6 pay advance apps like Earnin

While its basic service can be cheaper than a payday loan, Earnin isn’t for everyone. You must receive direct deposit from your employer for the app to work. These apps are similar to Earnin, but might offer for stronger perks, faster turnaround or better meet your needs in general.

For automatic advances

Brigit

Go to site on Brigit's secure site

• Overview
• Pros & Cons
• More Details

Brigit is designed to help you avoid overdraft fees on your checking account. It's a no-frills app that does one thing: Gives you access to a pay advance when you're in danger of overdrawing your account. Brigit offers up to $250 per pay cycle with no interest or fees if you have an unexpected expense pop up. And while it takes up to two business days for a normal advance, Brigit can also monitor your bank account and automatically send an advance if you're at risk of an overdraft.

Pros

• Helps avoid overdrafts
• No-interest cash advance

Cons

• $9.99 monthly subscription fee
• No additional financial tools

Loan amount	Up to $250
Interest rate type	Fixed
Loan Term	Varies
Turnaround time	Same business day to 2 business days

Loan amount	Up to $250
Turnaround time	Same business day to 2 business days

Go to site on Brigit's secure site

For boosting your credit

Possible Finance Mobile Installment Loans

Go to site on Possible Finance's secure site

• Overview
• Pros & Cons
• More Details

Possible Finance technically provides short-term loans — which means you can expect to pay anywhere from $15 to $20 when you take out an advance. But unlike Earnin and other pay advance apps, it reports your payments to the three major credit bureaus to help you build your credit score. It also has same-day funding available if you have a Visa debit card. So while it may be on the pricey end for borrowers who need frequent advances, it can be a useful tool if you want to avoid more expensive installment loan options.

Pros

• Borrow up to $500
• Same-day funding available
• Helps build credit

Cons

• High fees
• Only available in seven states
• Must meet income requirement

Loan amount	Up to $500
Interest rate type	Fixed
Loan Term	Up to 2 months
Turnaround time	As fast as 1 business day

Loan amount	Up to $500
Turnaround time	As fast as 1 business day

Go to site on Possible Finance's secure site

For avoiding fees

Dave

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• Overview
• Pros & Cons
• More Details

Dave is a banking app that also offers no-interest loans designed to help you avoid overdraft fees. It's a good choice if you're struggling to stick to a budget: Dave notifies you when you're about to run out of funds, anticipating regular expenses like rent and utilities. Its advances are only for $100 or less, however, and there is a minimal monthly membership fee of $1.

Pros

• Helps develop healthy spending habits
• No interest

Cons

• Limited advance amount of $100
• Turnaround up to three days

Loan amount	Up to $100
Interest rate type	Fixed
Loan Term	Varies
Turnaround time	Same business day to 3 business days

Loan amount	Up to $100
Turnaround time	Same business day to 3 business days

Read review

For frequent borrowers

Vola Finance

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• Overview
• Pros & Cons
• More Details

Unlike Earnin, Vola Finance requires you to have a paid membership to qualify for an advance. While not the most expensive membership option out there — Vola's basic tier starts at $4.99 — it may be expensive if you don't need frequent help. However, Vola is more than just a pay advance app. It monitors your finances and helps you avoid overdraft fees. And you won't need to work regular hours, either. As long as you maintain an average account balance over $150, you may qualify for an advance.

Pros

• Tools to manage finances
• No regular work hours required
• Notifications for low account balance

Cons

• Membership tiers aren't transparent
• Minimum $150 average balance required
• Lower maximum advance

Loan amount	Up to $300
Interest rate type	Fixed
Loan Term	Varies
Turnaround time	As early as same business day

Loan amount	Up to $300
Turnaround time	As early as same business day

Read review

For keeping track of finances

MoneyLion Instacash advances

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• Overview
• Pros & Cons
• More Details

MoneyLion is an all-around personal finance app that also happens to also offer small-dollar loans. It goes far beyond Earnin, offering a no-fee checking account, 0% APR cash advances, credit monitoring and even credit-builder loans of up to $500 starting at 5.99% APR. But to access its an Instacash Advance, cashback rewards and weekly credit score updates, you must be a Plus member. This comes with a $2.99 monthly fee, plus a $50 deposit into an investment account.

Pros

• Multiple financing options
• No interest
• Easily track financial health

Cons

• Requires MoneyLion checking account
• Must sign up for Credit Builder Plus account
• Advances limited to $250 per pay period

Loan amount	Up to $250
Interest rate type	Fixed
Loan Term	Varies
Turnaround time	As early as same business day

Loan amount	Up to $250
Turnaround time	As early as same business day

Read review

For zero-interest cash advances

Even

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• Overview
• Pros & Cons
• More Details

Even is a budgeting app that also offers a free advance on wages you've already earned through its Instapay feature. On top of this, Even helps you stick to a budget by alerting you about upcoming bills and how much you need for them. There is a monthly $2.99 fee to access its basic budgeting and saving tools. To become a Plus member and access Instapay, you must work for an employer that offers it as a benefit. But, like Earnin, advances are limited to the hours you've already worked.

Pros

• Instant funding available through Walmart
• Helps you stay on top of bills

Cons

• Available through select employers
• Plus membership required
• Advance limited to wages you've already earned

Loan amount	Up to 50% of earned wages
Interest rate type	Fixed
Loan Term	Varies
Turnaround time	Same business day to 1 business days

Loan amount	Up to 50% of earned wages
Turnaround time	Same business day to 1 business days

Read review

Employer-sponsored pay-advance apps

Some companies have started to offer employees an option to withdraw from the wages they’ve already earned before their paycheck is due. Typically, employers offer this as a benefit by signing on as a partner with an app that charges a monthly membership fee for its services. Some companies cover this fee, while others pass it on to their employees.

Pay-advance apps are more common for hourly employees in industries like retail and fast food, especially at big chains like Walmart and McDonald’s. Some companies that employ a lot of employees who rely on short-term loans have started to offer these advances as a benefit to attract more potential job applicants.

PayActiv

Calling itself a holistic financial wellness platform, PayActiv offers instant access to up to 50% of your earned wages with no interest to cover an emergency expense. You can also use the app to pay your bills, send money between bank accounts, set up savings goals and even score discounts on some prescription drugs. Rather than a monthly membership fee, it charges a one-time fee of $0 to $5 each time you use its pay-advance service.

PayActiv currently partners with businesses in:

DailyPay

Employers can offer DailyPay as an HR tech benefit to give employees access to their pay as it’s earned. Each hour you work is added to your advance credit, which you can draw from for a small fee, typically $2.99 for instant funding or $1.25 for next-day funding. When payday rolls around, DailyPay automatically deducts your advance from your bank account.

It currently partners with companies in the following industries:

FlexWage

The FlexWage app gives you access to your earned wages by directly deducting them from your employer’s bank account for a $5 transfer fee. That way, you won’t have to make any repayments and there’s no interest charge. On top of this, FlexWage also issues a payroll card attached to a checking account that your employer can use to directly deposit your paycheck for faster access to your wages.

Unlike many other pay apps, FlexWage is tight-lipped about the businesses it partners with. Employers can find out if it’s a good fit for their business by reaching out to its sales team through an online form.

Compare our picks for the best payday loans and alternatives to explore more options.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to questions you might have when you’re looking for an alternative to Earnin.

Can a pay advance improve my credit score?

Probably not. A pay advance technically doesn’t count as a loan, so the app you use won’t report on-time payments to the credit bureaus. If you’re interested in building your credit score, you might want to look into the MoneyLion app’s credit-builder loans.

Do I need to have good credit to qualify?

Generally, no. In fact, many of these apps don’t check your credit rating at all, instead looking at your past few paychecks.

I don’t get paid through direct deposit. Are there any pay-advance apps I can use?

You’ll likely have more luck with an employer-sponsored app. Ask your HR department if it offers pay-advance benefits. If not, you might want to suggest that your company partner with one — there’s a chance other employees could benefit too.