Best Apps Like Albert for Small Cash Advances [2025]: No Credit Check, No Stress

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 small paycheck advance of up to $250 without a credit check or interest charges. While this is a nice option for those who need quick access to funds in between paychecks, you'll have to invest in Albert's $11.99 per month subscription to use it.

Thankfully, Albert isn't the only app that provides payday advances. There are several apps like EarnIn, Current, and Cleo that will give you a paycheck advance without requiring a monthly subscription. And, like Albert, these apps don't require credit checks, impact your credit score, or charge interest. Here are four apps like Albert that provide small payday advances.

Apps like Albert comparison

EarnIn

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.

Visit EarnIn | Learn more in our EarnIn review

Empower

Empower 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 $300 delivered to your account within minutes. There is no credit check required for the advance service. New users of the app start with an average advance offer of about $96, and Empower may increase this amount if you are diligent about repaying the advances you take.

Empower provides financial tools for budgeting, automatic savings, and credit score monitoring that help you stay on top of your finances.

Visit Empower | Learn more in our Empower review

Cleo

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.

Visit Cleo | Learn more in our Cleo review

Current

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 $200.¹⁰ <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.

Learn more in our Current 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.

FAQs

Bottom line

When it comes to small pay advances, apps like EarnIn, Empower, Current, and Cleo offer convenient alternatives to the Albert financial app. Many of these options offer paycheck advances equal to or more than Albert without a monthly subscription fee.

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.

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No fees for standard speed transfers

Can work for any employer as long as you have a consistent schedule

There’s no hard or soft credit check + service won’t impact your credit score

You can access up to $750 between paydays