Cleo is an AI budgeting app with a cash advance attached, and that advance comes with a low ceiling and a monthly plan. Here is how it looks next to the six apps on this page.
So the real question is which of Cleo’s limits bothers you most, because each app below fixes a different one.
The six picks are ranked for someone leaving Cleo, and each card puts the app’s own numbers next to Cleo’s.
Best Apps Like Cleo
Here are six apps to use instead of Cleo and who each one suits. For the wider field, see our best cash advance apps.
EarnInNo monthly fee, up to $150 a day and $1,000 a pay period$0 a month2
CurrentUp to $750 with no monthly fee once your paycheck lands thereup to $7503
GrantWorks from the bank you have, $25 to $500 for repeat usersup to $5004
BrigitBudgeting tools and overdraft warnings with the advanceup to $5005
MoneyLionUp to $500 with no monthly fee, sent $100 at a timeup to $5006
Tilt14-day trial, $96 average first offerup to $5001. EarnIn
No monthly fee, up to $150 a day and $1,000 a pay period
Best if you have a steady paycheck and hate subscriptions.
EarnIn lets you cash out pay you have already earned, up to $150 a day and $1,000 per pay period. There is no plan to buy, which is the biggest difference from Cleo.
Sign up and link your bank account
Verify your earnings with a work email or GPS
Cash out up to $150 a day, repaid when your paycheck hits
Want the fine print? Fees, speed, and how it compares with Cleo
No mandatory fees. Free in 1 to 3 business days, or from $3.99 to get it in minutes.
2. Current
Up to $750 with no monthly fee once your paycheck lands there
Best if you will move your paycheck for $750.
Current is one of the best online banking apps we’ve reviewed, and its Paycheck Advance goes up to $750 with no monthly fee. The catch is that it only unlocks after payroll deposits of $200 or more land in a Current account.
Download the app and open a Current account
Send payroll deposits of $200 or more to it
Advance $25 to $750, repaid from your next payroll deposit
Want the fine print? Fees, speed, and how it compares with Cleo
Up to $750 with no monthly fee, unlocked by payroll deposits of $200 or more.
3. Grant
Works from the bank you have, $25 to $500 for repeat users
Best if you want a Cleo-style app with a higher ceiling.
Grant works the way Cleo does. You link the account your paycheck lands in, there is no credit check, and it advances $25 to $500 once you are a repeat user. Grant itself says most customers qualify for less and the average advance is under $200.
Download Grant and create your account
Connect the account where your paycheck is deposited
Request an advance and pick free or Express delivery
Want the fine print? Fees, speed, and how it compares with Cleo
$25 to $500 for repeat users. Free in 1 to 3 business days, or $2 to $21 for same day.
4. Brigit
Budgeting tools and overdraft warnings with the advance
Best if you want Cleo’s budgeting help, minus the roasts.
Brigit pairs a $25 to $500 advance with budgeting tools and a warning when your balance looks too low to cover what is coming. Plans run $8.99 to $15.99 a month.
Download Brigit and connect your checking account
Pick a plan and get approved for Instant Cash
Request an advance and choose your repayment date
Want the fine print? Fees, speed, and how it compares with Cleo
$25 to $500. Plans run $8.99 to $15.99 a month. Free delivery in 2 to 3 business days.
5. MoneyLion
Up to $500 with no monthly fee, sent $100 at a time
Best if you want small amounts and no plan.
MoneyLion Instacash goes up to $500 with no interest and no monthly fee. Each disbursement is capped at $100, so a bigger amount means more than one request.
Download MoneyLion and tap Instacash
Link the checking account where you get paid
Pick an amount and how fast you want it
Want the fine print? Fees, speed, and how it compares with Cleo
$100 per disbursement. Free in 1 to 5 business days, or $0.49 to $8.99 to get it in minutes.
6. Tilt
14-day trial, $96 average first offer
Best if you want to test before you pay.
Tilt offers $10 to $500 with no interest or late fees. First-time customers get a 14-day trial before the $8 a month charge starts.
Sign up and link your bank account
Tilt sizes an offer from your income and expenses
Repay automatically on your detected payday
Want the fine print? Fees, speed, and how it compares with Cleo
$10 to $500. New customers get 14 days before the $8 a month starts.
How These Apps Compare With Cleo
Start with the two numbers that matter most when you are replacing Cleo: how much you can get and what it costs each month.
| App | Advance | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cleo | $20 to $250 on Plus and Pro, $150 to $500 on Builder | $5.99 to $14.99 | Read our Cleo review |
| EarnIn | Up to $150 a day, $1,000 per pay period | $0 | Get started |
| Current | $25 to $750 | $0 | Get started |
| Grant | $25 to $500 for repeat users | $9.99, or ask by email to go without | Get Started |
| Brigit | $25 to $500 | $8.99 to $15.99, free option by email | Get Brigit |
| MoneyLion | Up to $500, $100 per disbursement | $0 | Get paid early |
| Tilt | $10 to $500 | $8 after a 14-day trial | Get started |
Then check how fast the money lands and what each app needs from you before it sends anything.
| App | Fast delivery | Free delivery | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleo | Same day for $4.49 to $14.99 | 3 to 4 days | A connected account where you get paid. Not offered in CT or ME |
| EarnIn | Minutes, from $3.99 | 1 to 3 business days | A regular pay schedule and at least $320 per pay period |
| Current | Up to an hour, fee shown in the app | Within 3 business days | Payroll deposits of $200 or more into a Current account |
| Grant | Same day for $2 to $21 | 1 to 3 business days | A supported bank account where your paycheck lands |
| Brigit | Within 20 minutes, fee may apply | 2 to 3 business days | A checking account open 60 days with three recurring deposits |
| MoneyLion | Minutes for $0.49 to $8.99 | 1 to 5 business days | A checking account open two months with regular income |
| Tilt | About an hour, $1 to $8 under $300 | 1 business day | A linked bank account. Not offered in CT, ME or DC |
Still Want Cleo? Here Is What It Offers Now
Cleo still makes sense if you want the AI budgeting chat first and a small advance second. Here is what it offers today, laid out the same way as the six apps above.
One thing to know before you sign up: in March 2025, Cleo agreed to pay $17 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that it misled people about how much money they could get and how fast, and made its subscription hard to cancel.
Cleo
The app you are comparing everything against
Best if you want the budgeting chat first.
Cleo is a budgeting app with an advance attached. You pick a repayment date 3 to 14 days out, there is no interest, and the amount depends on your paycheck, your spending and your budget.
Pick a plan, or ask support for an advance without one
Connect the account where you get paid
Request an amount and choose a repayment date
Want the fine print? Fees, speed, and what you really get
Plus is $5.99 a month. Advances run $20 to $250, and $20 to $100 for first-time users.
How to Choose an App Like Cleo
Four checks sort these apps faster than reading every review.
- Start with the monthly cost. Cleo’s plans are $5.99 to $14.99 a month. EarnIn, Current and MoneyLion charge nothing monthly, which matters most if you only borrow a few times a year.
- Check what the app needs from you. Current wants your paycheck deposited there. EarnIn wants a regular pay schedule it can verify. Grant, Brigit and Tilt work from the bank account you link, the way Cleo does.
- Look at the first offer, not the ceiling. Cleo starts new users at $20 to $100. Brigit’s average advance is $73 and Tilt’s average first offer is $96, so a $500 headline rarely shows up on day one. If about $100 is all you need, see our $100 cash advance apps.
- Price the speed. Free delivery takes one to five business days depending on the app. Getting it the same day costs $0.49 to $21 on the apps that publish their express fees, and Cleo’s own is $4.49 to $14.99.
If Dave is also on your list, we cover that in cash advance apps like Dave.
Apps Like Cleo FAQs
EarnIn, Current and MoneyLion Instacash charge no monthly fee. EarnIn and MoneyLion cost nothing if you can wait for standard delivery, and Current costs nothing once payroll deposits of $200 or more land in a Current account. Cleo’s own plans run $5.99 to $14.99 a month. Grant and Brigit have monthly plans too, though both say you can ask by email for an advance without subscribing, and Tilt is $8 a month after a 14-day trial.
It depends on what you want to fix. For no monthly fee, EarnIn goes up to $150 a day and $1,000 per pay period. For the biggest single limit, Current goes up to $750 once your paycheck lands there. For a similar app that works from the bank account you already have, Grant advances $25 to $500 to repeat users. Cleo’s advance tops out at $250 on its Plus and Pro plans.
Current ($25 to $750), Brigit ($25 to $500), Grant ($25 to $500 for repeat users) and Tilt ($10 to $500) all have ranges that cover $200, but a first offer is usually smaller. Grant says its average advance is under $200, Brigit says its average is $73 and Tilt reports $96 for first-time customers. EarnIn caps you at $150 a day, so $200 takes two days. Our guide to $200 cash advance apps ranks them for that amount.
On Cleo Plus ($5.99 a month) and Pro ($8.99), advances range from $20 to $250, first-time users get $20 to $100, and the daily limit is $170. On Builder ($14.99) the range is $150 to $500, and you must direct deposit at least $750 a month to qualify for the top amount. Same-day delivery costs $4.49 to $14.99 and the free transfer takes three to four days. If you need more with no monthly fee, EarnIn and Current are the first two to check.
Yes. Cleo is a real budgeting and cash advance app from Cleo AI, and you can get it in the App Store and on Google Play. It charges no interest on advances, and its plans cost $5.99 to $14.99 a month. Whether it is the right app is a separate question, and our Cleo review walks through how it works. If the cost is what bothers you, EarnIn has no monthly fee.
It depends on which banks the app can connect to, so check before you sign up. Cleo links accounts through Plaid and says a bank that does not show up there cannot be connected yet. Brigit says it works with over 6,000 banks and credit unions, and Grant says it works with thousands. Current is its own account, so you would open it next to the bank you have. We keep separate lists of cash advance apps that work with Chime and cash advance apps that work with Cash App.
Pick the App That Fixes What Bugged You About Cleo
If the monthly plan was the problem, start with EarnIn or MoneyLion and wait for the free transfer. If the $250 cap was the problem, Current and Grant give you more room. If you would miss the budgeting side, Brigit is the closest thing here.
Whichever you pick, the app takes the advance back around your next payday. If you need one every pay period, the advance has stopped being the fix.
