Fees checked against each app’s own terms Not financial advice
Best Cash Advance Appswhat each one really costs

Dave vs EarnIn: same $100, different bill

In brief

On their published terms, $100 delivered instantly and repaid in 14 days costs $10.00 with Dave (261% APR) and $5.99 with EarnIn (156%). The bigger difference is waiting: EarnIn is free by standard transfer, while Dave’s membership and 5% fee mean it never costs less than $10.00 for $100.

Fees and terms checked · Not financial advice

Dave ExtraCash · instant

$100 advance · repaid in 14 days · instant delivery

Dave membership (1 month) $5.00
Overdraft fee (5%, min $5) $5.00
Instant to Dave Checking $0.00
Tip $0.00
True cost$10.00
261%effective APR

10.00 ÷ 100.00 × (365 ÷ 14) × 100 = 260.7%

EarnIn Cash Out · instant

$100 advance · repaid in 14 days · instant delivery

Membership none
Lightning Speed fee $5.99
Tip $0.00
True cost$5.99
156%effective APR

5.99 ÷ 100.00 × (365 ÷ 14) × 100 = 156.2%

At other amounts

Repaid in 14 days; Dave’s membership counted for one month; EarnIn at its standard (most states) pricing, no tip.

AdvanceDave instantEarnIn instantDave if you waitEarnIn if you wait
$50.00 $10.00521% $3.99208% $10.00 $0.00
$100.00 $10.00261% $5.99156% $10.00 $0.00
$150.00 $12.50217% $5.99104% $12.50 $0.00
$200.00 $15.00196% $8.99117% $15.00 $0.00

Side by side

DaveEarnIn
Membership$5.00/month (published as “up to $5”)None
Fee on every advance5%, minimum $5None (optional tip)
Instant deliveryFree to Dave Checking; 1.5% to an outside debit cardLightning Speed: $3.99 up to $75, $5.99 to $150, $8.99 above (standard pricing)
Free delivery2–3 business days by ACH1–2 business days
Maximum$500.00$1000.00 per pay period, $200 a day
Credit checkNoNo
Works with ChimeNot statedListed as not supported
Legal formAn overdraft on a Dave deposit accountA non-recourse Cash Out of earnings

Every line is sourced on each app’s page: Dave, EarnIn.

Regulatory record

From official sources only. A complaint states allegations; it is not a finding.

  • EarnIn · Colorado Attorney General and Administrator of the Colorado Uniform Consumer Credit Code (complaint): Colorado sued EarnIn in Denver District Court over its direct-to-consumer 'Cash Out' product, not its employer-integrated products. It alleges unlicensed high-cost lending in violation of Colorado's lending laws and its voter-approved payday lending limits, plus deceptive app design to push tips. Per the AG: from Jan 2023 to Jul 2025, EarnIn made more than 3.1 million loans to 56,778 Coloradans (about $300M) and collected more than $16M in tips and Lightning Speed fees. A tip or expedite fee was charged on more than 92% of transactions, the average APR was nearly 388%, and some APRs exceeded 1,000%. Status: Filed 2026-08-27. No resolution found on coag.gov as of 2026-11-08. Source
  • Dave · Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (Baltimore City Department of Law) (complaint): Baltimore sued Dave under the City's Consumer Protection Ordinance. It alleges that ExtraCash Advances are marketed as 'earned wage access' or 'overdraft services' but carry 'overdraft' fees that give no overdraft protection. It also alleges that Dave induced 'tips' for children's meals while passing only pennies on the dollar to charity. The City says total costs routinely exceed 10 times Maryland's 33% maximum consumer-loan APR. Status: Dave removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (No. 1:26-cv-00369, filed 2026-01-29). The court denied the City's motion to remand on 2026-08-18, and Dave moved to dismiss on 2026-10-08. Pending as of that date (CourtListener). Source
  • Dave · U.S. Department of Justice (on referral from the FTC) (amended complaint): The FTC referred the case to DOJ, which filed a first amended complaint. It names co-founder and CEO Jason Wilk as a defendant and seeks civil penalties. The allegations are the same: misleading 'up to $500' and instant-cash claims, an undisclosed express fee, and 'tips' that it says total hundreds of millions of dollars. The complaint also says Dave donates just 10 cents per tip percentage toward meals. Status: As of 2026-10-22 (CourtListener docket): the court denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the amended complaint on 2025-09-12 (Dkt. 75). Defendants answered with a jury demand on 2025-10-10. A trial order of 2025-11-14 set the final pretrial conference for 2026-11-09, but deadlines were reset by an order of 2026-10-06 whose new dates are not visible on the free docket. Discovery motions were active through Oct 2026. There is no settlement or judgment. Source
  • EarnIn · District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General (complaint): DC AG Brian Schwalb sued EarnIn in DC Superior Court under the Consumer Protection Procedures Act. He alleges that EarnIn's 'Cash Out' is a loan despite 'no mandatory fees' and 'no interest' marketing. He also alleges that 'Lightning Speed' fees (then $3.99 or $5.99) were buried in fine print, with default tips of $1 to $14. According to the complaint, the average APR on instant cash-outs is over 300% against DC's 24% cap, EarnIn lent without a DC license, and more than 20,000 DC consumers made over a million transactions since 2016. Status: oag.dc.gov shows no settlement or resolution as of 2026-11-08. Source
  • Dave · FTC (complaint): FTC sued Dave in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (No. 2:24-cv-09566). It alleged that Dave used 'up to $500' advertising when it offered $500 only a tiny percentage of the time. It also alleged that Dave charged an 'Express Fee' of $3 to $25 for instant delivery that was not disclosed until after sign-up, charged so-called 'tips' (often 15% of the advance) without consent, and did not clearly disclose its $1 monthly membership fee. The claims are under the FTC Act and ROSCA. The Commission voted 4-1 to file. Status: Pending as of the last docket entry seen (2026-10-22). The FTC case page (last updated 2024-12-30) lists it as 'Pending'. See the next entry for the DOJ amended complaint and later court events. Source

Questions

Is Dave or EarnIn cheaper?

For $100 delivered instantly and repaid in 14 days: Dave $10.00 (261% APR), EarnIn $5.99 (156%), so EarnIn is cheaper. If you can wait for the free transfer, EarnIn costs $0 and Dave still costs $10.00, because Dave’s membership and 5% fee apply either way.

When is Dave cheaper than EarnIn?

At none of the amounts compared here, for instant delivery on published terms.

Which lends more, Dave or EarnIn?

Dave’s published maximum is $500.00, and Dave says few members qualify for it. EarnIn allows up to $200 a day and $1,000 per pay period, and says new users get about $85 a day on average.

Have regulators acted against Dave or EarnIn?

Yes, from official sources: Colorado Attorney General and Administrator of the Colorado Uniform Consumer Credit Code (Aug 27, 2026, EarnIn); Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (Baltimore City Department of Law) (Dec 30, 2025, Dave); U.S. Department of Justice (on referral from the FTC) (Dec 30, 2024, Dave); District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General (Nov 19, 2024, EarnIn); FTC (Nov 5, 2024, Dave). Details and links below.

Sources for this page

How costs are calculated, what is left out and how to send a correction: methodology.

Cite this page

Best Cash Advance Apps. "Dave vs EarnIn: Which Costs Less for the Same Advance?." Updated November 8, 2026. https://bestcashadvanceapps.com/dave-vs-earnin/