EarnIn vs Dave vs Brigit 2026: We Tested All 3 — Which Is Cheapest by Paycheck Size
We ran $100, $250, and $500 advances through all three apps in April 2026 and tracked total cost (membership + service fee + instant-delivery fee). EarnIn was cheapest at every level. Here's the math.
Quick Answer
- Cheapest overall: EarnIn — $0 mandatory fees, ~$3.99 for instant. Wins at every advance size.
- Best banking bundle: Dave — $1/mo membership + free Dave Banking account, 5% service fee on advances.
- Best for credit-building add-on: Brigit — $8.99/mo Plus tier includes optional credit reporting and identity monitoring.
- Highest advance limit: EarnIn — $1,000 per pay period, well ahead of Dave ($500) and Brigit ($500).
Updated April 30, 2026. What changed in April: EarnIn raised the per-pay-period cap to $1,000 (from $750). Dave held its post-2024-FTC-settlement 5% service fee structure. Brigit Premium remains $14.99/month with no change to advance limits.
Total cost per advance — April 2026
Includes membership amortized to one advance/month + service fee + instant-delivery fee. Standard (free) delivery removes the instant fee but takes 1–3 business days.
| Advance amount | EarnIn | Dave | Brigit Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | $0–$3.99 | ~$6 ($1 + $5) | ~$8.99 + $0.99 instant |
| $250 | $0–$3.99 | ~$13.50 ($1 + 5% = $12.50) | ~$8.99 + $0.99–$3.99 |
| $500 | $0–$3.99 | ~$26 ($1 + $25, capped) | ~$8.99 + $3.99 instant |
| Max advance | $1,000 | $500 | $500 (most states) |
| Credit check? | No | No | No |
Membership cost amortized to one advance/month. Heavy users (4+ advances/month) shift the math — see the decision matrix below.
Which app is right for your paycheck?
Pick the row that matches how you actually use cash advances. We optimized for total cost, not headline rates.
- Occasional advance user (1–2x/month), under $250EarnIn$0 mandatory fees beats every membership tier. Use standard delivery to skip the $3.99 Lightning fee.
- Heavy user (4+ advances/month), wants banking includedDave$1/month membership gives you Dave Banking + ExtraCash; the 5% fee is bounded at $15.
- Need to build credit while accessing cashBrigit Plus + credit-builder add-on$8.99/month is high for advances alone, but the credit-builder reports to all three bureaus.
- Need a $750+ advance for an emergencyEarnIn$1,000 per pay-period cap; Dave and Brigit both stop at $500.
- Already a Chime user with direct depositChime SpotMe (not in this comparison)Free up to $200 with a qualifying $200+ direct deposit. See our 5-app roundup for the full picture.
Run your own numbers
Use our earnings calculator to estimate the tradeoff between advance fees and the cost of late fees / overdrafts you'd otherwise pay.
Open earnings calculator →EarnIn
Up to $1,000 per pay period ($150/day) · $0 mandatory fees · Lightning Speed instant ~$3.99 · optional tips · no credit check.
Why we picked it
EarnIn is the only one of the three with no monthly subscription and no mandatory service fee. The optional tip prompt creates some social-pressure UX, but you can decline and pay nothing on a standard-delivery advance. EarnIn is the right default for any user who takes advances irregularly — the math doesn't favor a $1–$15/month membership when EarnIn charges nothing.
Watch-outs
- Daily $150 cap means you can't draw the full $1,000 in one go — you have to claim it across multiple days.
- EarnIn pulls automatically from your next direct deposit — miss a deposit and they'll re-attempt the debit.
- Tip pressure is real. Decline if you don't want to pay it; the "suggested" tip can run 2–3% of the advance.
Get up to $1,000 before payday
$0 mandatory fees, no credit check, no interest. Standard delivery is free; Lightning Speed is ~$3.99 for instant.
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Dave
Up to $500 ExtraCash · $1–$5/mo membership · 5% service fee on advances ($5 min, $15 max) · free Dave Banking account · no credit check.
Why we picked it
Dave makes more sense than EarnIn if you want a checking account bundled in. The Dave Banking account is genuinely free, includes an early-payday-direct-deposit feature, and works for users who don't already have a primary bank. The 5% service fee replaced the optional-tip model after Dave's 2024 FTC settlement and is now non-negotiable on every advance.
Watch-outs
The 5% fee on a $500 advance ($25, capped at $15) plus the $1 membership pushes per-advance cost well above EarnIn at the same size. Dave's express-delivery fee for external bank instant transfers is separate from the service fee. If you only take 1–2 advances per month, EarnIn is cheaper.
Brigit
Up to $500 most states ($250 in Maine) · Free / Plus $8.99/mo / Premium $14.99/mo · up to $3.99 express delivery · no tips/interest/late fees · optional credit-builder reports to bureaus.
Why we picked it
Brigit's differentiator is the optional credit-builder product layered onto the cash-advance app. If you actively use the credit-builder (and pay it on time), Brigit reports to all three bureaus — turning monthly use into a credit-building habit. For users with thin or damaged files, that's a meaningful feature EarnIn and Dave don't offer.
Watch-outs
The free Brigit plan caps advances at $50 — too low to be useful for most situations. The $8.99/mo Plus tier is required to access meaningful advances ($250–$500), and that monthly fee makes Brigit the most expensive option for occasional users. Use Brigit only if you commit to using the credit-builder every month.
How we compared them
We looked at the three apps along five dimensions: maximum advance, mandatory fees, optional fees, time-to-fund, and credit-bureau reporting. We then computed the all-in cost of a single advance at three sizes ($100, $250, $500) for an occasional user (one advance/month, $50 unscheduled paycheck timing). Heavy users (4+ advances/month) get different math — Dave's $1 membership amortizes better and Brigit's flat $8.99 is more competitive, but EarnIn still wins because it has no membership at all.
We did not include MoneyLion Instacash or Chime SpotMe in this specific comparison because they have different qualifying requirements (RoarMoney for MoneyLion, qualifying $200 deposit for Chime). For the full five-app picture see our Best Cash Advance Apps 2026 roundup.
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Our methodology: We research, test, and verify every opportunity to ensure accuracy and value.
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Ready to compare?
Cheapest overall — try EarnIn first
Up to $1,000/pay period, $0 mandatory fees, no credit check. The default pick for occasional users.
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Want credit-building bundled in?
Brigit Plus ($8.99/mo) includes an optional credit-builder that reports to all three bureaus.
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