Albert is a popular financial app that offers a variety of money management tools, including budgeting, savings, and cash advances. One of Albert's standout features is the ability to get a paycheck advance, called an Albert Advance, of between $25 and $1,000 without a credit check or interest charges. While this is a nice option for those who need quick access to funds between paychecks, you might be interested in exploring other apps. Albert requires you to have an Albert Cash account to qualify for advances, and it charges high fees to transfer funds to another bank account.
Fortunately, this isn't the only app that provides payday advances. There are several apps like Albert that will give you a paycheck advance, letting you borrow from your next paycheck, with no interest payments or credit requirements. And, like Albert, these apps don't require credit checks, impact your credit score, or charge interest. Here are some of the best alternatives we've found.
How we evaluate products
When comparing the different apps like Albert that provide small cash advances, all those we considered don't require a credit check, don't impact your credit score, and don't charge interest on cash advance amounts. We looked at factors that distinguished the apps from each other, such as:
- Subscription fees
- Timeframe for accessing funds
- Instant access fees
- Income requirements
Apps like Albert comparison
Maximum paycheck advance | Fees | |
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$750 per pay period |
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$750 |
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$2505 <p>Subject to eligibility. Amounts are based on accrued, unpaid income and range from $150- $500 for existing users, and $150- $180 for first-time users. To qualify for up to $500 you must direct deposit at least $750/month. Amounts subject to change. Same day transfers subject to express fees. See <a href="https://web.meetcleo.com/faqs">here</a> for more info.</p> |
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$3007 <p>Tilt is a financial technology company, not a bank. Tilt offers a 14-day trial for first-time customers only. Once the trial concludes, Tilt charges an auto-recurring $8/month subscription fee. If you do not wish to pay the subscription fee, you must cancel your subscription before the end of your trial. If you are a returning customer, you will be charged $8 immediately. Cancel any time by visiting "<a href="https://support.tilt.com/hc/en-us/articles/19492872887447-Which-states-are-eligible-for-Line-of-Credit">Billing</a>" in the mobile app or contacting help@tilt.com. Tilt's full suite of products and services is not available in all states. Cash Advance is not available to Connecticut, Maine, or Washington, D.C. residents. Click <a href="https://support.tilt.com/hc/en-us/articles/19492872887447-Which-states-are-eligible-for-Line-of-Credit">here</a> to see if the Tilt Line of Credit is offered in your state. Not everyone will qualify. Offers range from $10–$400 and can increase over time with positive repayment history. In June 2025, the average offer was $100 for first-time customers; $174 for all others. As of 01/2025, 75% of those who checked Cash Advance eligibility qualified. See <a href="https://tilt.com/terms/">Tilt's Terms</a> for fee details.</p> |
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EarnIn
- Maximum advance: $750 per pay period ($150 per day)
- Fees: No monthly fees, up to $5.99 for instant transfers
EarnIn offers one of the highest maximum advances available to qualified users. However, it may take a couple of pay periods before you qualify for access to borrow up to $750 per pay period. First-time users can access between $0 and $150 with a daily max of $85 on average. Your "Pay Period Max" may increase after your first couple of pay periods. Regardless of your Pay Period Max, you can't borrow more than $150 per day.
With EarnIn, you can get your paycheck advance transfer for free within 1-2 business days. Otherwise, if you need it as soon as possible, you'll need to pay a fee of up to $5.99.
- You may have access to up to $750 per pay period.
- There is no credit check required and no impact on your credit score.
- There are no mandatory fees on standard transfers or interest on advances.
- You'll need consistent pay of at least $320 per pay period.
- It takes a couple of pay periods before you're eligible for the maximum advance.
- Fees up to $5.99 are charged for expedited transfers.
Visit EarnIn | Learn more in our EarnIn review
Current
- Maximum advance: $750
- Fees: Variable fees for instant access to funds8 <p>Expedited disbursement of your Paycheck Advance is an optional feature that is subject to an Instant Access Fee and may not be available to all users. Expedited disbursements may take up to an hour. For more information, please refer to <a href="https://cdn.current.com/agreements/paycheck_advance_terms_11_25_2024.pdf">Paycheck Advance Terms and Conditions</a>.</p>
What's nice about Current's paycheck advance service is that you don't necessarily have to open a Current account to use it. It can also work with third-party financial institutions. However, you will need to receive at least $500 in eligible payroll deposits in either your Current account or outside account to be eligible for a paycheck advance.
Current offers other financial tools designed to help you build your credit, including a savings account and fee-free overdraft protection up to $200.9 <p>Actual overdraft amount may vary and is subject to change at any time, at Current’s sole discretion. In order to qualify and enroll in the Fee-Free Overdraft feature, you must receive $500 or more in Qualifying Deposits into your Current Account over the preceding 30-day period. For more information, please refer to <a href="https://current.com/overdraft_protection_terms_of_service/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fee-free Overdraft Terms and Conditions</a>. Individual Current Accounts only.</p> Plus, you can get your paycheck up to two days early when you set up direct deposit.
- Current doesn't require a subscription.
- Advances sent in 3 business days are free.
- Current offers flexible repayment terms.
- Borrowers will be charged a fee for instant access to funds.
- Current requires you to have recurring deposits of at least $500 to access the maximum advance amount.
- It's not available in Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, or the District of Columbia (D.C.).
Visit Current | Learn more in our Current review
Cleo
- Maximum advance: $250
- Fees: $5.99 monthly Cleo Plus subscription
Most of the best cash advance apps available require you to have a job that pays you a consistent income so you are getting a regular paycheck. However, freelancers and gig workers like myself don't necessarily get a paycheck every two weeks. For us, Cleo is a great option for paycheck advances because it doesn't require minimum recurring deposits or proof of employment to qualify.
While Cleo is a free app, the easiest way to access its advance service is to subscribe to Cleo Plus ($5.99 per month) or Cleo Builder ($14.99 per month).
With Cleo Plus, you can get a pay advance for up to $250, but first-time users are limited to borrowing between $20-$100.
- You get to select the repayment date.
- You can get funds in 3-4 days for free.
- You don't need to have regular paychecks.
- There's a fee for getting an advance instantly.10 <p>An Express fee of $3.99 is charged if you want to receive funds within 24 hours.</p>
Visit Cleo | Learn more in our Cleo review
Tilt (formerly Empower)
- Maximum advance: $400
- Fees: $8 monthly membership fee
Tilt is a financial app that provides a line of credit and paycheck advance services. For a monthly membership fee of $8, you can get an advance of up to $400 delivered to your account within minutes (when the app was still Empower, the limit was $300). For instant transfers, you'll pay a fee between $1 and $8 or 3% of the advance amount. If you don't want to pay a fee, you may still get a paycheck advance faster with Tilt, because the platform deposits most advances in up to one business day.
There is no credit check required for the advance service. New users qualify for advances of around $100, on average, and Tilt may increase this amount if you're diligent about repaying your advances.
Tilt also provides financial tools for automatic savings and credit score monitoring that may help you stay on top of your finances.
- Tilt has no interest charges or late fees.
- It also has no credit check requirements.
- The app costs $8 per month and requires a subscription for paycheck advances.
- Paycheck advances aren't available in Connecticut, Maine, or the District of Columbia (D.C.).
Visit Tilt | Learn more in our Tilt review
Tips for using payday advance apps
Payday advance apps that enable you to access cash when you need it without paying interest and fees or impacting your credit are a great alternative to predatory payday loans of the past. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't read the fine print so you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. Here are a few tips for using paycheck advance apps wisely.
- Read the terms carefully: Ensure you understand the repayment deadlines, possible fees, and requirements.
- Borrow only what you need: Remember, these cash advances are here to help you get through to the next payday. You don't want to borrow more than what your paycheck will cover.
- Choose reputable apps: Research user reviews to get a better idea of how the app operates to help you avoid scams or predatory lending.
- Monitor your bank account: Keep track of your cash advance transfers and repayments to ensure you can cover the payments and still have money in your bank.
How to borrow money from Albert
If you're not sold on any of these apps like Albert being right for you, and you just want to know how you would take out a paycheck advance with Albert, follow these steps.
Note: You don't need an Albert subscription to request an Instant Advance (although this used to be the case). However, you do need an Albert Cash account with automatic transfers (Smart money) enabled to qualify. If you don't have one of those, you'll need to open one first.
- If you haven't already, enable "Instant" in the Albert app and link a bank account, which Albert will analyze to determine whether you qualify for an advance and, if so, for how much.
- Go to the "Instant" dashboard in the app to request an advance. The app will give you a few options for the advance amount.
- Choose the amount you want to advance from your next paycheck and follow the prompts to confirm.
You can either receive your paycheck advance directly to your Albert Cash account for free or pay between $5.99 and $19.99 to transfer it to an external account.
You'll have to request an Instant Advance each time you want one, and your limit may change at Albert's discretion.
FAQs
What app lets you borrow money instantly?
All the cash advance apps we've reviewed here provide the option of letting you borrow money instantly, but most of them charge a fee for expedited transfers. If you don't want to pay a fee, some paycheck advance apps are faster than others. Tilt, for example, processes most deposits within one business day, compared to the three or four days that are standard with other apps.
What's better, Albert or Tilt (formerly Empower)?
When it comes to paycheck advance services, the apps Albert and Tilt, which used to be called Empower, differ in many ways. Albert costs a good deal more at $14.99 per month, while Tilt costs $8 per month, but you aren't required to subscribe to Albert to use Instant Advance and can opt out of Tilt's fee, too. You can access up to $1,000 with Albert or up to $400 with Tilt.
Another place where Albert and Tilt differ is in their customer reviews. On Trustpilot, Albert has an excellent 4.5 rating with its customers. On the other hand, former Empower customers give the app a rating of 1.6. So, judging primarily by the customer reviews, Albert is the better app.
Neither app requires a credit check or charges interest, and both offer financial tools for budgeting, savings, and more.
Bottom line
When it comes to paycheck advances, apps like EarnIn, Current, Cleo, and Tilt offer convenient alternatives to the Albert financial app. Many of these options offer advances that are very similar to Albert's.
While cash advance services can be helpful in managing short-term gaps in your finances, it's important to use them responsibly — borrow only what you need and keep track of repayment terms. If used wisely, these paycheck advance apps can provide a valuable financial cushion without the high costs and predatory nature of traditional payday loans.