Cleo App Review [2025]: Budgeting + Cash Advances With a Side of Snark

What is Cleo?

Cleo is a money management app powered by an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Its AI chatbot talks to you and can answer your questions about money, but don't expect it to be gentle with you. The bot has a reputation for sassy responses and the more-than-occasional dig, which you may or may not find motivating (or at least amusing). The app is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, so everyone can use it — or no one is safe from being roasted, depending on how you choose to look at it.

The Cleo app is designed to support many aspects of your finances, including tracking your spending, budgeting, repaying your debt, building credit, and saving more. And when money is tight, you can also borrow up to $250 with a Cleo Cash Advance (one of the app's most well-known services).

How does Cleo work?

Here's an overview of Cleo's main features and tools. Some Cleo features are free to use, and others require a paid subscription, which we'll get to.

AI financial coach

The feature that sets Cleo apart from other budgeting apps is its AI financial coach. The chat and voice command functions enable you to ask Cleo questions such as:

• Can I afford coffee?
• Where can I cut back this month?
• How much do I have in savings?

If you appreciate a bit of snark, you'll probably like Cleo's AI feature. One of the primary features of Cleo is its fun interactions with you as it tracks your spending. It, or she, as the Cleo website often refers to the app, has a roast mode, which comments on your spending habits and lets you know when you're overspending, and not necessarily in a delicate way.

If you prefer your money tips a little milder, you can ask Cleo to hype you up to encourage you to keep making progress. The app also looks for things you did right with your money to encourage you.

I did find that Cleo's AI coach was good at answering questions about my specific situation, but not so good at answering broader personal finance questions. For example, when I asked, "What is a credit score?" it responded by saying I'd have to sign up for a Plus or Builder subscription to see my credit score.

Cash advances (upgraded plan required)

Cleo offers cash advances to help you access your own money before you get paid by essentially tapping into your next paycheck. It's like borrowing from yourself without interest, then receiving less when you do get paid. 

To get a cash advance, you may need to upgrade to Cleo Plus, Cleo Pro, or Cleo Builder (although there is a loophole that lets you apply for cash advances on the free plan). Then, you'll connect your primary bank account and type "cash advance" into the chat or click "Request" from the app's dashboard to get the process started. You can get your money within three to four days without paying any extra fees, or pay between $3.99 and $9.99 for a same-day transfer.

You set your own repayment date when you borrow from Cleo between three and 14 days from the date of the advance. You have to set up autopay, so you don't have the option of simply not paying what you owe. Most cash advance apps like Cleo automatically schedule your repayment to be due on your next payday, including Dave, Albert, and EarnIn. If you don't have enough in your bank account, Cleo will take a partial payment and try to debit the rest later.

You can borrow a maximum of $250 with Cleo cash advances, which is a fairly middle-of-the-road limit. Some apps offer much higher limits of $500 or more, but others are lower. Exactly how much you can borrow with Cleo depends on your eligibility, but your paycheck advance can be as low as $20. If it's your first time requesting one, don't expect to be able to borrow more than $100. You can work your way up to larger amounts as you use the app and repay your advances.

4.2

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

Borrow up to $500¹ <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> with no interest or late fees

No credit check. Set your own payback date (up to 4 weeks away).

Create an account

Budgeting

Cleo's budgeting feature is free to use and lets you manage your money in a lighthearted manner. After downloading the app and adding your bank account information, bills, and monthly income, the app will analyze your spending patterns and offer feedback in a quirky, funny way.

First, you can link as many bank or credit card accounts as you want. Cleo will show you how much is going in and out of your accounts each month. It breaks down your spending into essential and non-essential spending, which makes it easy to see where you can cut back. It also allows you to set spending limits on specific categories.

Keep in mind that Cleo is an app, not a real person, so not all of its advice will be spot on. For example, it repeatedly tried to tell me I was overspending on daycare, referring to it as a "problem area" in my budget and suggesting I set stricter spending limits. Sure, I'd love to spend less on daycare. But the app didn't seem to recognize this as essential spending even when I tried to set it as such.

Cleo Savings + Save Hacks

Cleo can help you save money with Cleo Savings, which is like a high-yield savings account within the app. It's only available for paid Pro or Builder plans, and the account earns up to 3.33% APY (which is fairly competitive). For manual savings, tell Cleo through the chat to move an amount into your wallet, and the app will pull money from your bank account to your Cleo wallet. You'll need to withdraw funds from Cleo to another bank account in order to use it.

For automated savings, you can use a few different features called Save Hacks: 

• Set and Forget: Set a specific amount to be automatically moved to savings each week.
• Roundups: Round up any purchase to the nearest dollar and put the extra in savings.
• Smart Save: Let AI determine how much you can afford to save this week.
• Swear Jar: Get "fined" by having money transferred to savings when you splurge on categories or merchants of your choosing.

To use Save Hacks and earn interest, you'll also need at least the Cleo Pro plan.

Building credit

Cleo offers a secured credit builder credit card called the Cleo Card. Signing up doesn't require a credit check, and the card doesn't charge interest, but you do need to be on the Cleo Builder plan. To get started, you apply for the card and add cash to your security deposit — this is how much you're able to spend on your card. Cleo will pull your payments using autopay or directly from your security deposit. It will report your payments to the three major credit bureaus to help build your credit history over time.

If you're interested in a credit-builder card but don't want to pay Cleo's monthly fee, consider any of the cards on our favorite secured credit cards.

Cleo subscription plans

Cleo offers both free and paid features, including two different paid subscription options to choose from. Here are your options when you sign up for Cleo.

If you only want Cleo's budgeting and AI financial coach features, you can use the free plan. However, you'll have to sign up for a paid plan for access to features such as savings interest, debt repayment plans, and the Cleo secured credit card. For cash advances, you can use either a free or paid Cleo plan, but you'll need to contact customer service to specifically request a cash advance if you're using the free version. That email address is team@meetcleo.com.

Who is Cleo best for?

Cleo could be a good option for someone who wants access to a variety of financial services all in one place and who wants a bit more hands-on help than you can get from a traditional personal finance app.

Smaller cash advances for freelancers

Cleo cash advances are a bit easier to qualify for than some other cash advances, even if you don't earn a traditional income. If you're a freelancer or gig worker, you might still be able to qualify. Cleo looks for consistent and recurring deposits, but it doesn't specify that these have to be direct deposits from an employer or how much you need to earn each pay period.

AI-assisted coaching

I also think Cleo's AI financial coach could be appealing to people who want a bit more than most budgeting apps can offer. Sure, other budgeting apps let you set up your budget and track your spending. But they may offer little more than that. Cleo's AI features can offer specific feedback on your budget, like areas where you may be overspending, and allow you to ask questions.

It's a bit more lighthearted than the budgeting apps you may be used to, complete with a solid mix of snarky comments and cheerleading. If you've struggled with DIY financial management in the past, Cleo's AI coach may be worth trying.

Cleo's free version

Cleo's free version could be a great option for someone who wants to budget while having fun and getting snarky comments about their spending habits. Its AI financial coach makes it a great option for anyone who wants a bit of extra hand-holding in their financial journey, including the ability to ask questions or get feedback on your budget.

Getting started with Cleo

Opening a Cleo account is a relatively easy process. You'll have to set up your account on the mobile app — you can't do it from a desktop. Once you download the app, you'll just provide your name, email address, birth date, state, and your financial goal(s), which could be getting a cash advance, improving your credit score, budgeting better, building your savings, or using Cleo's AI financial coach.

The next step is connecting your bank account. Cleo uses Plaid to securely connect your account to one or more financial accounts. One factor that really turned me off to Cleo is that you have to connect a bank account before you can get started with the app's other features. And unlike other budgeting apps, you don't have the option of adding an account manually.

The final step of the onboarding process is chatting with Cleo's AI financial coach. It asks you some basic questions about where you want to start with your financial journey, whether it be controlling your spending, getting a cash advance, improving your credit, or seeing where your money is going.

This initial AI chat was the most time-consuming part of setting up my account. If you're someone like me who is already pretty in tune with your personal finances, it feels a little unnecessary. But if you're just getting started and want the extra help, it could be beneficial.

Cleo alternatives

Because Cleo offers a handful of different services, there are many alternatives you could consider, depending on what service you're looking for.

Rocket Money

If you specifically want an alternative to Cleo's budgeting services, consider Rocket Money. It can help you save money on your monthly bills by canceling subscriptions you don't use and negotiating better rates with vendors like Verizon, Hulu, and Netflix. The app also offers budgeting and saving features and a credit score tracker with the premium version.

Visit Rocket Money | Read our Rocket Money review.

EarnIn

If you want a paycheck advance alternative, consider an app like EarnIn.² <p>EarnIn is not a bank. Access limits are based on your earnings and risk factors. Available in select states. Terms and restrictions apply. Visit <a href="https://www.earnin.com/">EarnIn.com</a> for full details</p>  It lets you borrow up to $150 per day or $750 per pay period from the money you've already made, and it also offers the option for instant advances with potentially lower fees than Cleo.³ <p>Lightning Speed is an optional service that allows you to expedite the transfer of funds for a fee. Depending on the product, the fee may be charged by EarnIn or its banking partner. See the <a href="https://www.earnin.com/privacyandterms/terms-of-service/fees">LS Fee table</a> for details.</p> Plus, EarnIn doesn't require a paid subscription to use. 

You'll need to earn at least $320 each paycheck to qualify, so it could be a bit harder to qualify for than Cleo, but this is a relatively low earning limit compared to other paycheck advance apps.

Visit EarnIn | Read our EarnIn review

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4.5

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

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