The $1/month membership is the cheapest ticket in the category, and ExtraCash matches Cleo's $500 ceiling. You give up credit building and real budgeting — Dave is an advance app, full stop.
Cleo vs Dave — full comparison →Free delivery in 1–2 days and ~$1–$8 instant transfers make Empower the fastest cheap mover. Its Thrive credit line is a real (if small) credit tool.
Cleo vs Empower — full comparison →Brigit can fire an advance automatically before you overdraft — the best safety net on this list. Limits stop at $250 and entry starts at $8.99.
Cleo vs Brigit — full comparison →No subscription at all: EarnIn fronts wages you've already earned for optional tips. It needs verifiable employer hours, which locks out most gig workers.
Cleo vs EarnIn — full comparison →Instacash up to $500 with a free base tier, plus banking, investing, and a credit-builder loan — if you can tolerate the upsell-heavy interface.
Cleo vs MoneyLion — full comparison →Albert bundles human 'Genius' advice and auto-investing with $250 advances. It's a wealth app that lends, more than a lender.
Cleo vs Albert — full comparison →Klover trades data and attention for advances up to ~$200 with a $0 base cost. Cheap in dollars, expensive in privacy.
Cleo vs Klover — full comparison →Rankings reflect our editorial assessment for the typical borrower; competitor terms are publicly listed figures as of July 2026 and may change. We are powered by Cleo — comparisons aim to be factual and are labeled where opinion applies.
All Apps at a Glance
| App | Max advance | Monthly cost | Credit building |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleo | $20–$500 | $5.99–$14.99 | Secured Visa from $1 |
| Dave | Up to $500 | $1 membership | None |
| Empower | Up to $400 | $8 flat | Thrive credit line |
| Brigit | $50–$250 | $8.99–$14.99 | Builder loan |
| EarnIn | $150/day · $750/period | $0 + tips | None |
| MoneyLion | Up to $500 | $0 base · CB+ $19.99 | CB+ loan |
| Albert | Up to $250 | ~$11.99–$14.99 | None |
| Klover | Up to ~$200 | Free · K+ $3.99 | None |
When Cleo Is Still the Right Answer
Every app above beats Cleo at one thing — price, speed, or automation. None of them beats it at the combination: up to $500 at 0% interest, a secured card from a $1 deposit reporting to all three bureaus, and budgeting people actually enjoy. If you'd use two or more of those, the subscription usually pays for itself. The full case is in our Cleo App review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dave is the closest overall substitute — same $500 ceiling at a lower $1/month cost. But it drops credit building and serious budgeting, which are Cleo's core value.
EarnIn (tips-based) and Klover (data-supported) have $0 base costs. Both trade something for it: EarnIn requires W-2 employment verification; Klover monetizes your data and caps around $200.
Empower (Thrive line), Brigit (builder loan), and MoneyLion (Credit Builder Plus) all offer credit products. Cleo remains the only one with a $1-deposit secured Visa.
Yes, and many people do. Just track repayment dates — multiple advances hitting one paycheck defeats the purpose.
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