Finance

6 Best finance Apps like Albert to try

Updated: January 13, 2024
Apps like Albert

No doubt that Albert is the best financial solution to borrow, save, and invest round-ups money. Also, its unlimited real human support that lets us ask spontaneous questions about finance is just icing on the cake.

And Albert Cash is its latest addition to offer early paychecks when you set up a direct deposit account. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best geniuses solutions to budgeting.

Its low fees, smart tools, and human support are its key ingredients. Still, want to switch over to any other apps like Albert? well, we have got you covered. 

The downsides of using the Albert app are its limited saving transactions for some users and its lack of real-time support. So, we did all the heavy lifting for you to find the best apps similar to Albert.

Best Apps like Albert (Top Competitors).

apps like albert

Dave

$1 per month
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Dave is a well-built application for people who want to manage their finances like a pro. Founded in 2016, the company has managed to garner over ten million active users in a short span of time.

Similar to possible finance, Dave is an incredible platform that offers interest-free nano loans up to $250, automatic budgeting, and up to two early paychecks when you link your direct deposit account. 

There are no overdraft or draft fees, or any hidden fees once you roll in. However, to get access to everything, you have to shell out as little as $1 per month, which is inexpensive.

Eligible customers may also receive the Dave card (MasterCard) to withdraw cash from over 32,000 MoneyPass ATMs and shop like any standard debit card.

Want to build credit?—well, the app has a build credit option for $100/year and is free if you have a direct deposit account setup. However, unlike many Albert alternatives, Dave only offers checking accounts. 

Pros
  • Builds credit (Paid and free)
  • No overdraft fees or interests.
  • Automatic budgeting feature.
  • Get up to two days early paycheck. 
  • Access to over 32,000 MoneyPass networks.
Cons
  • Only offers a checking account.
  • $1 monthly fee (for mobile access only)
  • The approval process is not smooth. 
moneylion app

MoneyLion

$19.99 monthly for full access
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If you’re looking for all-in-one banking apps, look no further, MoneyLion is the best choice. It allows you to invest, save, borrow, and get early paychecks, without any interest, or hidden fees.

However, you could be paying an interest and monthly fees for requesting credit builder loans of up to $1000. But in the basic plan, there is no interest or monthly fee when you only borrow up to a $250.

When spending over $10 using a Moneylion debit card, you unlock rewards every time you shop through participating stores. If you want to build credit, bqut cuffing up to pay for the platinum plan, then we’ve got tidings for you.

The platinum plan also has a reward platform that rewards real cash simply for daily logins, paying off on time, and other things, so it’s easier to offset the membership fees.

Not only does the app let you have access to up to $1000 with no credit check, but it also helps you build credit. The company reports your payment history to the three major credit bureaus, which in turn can affect your credit score.

However, the app does a soft credit check before offering a loan. To get access to its full features, you have to shell out $19.99 per month.

Pros
  • No interest and overdraft fee.
  • Offers rewards for shopping via its debit card.  
  • Reports payments history to the credit bureaus – Builds credit.
  • Large loans up to $1000.
  • Doesn’t perform hard credit check.
Cons
  • $19.99 monthly fee.
  • Keeps unpaid funds in the reserved account until it’s paid off. 
  • Highly competitive interests rate.
chime

Chime

Free
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Chime is one of the best online banking apps that offers savings and checking accounts. Launched in 2014, it has already reached the 12 million customer mark, offering services for financial wellness.

With Chime, you could be saving money, borrowing up to a $200 overdraft fee, and receiving a paycheck two days earlier than most traditional banks. There is no credit check, interest fee, monthly fees, or overdraft fee to hold you down.

To become a Chime member, simply link your direct deposit account, and if you qualify, you may receive early paycheques, including other services.

However, unlike Albert, it doesn’t include investment option so if you’re specifically looking for these options, Chime is not much of a help to you. 

Anyway, it gives access to over 60K fee-free ATMs, so it’s easier to get cash while shopping. And if your spending balance is low; you can still get cash using its SpotMe feature that automatically advances up to $200 to avoid overdraft fees.

Even more, with your debit card, you can get free cash withdrawals at many popular retailers. Also, it provides a credit builder account for an additional fee of $100 per year (free for Chime members).

 

Pros
  • Two days early paychecks.
  • No interest, overdraft, or monthly fee.
  • Fee-free overdraft up to $200.
  • Build credit.
  • Pay and request cash.
  • Smart savings with competitive interest rates.
  • ATM locator to find over 60k+ ATMs, with cashback locations.
  • More flexibility over transactions.
Cons
  • Must have received at least $500 in your Chime spending account in the last 30 days. 
  • No investment and cash advance option.
  • Fund deposit may cost a fee.
  • Freezes account while investigating fraud. 
  • Chime transfers are limited to $200 per day. 
cleo app

Cleo

$5.99 per month
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Cleo is the only budgeting app that serves its customers with A.I. It creates a personalized budget using A.I. by breaking down your spending so you can have a better sense of your budget.

With cleo, you can save, budget, chat, and borrow cash with ease. Besides, it will help your credit score grow when spending money with its debit card. 

What we found more intriguing is its chat feature, which is built on cutting-edge technology to answer all users queries regarding their account and money management.

To get insights on your weekly spending with Cleo, just type in “My weekly spending” or “rate my week”, or you can get roasted by typing “roast me Cleo” to understand what went wrong in your budget”. So its chat feature is just a lit. 

Moreover, it spots you up to $100 in salary advance to avoid any overdraft and interest fees that you can pay off between paychecks with no credit check or interest.

However, new members usually qualify for $20–$70, but once they have a good payment history, they can level up to $100, which is the maxed out amount.

Cleo is free to join and offers a few features for free. For full access, it charges $5.99 per month to unlock early paychecks, cashbacks, and a credit builder card, among other perks. 

Pros
  • Smart saving and budgeting tool equipped with AI.
  • No credit checks, interest fees.
  • Credit builder debit card with cashback (Premium).
Cons
  • Only up to $100 salary advance.
  • Lacks many features which are normally available in other premium banking tools.
acorns app

Acorns – Invest and Save

$3-$5 per month
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The Acorns steal the show when it comes to smarter banking and investing your spare change.

Launched in 2012, this behemoth platform has racked up a whopping 8 million customers with more than $3 billion in assets under regulation, becoming one of the fastest-growing financial companies globally.

Acorns lets you invest automatically in diversified portfolios with as little as $5. You can even invest a fraction of your paycheck while spending via an Acorn debit card. It gives you access to over 55, 000 fee-free Allpoint ATMs.

The company doesn’t charge or require any minimum amount when you open an Acorns account – it only charges for investing, banking, and later savings. 

It has two subscription tiers for your needs—Personal ($3/month) and Family ($5/month). It is a solid platform to manage finances, much like Albert.

Pros
  • No minimum and overdraft fees.
  • Access to more than 55,000 fee-free Allpoint ATMs.
  • Small auto-investing, just starting with $5. 
  • Invest while spending.
  • Investment options for kids, personal, and retirement.
  • $10 signup bonus.
Cons
  • No budgeting feature to break down your expenses.
  • No tax strategy.
  • No human adviser option.
  • Only premium members can get access to a checking account and investment. 
Mint, Apps like Albert

Mint

Full suite $8 per month
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Pros
  • Manage all accounts in one place.
  • Free to use.
  • 24/7 Credit score monitoring.
  • Create custom budgets and get full insights on spending.
  • Credit card utilization history for understanding Credit score. 
Cons
  • Lacks investment feature.
  • Lacks an option to pay bills.
  • Full suit access is expensive. 
Sign Up for Mint

Next up is Mint, the most advanced budgeting app for your financial wellness. Mint lets you save money and track your expenses, from your online subscriptions to accumulated investments, giving you full insight into your spending.

Mint is more specifically a budgeting app, although Albert offers all kinds of banking solutions.

To see where your money goes, all you need to do is add a bank account, debit or credit cards, investments, or bills, and it will help you track your cash flow.

Not only does it track your overall spending or cash flow, but it also notifies you when prices go up, so you spend smarter and save more. You can improve your impulse spending by creating custom financial goals through Mint and sticking with the plan for a better future. 

Besides, the platform keeps track of your due dates and alerts you whenever your balance is running out to avoid overdraft fees.

Since it is loaded with a budget planner and expense tracker feature, users can also access their credit score for free. But the full suite of tools comes at the cost of $8 per month after the 14-day trial period ends.

Wrapping it up

These apps will unchain your potential to streamline your finances. All the apps mentioned here have a basic plan to get you started with budgeting, among other things.

You may have to fork out a little monthly fee to leverage the cash advance and other premium features. However, only The Chime doesn’t charge any fees, making it a solid choice for your banking needs. 

Each listed application has its own cons and pros, so it not easy to know which app stacks up best against Albert. However, you can try each app and stay with any alternative that suits your mood and budget.

Avatar for ankit raghuwanshi
By ankit raghuwanshi
He is an editor-in-chief, an admin, and the guy who kickstarted TheAppFlow. He often wraps his head around personal finance or fintech apps and never shies away from learning new things that he can share with people to streamline their wealth.