May 22, 2026

14 Apps Like Empower: Best Cash Advance Apps To Consider

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Have you ever been strapped for cash before payday? If so, you might’ve used or heard of Empower.

Empower, now called Tilt, is a cash advance app that offers up to $400 in paycheck advances and credit lines up to $1,000. There’s no credit check, interest or late fees for cash advances, but lines of credit have annual percentage rates (APRs) up to 35.99%. Using the app also requires an $8 monthly subscription fee after the trial period.

If you’re comparing apps like Empower, here are 14 alternatives to consider.


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  • Empower, now called Tilt, is one of many cash advance apps that can bridge the gap before payday. Alternatives range from advances under $100 to up to $1,000, so the best fit depends on how much you need and how fast.

  • Most cash advance apps charge no interest, but fees can still add up. Monthly subscriptions, instant transfer fees and optional tips vary widely, so it pays to compare the true cost before signing up.

  • Employer-based apps like Branch, DailyPay and Payactiv provide access to wages you have already earned. Availability depends on whether your employer participates in the program.

  • The fastest funding options almost always come with a fee. Most apps offer free transfers within one to three business days, while same-day or instant access typically requires an express fee.

Summary generated by AI, verified by MoneyLion editors


App

Max Advance

Funding Speed

Best For

Albert

Up to $1,000

Immediate with Albert Instant

Banking and budgeting features

Branch

Up to 50% of earned wages

Immediate with Branch Wallet

Employer-based earned wage access (EWA)

Brigit

Up to $500

Same day

Small emergencies and credit monitoring

Cleo

Up to $250

Instant or 3 to 4 business days

Budget coaching and smaller advances

DailyPay

Percentage of earned wages

Within hours

On-demand EWA

Dave

Up to $500

Within minutes

Budgeting tools and side gig recommendations

EarnIn

Up to $1,000

Instant or 1 to 3 business days

Higher paycheck advances

FloatMe

Up to $100

Hours or 1 to 3 business days

Very small emergency advances

Klover

Up to $750

Minutes to hours

Users avoiding monthly subscription fees

MoneyLion

Up to $500

Minutes to 5 business days

Larger advances without mandatory subscription

OnePay@Work

Up to 50% of paycheck

Seconds to 1 business day

Payroll-integrated wage access

Payactiv

Up to 50% of paycheck

Instant or 1 to 3 business days

Employer-sponsored wage access

Possible

Up to $300

Within minutes

Flexible repayment options

Varo

Up to $500

Same day

Existing Varo banking customers

  • Advance amounts: Up to $1,000 with Albert Instant

  • Fees: No interest, no late fees, no subscription required

  • Funding time: Can be immediate

  • Repayment options: 6 days after requesting an advance

Albert offers its members instant cash advances ranging from $25 to $1,000. There’s no credit check, late fees or interest.

Pros

Cons

Potentially large cash advance amounts

Most members won’t qualify for the maximum amount

Banking, budgeting, bill tracking, saving, investing and identity theft protection features

Linked bank account and Albert Cash account required

  • Advance amounts: Up to 50% of your upcoming paycheck

  • Fees: No interest, $2.99 to $4.99 to transfer to card from Branch wallet

  • Funding time: Immediate with Branch Wallet

  • Repayment options: Deducted from your paycheck

Branch is an employer-dependent app, so it works a little differently from most cash advance apps. It still gets you early access to your paycheck, though.

It also comes with personalized spending insights and other features like digital accounts and debit cards.

Pros

Cons

Option to borrow large amounts

Employer support required

Access to features like spending insights, free financial wellness tools, online accounts and bill pay

  • Advance amounts: Up to $500

  • Fees: No late fees, monthly subscription fee of $8.99 to $15.99

  • Funding time: Same-day

  • Repayment options: Next payday or scheduled deposit

Brigit makes it easy to sign up and request a cash advance — all within minutes. There aren’t any hidden fees or credit check requirements.

Plus, the app provides financial insights into your spending habits to help you budget better. And if that’s not enough, it’ll help you find side gigs to boost your income.

Pros

Cons

Tools to help you build credit

Monthly subscription fee

Built-in credit and identity theft protection

Linked checking account required

  • Advance amounts: Up to $250

  • Fees: $3.99 to $14.99 optional express fee, optional membership fee

  • Funding time: Instant with a fee, 3 to 4 business days for free

  • Repayment options: Automatically deducted from linked card or bank account

Cleo offers small cash advances to people who need them. There’s no credit check or interest.

Cleo also offers an array of other free features, including budgeting and credit scoring support. You can even round up purchases to get you closer to your savings goals.

Pros

Cons

Option to extend repayment

Small cash advance amounts

Budgeting, credit scoring and savings features available

  • Advance amounts: Percentage of earned wages

  • Fees: Vary by employer

  • Funding time: Usually in a few hours

  • Repayment options: Deducted from upcoming paychecks

With DailyPay, users get on-demand access to earned income ahead of their upcoming paycheck. Unlike some apps, this one doesn’t necessarily require employer support. Freelancers and independent contractors can use it, too.

Pros

Cons

Additional features like personalized savings goal support, expert coaching, 24/7 support and real-time credit score monitoring

Earned wage amounts unclear

Potentially waivable fees

Fees lack transparency

  • Advance amounts: Up to $500

  • Fees: $5 monthly subscription fee plus a 1.5% fee for external account transfers

  • Funding time: Within minutes with express fee

  • Repayment options: Automatic with next paycheck

If you’ve been looking into cash advance apps, chances are you’ve come across Dave. With Dave, you can access up to $500 interest-free.

Perhaps equally useful is that Dave comes with built-in budgeting tools and recs for side gigs. You’ll need to pay a $5 monthly subscription fee.

Pros

Cons

Extra budgeting features

Subscription required

Mobile-friendly app

Requires linked bank account

Helps find side hustles to boost income

👉 Find Other Apps Like Dave

  • Advance amounts: Up to $1,000 per pay period or up to $150 per day

  • Fees: Optional tips, $3.99 expedited transfer fee

  • Funding time: Instant with expedited fee, 1 to 3 business days for free

  • Repayment options: Automatically deducted from next paycheck

EarnIn lets you access up to $1,000 per pay period with no mandatory interest, fees or credit checks. Funding is available within a couple of business days for free, but you can also pay a small fee for immediate access.

EarnIn doesn’t just offer cash advances — though that’s a definite highlight. It also comes with built-in budgeting tools, credit monitoring and other features.

Pros

Cons

Access up to $1,000 per paycheck

Must have an active bank account and earn at least $320 per pay period

Credit monitoring, budgeting and savings features available

Most new users can only access around $85 per day

👉 See More: Apps Like EarnIn

  • Advance amounts: Up to $100

  • Fees: $4.99 monthly fee, $1 to $7 instant transfer fee

  • Funding time: Same day for a fee or up to 3 business days for free

  • Repayment options: Automatically deducted on next payday

FloatMe is another hassle-free cash advance app geared toward small, emergency expenses. Unlike some apps, it doesn’t require tips. There is, however, a small monthly fee for using the app.

Pros

Cons

Easy-to-use app

Small cash advance amounts

No tipping required

Limited financial features

  • Advance amounts: Up to $750

  • Fees: No interest, no monthly charge, optional expedited fees

  • Funding time: Within minutes or hours

  • Repayment options: Automatically taken from next paycheck

Unlike some cash advance apps, Klover doesn’t charge a monthly subscription fee. Instead, you can access cash faster by watching ads, completing surveys or linking your bank account.

It’s a no-frills app that gets you what you need when you need it. No credit check is required.

Pros

Cons

Immediate access to cash

Limited features

No monthly or mandatory fees

Faster access to cash requires spending time (like by watching ads)

  • Advance amounts: Up to $500

  • Fees: No interest, no mandatory fees*

  • Funding time: Within minutes for a fee or 1 to 5 business days for free

  • Repayment options: Automatic repayment

MoneyLion’s Instacash® lets eligible users access up to $500. The money’s available when you need it, so you can rest a little easier knowing you’re covered in case of an emergency.

Pros

Cons

Access up to $500 within minutes

Fast delivery carries a fee

No interest or mandatory fees

Need a qualified linked bank account

No credit check required

  • Advance amounts: Up to 50% in earned wage access

  • Fees: No interest, instant delivery fees for some members

  • Funding time: Within seconds or 1 business day

  • Repayment options: Automatically deducted from future paychecks

OnePay@Work (formerly Even) is another employer-dependent app. With it, you can access earned wages before payday. There’s no credit check or interest involved.

If you’re looking to boost your savings, you could also open a ONE@Work Save account.

Pros

Cons

Instant funds available

Only available through some employers

Offers additional features like earnings tracking and automated savings

Fee structure not transparent

  • Advance amounts: Up to 50% in earned wage access

  • Fees: No interest, no fees for most employers

  • Funding time: Instant with Payactiv card, 1 to 3 business days for external accounts

  • Repayment options: Automatically deducted from upcoming paycheck

Payactiv offers on-demand EWA. This means you can request a certain percentage of the money you’ve already earned (but haven’t received) before your next payday.

You don’t have to worry about interest or hidden fees. There’s not even a credit check required.

Pros

Cons

Access up to 50% of your earned wages

EWA limits vary by employer

Payroll compliant in all 50 states

Only available through participating employers

  • Advance amounts: Up to $300 for members, up to $100 for non-members

  • Fees: Free instant transfers for members, optional membership fee

  • Funding time: Within minutes

  • Repayment options: One-time repayment or four flexible installments

Possible Advance lets you access instant cash ahead of your next paycheck. There’s no credit check and no security deposit. You can check your eligibility for free online.

Pros

Cons

Repayment options

Limited cash advance maximums for non-members

No hidden fees, interest or tips

Linked bank account required

  • Advance amounts: Up to $500

  • Fees: No late fees, no interest, flat fee per advance of $1.60 to $50

  • Funding time: Same day

  • Repayment options: Automatically after 30 days

Varo lets you borrow money instantly as long as you have a linked qualifying account. Simply sign up and request the money you need. There are no late or credit check requirements.

Over time and with direct deposit, your limit can increase to $500.

Pros

Cons

Option to increase cash advance amount

Relatively small cash advance amounts

Personal lines of credit available

Per cash advance fee

Empower certainly has its perks, but it's not the only way to access extra cash when you need it. Choosing the right one ultimately comes down to what you need. Ask yourself how quickly you need the money and whether the fees — if any — are worth it.

There are many apps like Empower — EarnIn, MoneyLion and Dave are a few.

Brigit and Cleo let you access smaller amounts of funds fast. MoneyLion lets you borrow up to $500 within minutes for a fee.

EarnIn and Albert both get you access to up to $1,000 within minutes (with a fee) if you're eligible. Before taking out that much money, make sure you’ve got a plan. After all, even if there aren’t any hidden fees or interest charges, you’ll still need to repay your balance.


  • Cash advance app: A mobile application that provides short-term access to funds before your next payday. Most require a linked bank account and repay automatically when your paycheck clears.

  • EWA: A financial tool that lets workers access a portion of wages they have already earned before their scheduled payday. It is not a loan and typically carries no interest, though some providers charge a fee.

  • Subscription fee: A recurring monthly charge some cash advance apps require for access to their services. Fees vary widely across apps and can offset the value of interest-free advances if not factored into the total cost.

  • Instant transfer fee: A one-time charge for receiving advance funds within minutes rather than waiting for a standard bank transfer. Standard delivery is usually free but takes one to three business days.

  • Credit line: A revolving form of credit that lets you borrow up to a set limit and repay over time. Unlike a cash advance, credit lines typically carry an APR and accrue interest on unpaid balances.

Summary generated by AI, verified by MoneyLion editors


Photo Credit: RyanJLane/ Getty Images

Data is accurate as of May 22, 2026, and is subject to change.


Angela Mae Watson
Written by
Angela Mae Watson
Expert in all things personal finance, Angela Mae is passionate about investing, retirement planning, consumer loans, real estate, and financial literacy. She comes from a journalistic background and pulls from years of experience to breathe life into her stories.
Elizabeth Constantineau, CFHC™
Edited by
Elizabeth Constantineau, CFHC™
Elizabeth is a NACCC Certified Financial Health Counselor™ with over five years of experience covering banking and personal finance. She previously interned at Penn State University Press, where she worked on historical non-fiction manuscripts, and later held editorial roles at a publishing house and a freelance agency, refining content across genres — including finance, crypto and market trends. With years of experience in SEO-driven content creation, she focuses on personal finance, investing and banking, crafting content that’s both informative and optimized.

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