FloatMe is a cash advance app that “floats” you up to $50 between paydays. It also has overdraft protection alerts to help you avoid overdrawing on linked accounts. But its low $50 limit — paired with its $1.99 monthly fee and $4 instant delivery fee — means you could end up paying a lot of money for very little funding. And when you first sign up, you’re likely only eligible for $10 to $30.
Many other apps offer cash advances and short-term installment loans — and many don’t charge interest or late fees or require monthly membership fees. Most also offer much larger advance amounts than FloatMe.
7 alternatives for apps like FloatMe
Alternative for overdraft feature: Chime SpotMe
If you like FloatMe's overdraft alerts, then Chime SpotMe could be right for you. Chime will 'spot' you up to $200 when you overdraft on your Chime Checking account — cash withdrawals included. Plus, unlike FloatMe, there are no monthly fees: only the option to leave a tip. But if you were looking for an advance on your paycheck, then Chime SpotMe may not be the feature for you.
To qualify, you need a Chime checking account that you've deposited at least $200 into over 34 days. While those are the only eligibility requirements, your Chime SpotMe amount may not offer the maximum $200 amount immediately — your SpotMe amount starts at $20 and may increase with regular deposits and timely repayments.
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
- Automatic overdraft feature
- No fees or tip requirement
- Clear and simple eligibility requirements
Cons
- Not a true paycheck advance
- Advances start at $20 for new users
| Loan amount | Up to $200 |
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| Loan Term | Next deposit |
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| Turnaround time | Same day |
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| Loan amount | $20 - $200 |
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| Turnaround time | Same day |
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Alternative for freelancers: Cleo
If you're a freelancer or gig worker with varying paychecks, Cleo has your back. With Cleo, you can get cash advances up to $250 to tide you over and prevent overdrafts. What makes it good for freelancers is that Cleo doesn't have a minimum income requirement. As long as you have consistent income, you could qualify for cash advances.
Cleo cash advance amounts start at $20 to $70, but that could increase to $250 over time. Cleo also packs features to help you budget and track your spending and bills better. Cash advances are available on the Cleo app through its paid plan which costs $5.99 a month. If you need a same-day transfer, it's an additional $3.99.
Pros
- No payslips or W-2 forms required
- No credit checks or interest charged
- Free AI financial planner, bill tracker and low balance alerts
Cons
- Monthly fee to access cash advances
- Borrowing amounts are limited initially
- Mixed customer reviews
| Loan amount | Up to $250 |
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| Loan Term | Varies |
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| Turnaround time | 3 to 4 days standard transfer. Same day with $3.99 express fee. |
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| Loan amount | $20 - $250 |
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| Turnaround time | 3 to 4 days standard transfer. Same day with $3.99 express fee. |
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Alternative for no membership fees: Albert
You don't need to sign up for Albert's paid membership plan to access cash advances up to $250. There's also no interest or finance fees tied to the advance — and no late and inactivity fees. Where most cash advance apps only allow one cash advance per pay period, Albert might qualify you for multiple advances per pay period after establishing a positive repayment history.
The majority of Albert's features are available with its free membership plan, except for an investment service. The paid plan, Genius, costs $14.99 per month or $96 per year. When you sign up with Albert, it automatically enrolls you in a free trial of the paid plan. Be sure to cancel it before the trial is over, or your account will be automatically charged the yearly membership fee. Albert has a lot of negative reviews, but most contain complaints around the inconvenience of the required sign up of the Genius free trial.
Pros
- No membership fee required
- Allows multiple advances per pay period
- Most app features free to access
- No interest, late fees or tip requirement
Cons
- Auto-enrolled in paid membership
- Most reviews are negative
| Loan amount | Up to $250 |
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| Loan Term | N/A |
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| Turnaround time | 2–3 business days or instant for a fee |
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| Loan amount | $25 - $250 |
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| Turnaround time | 2–3 business days or instant for a fee |
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Alternative for repayment extensions: Brigit
If funds are a little tight and you need a flexible repayment schedule for cash advances, Brigit might be worth considering. It offers cash advances and the option to extend your due date up to three times — FloatMe has no due date extensions. Brigit also has no required tip amounts, interest charges or other fees. Instant delivery is also available for a small fee.
But Brigit isn't free. You'll need to sign up for a $8.99 monthly membership fee. But it doesn't just give you access to advances — it also features overdraft protection, similar to FloatMe, altering you when you're at risk of overdrafting. Brigit also offers identity theft protection and budgeting tools. However, the $8.99 monthly fee may be too steep for the advances.
Pros
- Option to extend due date
- Overdraft protection
- No required tip or interest charges
Cons
- High $8.99 monthly fee
- Requires paid membership to get advances
| Loan amount | Up to $250 |
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| Loan Term | Varies |
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| Turnaround time | 1 to 3 business days or instantly with a fee |
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| Loan amount | $50 - $250 |
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| Turnaround time | 1 to 3 business days or instantly with a fee |
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Alternative for all-in-one banking: Cash App
Cash App has nearly any mobile app feature you'll likely need — including a new Borrow feature allowing some users to take out small loans up to $200. Other features include its infamous peer-to-peer payment system allowing you to send money to friends and family, early paycheck access, investing features, a Visa card connected to your Cash App balance and much more.
While there are no membership fees to use the features, the small loans come with a 5% monthly fee, which is equivalent to a 60% APR. Unlike most other apps on this list, there are late fees of 1.25% charged per week after the one-week grace period. And to boot, the Borrow feature isn't available to everyone just yet. The app states the feature isn't available to all residents, and you must have an activated Cash Card, frequent app usage and a good credit history.
Pros
- Peer-to-peer payments
- Free Visa card connected to app balance
- Investing features
- No membership fees
Cons
- Borrow feature not widely available
- Late fees and monthly fee on loans
| Loan amount | $20 to $200 |
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| Loan Term | Varies |
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| Turnaround time | Same day |
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| Loan amount | $20 - $200 |
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| Turnaround time | Same day |
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Alternative for larger cash advances: MoneyLion
MoneyLion Instacash advances
MoneyLion has significantly higher advance amounts than FloatMe, offering up to $500 if you're in the free membership. There's no paid membership required to access MoneyLion's advances, whereas FloatMe requires a $1 monthly fee.
But if you have the dough, the $1 monthly membership called RoarMoney can offer larger advances over time, up to $700. And if you sign up for its credit builder account, you can get an advance of up to $1,000 — in addition to a $1,000 credit builder loan. Similar to FloatMe and other cash apps, MoneyLion requires you to have direct deposit and regular repayments to be eligible for higher advance amounts. But unlike FloatMe, MoneyLion offers several features outside of cash advances, like an investment account and budgeting tools. But that $19.99 membership fee is a little steep.
- Available in: Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Pros
- Large advances
- No paid membership required
- No interest charges
- Paid memberships with extra perks available
Cons
- Pricey $19.99 monthly fee to access highest advances
- May take a few weeks to be eligible for large advances
| Loan amount | Up to $500 or $1,000 with RoarMoney account |
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| Loan Term | Due by your next pay date |
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| Turnaround time | Up to 5 days or instant for a fee of $0.49 to $8.99 |
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| Loan amount | $50 - $500 |
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| Turnaround time | Up to 5 days or instant for a fee of $0.49 to $8.99 |
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Alternative for quick installment loans: Possible Finance
Possible Finance Mobile Installment Loans
It's another app, but it's not like FloatMe or other cash advance apps. Possible Finance is a mobile app that offers short-term installment loans. And unlike most other cash advances apps, it doesn't require you to have direct deposit with the app, there are no membership fees and its loans aren't payday advances.
Possible Finance offers same-day turnaround time if you have a Visa debit card, gets decent reviews, requires no credit check and repayments align with your payday. All the loans have a two-month term with four payments. Additionally, Possible reports payments to two of the three credit bureaus, a perk not available with cash advances.
However, APRs can get high. In many states, expect to be charged $15 to $20 per $100 borrowed, and APRs be up to 460%. Paycheck advances don't charge interest but require certain fees, so you'll have to compare carefully to make sure Possible is a good deal for you.
- 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-day turnaround available with Visa card
- No credit check
- No membership fees
- Clear eligibility requirements
Cons
- APRs can reach 460%
- Limited state availability
| Loan amount | $50 - $500 |
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| Interest rate type | Fixed |
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| Loan Term | 2 to 8 weeks |
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| Turnaround time | As fast as 1 business day |
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| Loan amount | $50 - $500 |
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| Turnaround time | As fast as 1 business day |
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How does FloatMe compare?
FloatMe is great for those times when you want to avoid overdraft fees. While there are many apps without a membership fee, its monthly fee is less than others, costing only $1.99 a month.
That said, its $50 maximum isn’t enough to cover most basic emergencies. And in some cases, new users may only qualify for a $10 advance at first. It offers instant delivery for $4 — lower than Albert’s $6 fee — but for advances of less than $50, that’s a little pricey.
Learn more about this app with our FloatMe cash advance review.
Pros
- Low $1.99 monthly fee
- Overdraft protection
- Instant delivery for small fee
Cons
- Instant delivery costs $4
- Low $50 maximum advance
- No due date extensions
