What if you could access a portion of your paycheck before payday? That could help you stay on top of your bills. But the traditional ways to access your paycheck early are burdened with extensive fees that can make it difficult to get ahead.
Luckily, Earnin offers you the opportunity to get early access to a portion of your paycheck without a high-interest payday loan attached.
Related: Check out our guide to the best cash advance apps.
What Is Earnin?
The new fintech is disrupting the industry by helping underserved Americans access the tools they need to get ahead financially.
With Earnin, you can access a portion of your paycheck ahead of time. Depending on your paycheck, you can get an advance of up to $100. You’ll pay Earnin back once you receive your paycheck. The ability to tap into a modest advance can help you avoid bank fees that can really cut into your budget over time.
And the best part is that Earnin is making these tools available for free. Although there is an optional tipping feature, you don’t have to give a tip if you cannot afford it.
Other Apps Like Earnin
If you are looking for a way to gain access to some of your paycheck earn, Earnin is not the only option. Here are some other options to consider.
Albert
Albert is an all-in-one personal finance assistant that can help you with banking, saving, and investing. Plus, Albert can provide cash advances based on your paycheck.
If you have a W-2 job, Albert can provide advances of up to $250. But you may not need the advance because Albert can help you access your direct deposit up to two days early.
Want to learn more about Albert? Read on in our full review.
Brigit
Brigit is another personal finance app that offers cash advances. Through the Plus plan, you can access cash advances of up to $250. However, you’ll have to pay a monthly membership fee of $9.99 to unlock this privilege.
In addition to cash advances, Brigit offers overdraft protection, credit report monitoring, up to $1 million in identity theft protection, and credit builder loans.
Ready to find out more about Brigit? Here’s our full review.
Chime
Chime is a fintech that offers banking services through its partner, The Bankcorp Bank or Stride Bank N.A.
What sets Chime apart from the crowd of banks that want to hold your money is that it prides itself on a minimal fee structure. You won’t run into maintenance fees, overdraft fees, foreign transaction fees, or returned check fees. But you will have to pay $2.50 for out-of-network withdrawals.
Chime doesn’t offer a cash advance option. But this lack of fees could be just the banking experience you’ve been looking for. Plus, Chime can help you gain access to your paycheck up to two days early.
You can learn more about what Chime has to offer in this review.
Dave
Dave is a banking app with a $1 monthly membership fee.
As a member, you may qualify for interest-free cash advances of up to $250. Although you will have to pay a $4.99 express fee if you want the funds within 8 hours, this is still a very low-cost way to get access to the funds you need.
Beyond the cash advance opportunity, Dave offers a checking account that automatically builds credit by reporting on-time rent payments.
Empower
Empower is a personal finance app designed to help you take control of your money.
After connecting a checking account, you may be able to tap into cash advances between $25 to $250. You won’t have to deal with any fees or interest charges to work with Empower.
Additionally, Empower offers an AutoSave feature and a debit card that offers up to 10% cash back on some purchases.
Want to learn more about Empower? Take a look at our full review.
MoneyLion
MoneyLion was built to provide the right financial tools to the customers that need them most. With that, there are minimal fees attached to these helpful financial tools.
One of those helpful tools is MoneyLion’s Instacash Advances. Although your limit will start at just $25, that can rise to up to $250 based on your paycheck. The advance is fee-free unless you choose to pay a $3.99 fee for instant delivery.
When working with MoneyLion, you can take advantage of its automatic investment options and credit builder loans. Here’s a closer look at all of the features MoneyLion has to offer.
Varo
Varo Bank NA, Member FDIC, offers modern banking solutions. The online-only bank offers both a Bank and Savings Accounts with no monthly fees attached. If you run into a cash crunch, you may instantly qualify to receive a cash advance of up to $100.
The downside to the cash advance is that there are fees involved. You’ll pay $5 for a $100 cash advance, $4 for a $75 cash advance, and $3 for a $50 cash advance. But you won’t have to pay any fees for a $20 cash advance.
Varo also offers relatively high APYs that make opening an account even more attractive. Learn more about Varo in our full review.
Vola
Vola is a financial platform that offers cash advances of up to $300. Plus, overdraft fee protection helps keep your budget safe from unwanted bank fees.
You’ll have to pay a monthly fee of $2.99 to $28.99 to use Vola. But using a Vola debit card will help keep your monthly fee on the lower end.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are plenty of apps like Earnin available. Whether you want to get paid early, tap into an interest-free advance, or otherwise maximize your paycheck, there is an app out there for you. With the right option, you could improve your financial picture over time.
Which one of these Earnin alternatives will you use?
Robert Farrington is America’s Millennial Money Expert® and America’s Student Loan Debt Expert™, and the founder of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials escape student loan debt to start investing and building wealth for the future. You can learn more about him on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.
He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared toward anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future.
He has been quoted in major publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, Today, and more. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.