Best Apps Like PayActiv When You Need Money Today

Cash advance apps like Current and EarnIn can help when PayActiv is not an option at your job. PayActiv only works if your employer offers it as a benefit, while these apps connect to your own bank account and get you money before payday.

Sometimes you need money and you need it now. An advance on pay you already earned is usually a simpler fit for a short gap than a traditional loan.

If you’re strapped for time, I’ll go ahead and share the best PayActiv competitors, from the employer-sponsored pay apps to the cash advance apps you can download on your own.

What is PayActiv?

PayActiv gives workers a complete solution to access cash, pay bills, get around and prepare for the future. Avoid late fees, overdraft fees, and high-interest loans with on-demand access to the money you’ve already earned. You can get paid today and withdraw the greater of $500 or up to 50% of your earned wages. However, this is another app where your employer must offer PayActiv as a benefit.

But today we will go over PayActiv competitors.

Is there an app like PayActiv that does not need my employer?

Yes. PayActiv, FlexWage and DailyPay all depend on your employer offering them, but cash advance apps like Current and EarnIn work off your own bank account and paycheck instead. Grant and Tilt are two more I would check.

Which app like PayActiv gives the most money?

PayActiv lets you withdraw the greater of $500 or up to 50% of your earned wages. Current lists a Paycheck Advance of up to $1,000 for eligible customers, and EarnIn shows up to $200 a day and $1,000 per pay period. Grant, Tilt and MoneyLion are up to $500, and Klover says it can go as high as $750.

Do apps like PayActiv charge fees?

With the employer apps, the employer decides the fees. With the cash advance apps it depends on the app. EarnIn has no mandatory monthly fees or interest, and you choose what you want to pay. Tilt costs $8 a month after a 14-day free trial, and Cleo Plus is $5.99 a month.

Can I use more than one app at once?

You can have several installed, but every advance gets paid back from your next deposit, so stacking them leaves you short on the next paycheck. I would start with one, and add a second only if the first one does not cover what you need.

Best PayActiv Competitors to Get Paid Early

These apps help you get your paycheck early and can help you get paid today.

Try these free mobile applications available in the App Store and Google Play Store, so you can borrow cash with ease:

1. Current

Best for: Anyone who wants a PayActiv alternative and would rather not wait on an employer program.

Current advances up to $1,000 through its Paycheck Advance for eligible customers. You need at least one eligible payroll deposit of $200 or more in the last 35 days.

Direct deposit can also arrive up to 2 days early. There is no credit check to open the account, so applying doesn’t touch your credit.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv lets you withdraw the greater of $500 or up to 50% of earned wages, but only if your employer offers it. Current has no employer link at all and goes up to $1,000.

Watch out for: Your pay has to be deposited into the Current account, so this is a bank change. The advance is for eligible customers.

Read our full Current review.

2. EarnIn

Best for: People who want apps like PayActiv that work at any job and skip mandatory fees.

EarnIn lets you take up to $200 a day and up to $1,000 per pay period from pay you’ve already earned. No interest, no credit check and no mandatory fees.

Standard transfers are free. Lightning Speed delivers in minutes and starts at $3.99. You pick the tip, and zero is allowed.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv sets its limit as the greater of $500 or 50% of earned wages, through your employer. EarnIn is yours to set up, with a clear daily and pay period cap.

Watch out for: EarnIn has to verify your job, so gig or irregular income can be a harder fit.

Read our full EarnIn review.

3. Brigit

Best for: Someone who wants an app like PayActiv for $25 to $500, set up in a couple of minutes.

Brigit advances $25 to $500 with no credit check and no interest. It says it has 15M+ users, and sign-up takes about 2 minutes.

Express delivery costs $0.99 to $5.99, so check the price in the app before you confirm.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv needs your employer on board. Brigit is something you can download tonight. Its $500 ceiling matches PayActiv’s $500 floor, but PayActiv can go higher on large paychecks.

Watch out for: The faster you want the money, the more you pay. Express delivery runs $0.99 to $5.99.

Read our full Brigit review.

4. Grant

Best for: Anyone who wants a PayActiv alternative for a small gap and no credit check.

Grant advances $25 to $500 with no interest, no late fees and no credit check to apply. The average first advance is about $66.

Standard delivery is free and takes about 3 business days. Faster delivery costs extra.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv ties your limit to earned wages and your employer. Grant doesn’t need either, but the first advance is small, around $66 on average, and the free delivery is slower.

Watch out for: Grant isn’t available in every state, so check the app for yours first.

Read our full Grant review.

5. MoneyLion

Best for: People who want a PayActiv alternative that also works as a bank account.

MoneyLion offers Instacash advances of up to $500 at 0% APR once you link your checking account.

Its Spend account can get your paycheck up to two days early, and the app also bundles saving, investing and earning tools. The instant-delivery Turbo fee is 7.5%, capped at $14.99.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv is an employer benefit with a floor of $500. MoneyLion is a standalone app and account, capped at $500, that works wherever you’re employed.

Watch out for: Turbo is the paid part. Skip it if you can wait.

Read our full MoneyLion review.

6. Cleo

Best for: Someone looking for apps like PayActiv who doesn’t mind paying for a subscription.

Cleo advances up to $250 with no interest, but only through Cleo Plus at $5.99 a month. You pick a repayment date between 3 and 14 days.

The free version includes a budgeting tool, a digital wallet and a weekly quiz with chances to win cash rewards. It doesn’t include the advance. An advance won’t affect your credit score.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv can reach $500 or more through your employer. Cleo is smaller at $250 and charges $5.99 a month, but it works without any employer involvement.

Watch out for: Cleo Plus is billed whether or not you borrow that month.

Read our full Cleo review.

7. Klover

Best for: Someone who needs a bigger PayActiv alternative and has steady direct deposits.

Klover lists up to $750 for eligible users, and your first limit depends on your account. You need at least three consistent direct deposits in the past two months, with no gaps in pay from the same employer.

Klover’s advances come with no interest, no late fees and no credit check, but funding can be slower than some competitors. Its optional express fees are relatively high.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv works through your employer. Klover works off your deposit history instead, so a steady job at one employer matters more than whether HR signed up for a pay app.

Watch out for: If your income is new or irregular you may not qualify, and express delivery is the costly option.

Read our full Klover review.

8. FlexWage

Best for: Employees choosing between PayActiv and another employer-sponsored pay app.

FlexWage offers an employer-sponsored platform where you can get paid today. Access comes through a reloadable card tied to your earned wages, and you can typically get 70% to 80% of earned income with instant funding.

Your employer decides the fees.

How it compares to PayActiv: Both only work if your employer offers them. PayActiv uses the greater of $500 or 50% of earned wages, and FlexWage typically 70% to 80% of earned income, on a card.

Watch out for: The fees are set by your employer, so ask before you use it.

9. DailyPay

Best for: Employees whose employer offers DailyPay and who are comparing it with PayActiv.

DailyPay lets you work and get paid today, with access to your pay between paydays. Your employer has to sign up and offer DailyPay as a benefit.

It isn’t a cash advance app. It pays out wages you’ve already earned.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv and DailyPay are both employer benefits for earned pay. PayActiv publishes its limit, the greater of $500 or 50% of earned wages. DailyPay gives access to your earned pay.

Watch out for: If your employer hasn’t signed up for DailyPay, it’s not available to you.

10. Tilt

Best for: Anyone who wants an app like PayActiv with a no-credit-check advance up to $500.

Tilt advances up to $500 with no application, no interest, no late fees and no credit check. Repayment comes out of your next direct deposit.

You get a 14-day free trial, then it’s $8 a month. Tilt also has AutoSave, which sets money aside for you automatically.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv’s limit is the greater of $500 or 50% of earned wages, via your employer. Tilt tops out at $500 and costs $8 a month after the trial, but you don’t need your employer.

Watch out for: Tilt isn’t available in Connecticut, Maine or Washington D.C. Cancel before day 14 if you only want to try it.

Read our full Tilt review.

11. Chime SpotMe

Best for: Anyone who banks with Chime and wants a PayActiv alternative.

Chime SpotMe covers overdrafts up to $200 with no overdraft fees, so if you need to pay for something and don’t have the cash, SpotMe can cover it.

It lives inside a Chime account. Many other cash advance apps also work with Chime, which makes it a flexible base.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv gives you earned wages through your employer. SpotMe is an overdraft cushion on a Chime account, capped at $200.

Watch out for: The $200 cap is lower than most of the apps here, and you need a Chime account to use it at all.

12. Branch

Best for: Employees who want an app like PayActiv built around a digital wallet.

Branch is a mobile digital wallet that lets an employee receive a payroll advance of up to $500 in earned wages per paycheck. You can also manage cash flow and spend from your phone.

It’s pitched as a get paid today app for working people.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv pays the greater of $500 or 50% of earned wages. Branch caps the advance at $500 per paycheck, and the money sits in a wallet in the app.

Watch out for: The $500 cap is per paycheck, so it won’t cover a bigger gap.

13. Dave

Best for: People comparing PayActiv alternatives who want up to $500 and early pay.

Dave offers advances up to $500. You can get paid up to two days early and build your credit history, and Dave says it has 7 million members.

It’s among the more familiar cash advance apps, so reviews and support info are easy to find.

How it compares to PayActiv: PayActiv needs your employer to offer it. Dave works from your own bank account, so you can use it at any job, with a $500 cap.

Watch out for: A first advance may come in lower than $500, so check the app for your own limit.

Cash Advance FAQs

Here are a few more questions people ask when they are looking for an app like PayActiv:

External resources, so you don’t have to do the research:

1) Have you lost your job? You can file for unemployment. While you wait for it to kick in, DailyPay alternatives, FlexWage alternatives and get paid today apps are worth a look.

2) Looking to earn money? We have two articles about this, one for people looking for full-time online jobs and another for people looking for part time income (the gig economy).

3) Worried about bills? Here is an article from our team on ways to save money on groceries. Credit card companies and some banks are also delaying payments, waiving fees, and removing interest charges. Read about it here. You can get out ahead of these problems.

4) Trying to stretch your budget? Check out our guide on living cheap. Maybe you already know it all, but maybe there are some tidbits in there to help.

Borrow Responsibly when Using Apps Like PayActiv

If you’re like most people, any new financial need or demand makes you irritated and tense. Most cash advance apps can help you meet your immediate demands without delay or having to seek secured personal loans. Since you’re likely unready for financial emergencies and each additional financial obligation can put you on edge.

There are several advantages of getting a cash advance via an app rather than going to a local bank or pawnshop to try and get quick cash. Even though there are many lending institutions in each city today, you may not be aware of all the nuances, interest rates and fees among them.

Every potential borrower must understand that he or she is fully responsible for any loan or cash advance obtained. This money should not be taken for granted, since it will only be used for a brief period of time.

Finally, such small amounts of loaned money can’t accommodate long-term financial objectives. Consider alternative ways to finance your long-term goals and needs, or try to increase your income potential with side hustles.

With that said, good luck with borrowing money with these apps like PayActiv!