earned. But as a wage-based app, the advance amount you qualify for depends on the number of hours you've already worked.

While it doesn't cost anything to use EarnIn, you need to upload your time schedule so it can track your hours. Normal transfer times are one business day — or within minutes if you use EarnIn's Lightning Speed service. This service costs between $2.99 and $5.99 per transfer, which, depending on the amount, is cheaper than Tilt and many other apps.

Loan Amount Up to $1,000
Turnaround time 1–2 business days standard; minutes with Lightning Speed
Costs Free to use or within minutes with a fee as low as $3.99 per transfer
  • Not available in: Connecticut, District of Columbia

Alternative for building a portfolio

Albert Instant

8.8 Great

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Albert is a banking and cash advance app that goes beyond what Tilt offers. It offers overdraft protection rather than cash advances, and amounts go up to $1,000 per pay period. But it also packs a mix of saving and investing tools to help beginners build a customized investment portfolio with just a few questions.

It offers investment advice through its Genius service, an AI-driven, human-supported add-on feature for Albert customers. The Genius service costs No subscription required a month, but you automatically get a free 30-day trial before deciding if it's right for your investing goals.

Loan Amount $25 - $1,000
Turnaround time Within minutes
Costs No subscription required

Alternative for no monthly fees

Current

8.7 Great

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Current lets you access up to $1,000 from your upcoming paycheck without paying interest, subscription fees, or going through a credit check. You'll need to have a Current account and at least $500 in qualifying direct deposits per month to be eligible. Repayment happens automatically when you get paid, and while standard transfers are free, you can opt to pay a small fee for instant delivery. It's a convenient, budget-friendly option for covering short-term expenses without added financial stress.

Loan Amount $50 - $1,000
Turnaround time Up to 3 days or within an hour for a fee
Costs Free
  • Not available in: Wisconsin

Alternative for flexible repayments

Brigit

8.4 Great

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Brigit allows you to extend your due date up to three times if you can't make your repayment on time, a perk not seen with many other apps. Standard funding takes up to three business days, or get your money as quickly as 20 minutes for a small fee. Brigit's standard overdraft or cash advance features won’t cost you extra but you’ll have to pay a monthly membership fee ranging from $8.99 to $14.99.

Loan Amount $50 - $500
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
  • Available in all states

Alternative for a spending account

Dave ExtraCash

8.5 Great

Read review

Dave offers higher cash advances through its ExtraCash advance product, up to $500, with no interest or late fees. However, Dave's delivery speed may be slower than Tilt Getting your funds may take one to three business days. If you want instant delivery, there's a fee from $1.99 to $25, depending on the size of your advance and where you're having it transferred. Dave also offers extra perks, such as a gig connection service and budgeting features.

Loan Amount Up to $500
Turnaround time Free instant transfers to Dave Checking, up to 3 business days for free, or within an hour for a fee
Costs Undisclosed
  • Not available in: District of Columbia

Alternative for no instant transfer fees

B9 pay advance app

Read review

B9 is a membership-based cash advance app that offers up to $1,000 per pay period — higher than Tilt. Like Tilt, it charges a monthly fee: $9.99 for advances up to $100 and $19.99 for advances up to $500. While these fees are high compared to other apps, you don't need to pay extra for instant transfers — which could balance things out.

To use the B9 app, you must open an FDIC-insured checking account with B9 and set up direct deposit through your employer or the B9 app. To qualify for a cash advance, you have to receive at least one direct deposit into your B9 account — but advances are available as soon as one hour after receiving your first deposit.

Loan Amount $10 - $1,000
Turnaround time Instant
Costs Basic: $5.99/month. Premium: $19.99/month (or as little as $7.99/month if paid annually). Optional fees apply for instant external transfers (e.g., to Cash App or Venmo) — not included in membership price.
  • Not available in: District of Columbia

Alternative for peer-to-peer advances

SoLo Funds payday loan alternative

Read review

SoLo Funds is a social lending app that offers peer-to-peer (P2P) microloans from $20 to $575. Like Tilt's cash advances, it's designed to help you access cash to cover emergency expenses. But it's a no-interest personal loan funded by SoLo members instead of a cash advance. And SoLo gives you the option to give back to your community — not only can you borrow money, you can lend to others too.

You can get your money as soon as a member funds your loan — as quickly as 20 minutes. To use the service, it's customary, although not required, to offer a tip. You're more likely to get funded if you offer a tip, but SoLo caps tips at 15%. Unlike most cash advance apps, you must repay the loan on time or get charged a late fee of 10% plus a third party transaction fee.

Loan Amount $20 - $575
Turnaround time As soon as same day or instant for a fee
Costs Optional tip up to 15% of loan amount
  • Not available in: California, District of Columbia

How does Tilt (formerly Empower) compare?

Compared to other cash advance apps, Tilt is about average. It offers a standard advance amount — up to $500 — and its monthly fee of $8, and app features are similar to what other cash advance apps offer. However, not all cash apps charge monthly fees: EarnIn and MoneyLion are two exceptions.

On the plus side, it offers a 14-day free trial, so you can test the service before paying. Like many cash advance apps, normal ACH transfers to your bank account are free and usually arrive within one business day, which is quicker than many apps. Instant transfers cost between $1 and $8, depending on the amount — unless you have its qualifying card. These fees are also about average for most cash advance apps.

And if you need to borrow more than $400 between paydays, you’ll likely be better off with an app like B9, EarnIn, One@Work, PayActiv or MoneyLion — all offer potentially higher amounts than Tilt. Tilt generally gets good reviews online, but some customers have complained about its monthly subscription fee.

Pros

  • Other banking services available
  • FDIC-insured automatic savings feature
  • Tilt Card with 10% cashback

Cons

  • Monthly subscription fee
  • Not all users will qualify for a $500 advance
  • Instant transfers cost money unless you have an its card

More alternatives to payday and installment loans

We didn’t include payday and short-term installment loans as alternatives to Tilt, as they charge sky-high interest rates that can hit up to 700% APR or higher.

For short-term borrowing, cash advance apps like Tilt and the other apps on our list are almost always cheaper than a payday loan, as they never charge finance fees or interest on what you borrow.

Alternatives to cash advance apps

If you prefer not to use a cash advance app that monitors your bank account or you don’t get regular direct deposits — often a requirement for cash apps — consider these other methods for accessing quick cash instead:

  • Credit card cash advance. Credit card cash advances are a convenient way to access quick cash, but it’s best to limit them as fees can run high. Compare the best credit cards.
  • Personal loan. If you need more than $500, compare the best personal loan lenders to find loans between $600 and $100,000. Same-day funding may even be available.
  • Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) app. While they don’t offer cash, BNPL apps let you purchase items you need today and pay them off later. Discover a range of BNPL apps and compare costs.
  • CDFI loan. These are small-dollar, short-term loans at a lower cost than a payday lender. They’re available from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).
  • Employer advance. If you need funds before payday, your employer may be willing to advance part of your paycheck. Or, some employers are now partnering with apps like DailyPay and Payactiv to offer cash advance benefits to employees.

See our payday loan alternatives guide for more short-term borrowing options to cover emergency expenses or tide you over to payday.

Sources

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.
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Lacey Stark is a freelance personal finance writer for Finder, specializing in banking, loans, investing, estate planning, and more. She has 20 years of experience writing and editing for magazines, newspapers, and online publications. A word nerd from childhood, Lacey officially got her start reporting on live sporting events and moved on to cover topics such as construction, technology, and travel before finding her niche in personal finance. Originally from New England, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver and completed a postgraduate journalism program at Metropolitan State University also in Denver. She currently lives in Chicagoland with her dog Chunk and likes to read and play golf. See full bio

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