Dave vs Brigit (2026): Which Subscription Advance App Costs Less a Year?

Dave vs Brigit is a race between two monthly fees: Dave costs less a year if you borrow fewer than 10 times, because Dave’s membership tops out at $5 a month, and Brigit costs less once you borrow more, because Brigit charges $8.99 a month and no per-advance fee on standard delivery. Dave adds 5% to every advance, with a $5 minimum. Brigit adds an Express fee only if you pay for speed on its cheaper plan. Our guide to earned wage access explains how both kinds of apps work.

Personal Profitability may earn a commission from partner links on this page, at no cost to you. Partners don’t decide what we recommend or where it ranks. Fees and terms are each company’s as of 2026-10-31. Confirm them on the company’s site before you apply.

Last checked: October 31, 2026, against each company’s own fee and terms pages.

Dave vs Brigit at a glance

Dave charges a smaller membership plus a fee on all cash advances, and Brigit charges a bigger monthly subscription with free standard delivery. Both companies pitch their cash advance apps as a way to avoid overdrafts and bank overdraft fees. We pulled every number below from each company’s own fee schedule, help center, or terms.

Feature	Dave ExtraCash	Brigit Instant Cash
Monthly fee	Membership of up to $5	Monthly subscription: Plus at $8.99 or Premium at $15.99
Per-advance fee	5% of each overdraft, $5 minimum. The fee schedule lists a $15 maximum, which Dave removed for some members in 2026	None on standard delivery
Instant delivery	Free to Dave Checking in seconds. 1.5% more to an external debit card	Express Delivery of funds within 20 minutes. Plus: an optional $0.99 to $5.99 under Brigit’s terms. Premium: free
Slow delivery	ACH to an outside bank within 3 business days, still with the 5% fee	1–3 days, free on paid plans
Free option	None	An advance with no plan if you email Brigit and Brigit approves
Advance size	$25–$500. Dave says “few qualify for $500”	$25–$500 ($25–$250 in Maine). Average advance $72
New bank account?	Yes, Dave Checking and an ExtraCash account at Coastal Community Bank	No, Brigit connects to your checking account
Repayment	“Repayable on demand,” with a settlement date you accept up front	Brigit debits your bank on a due date you choose, and extension credits can move the date
Other fees	$5 a month inactivity fee after 12 months with no activity	No late fees
Credit check	None	None for Instant Cash
Legal matters	FTC and Justice Department suit (pending). Baltimore suit (pending)	Minnesota AG suit (pending). 2023 FTC order, $18 million in refunds (resolved)
App Store rating	4.80 (924,872 ratings)	4.84 (579,326 ratings)

Fees and terms verified 2026-10-31. App ratings as of October 2026. Sources: Dave’s ExtraCash fee schedule (last updated July 6, 2026), homepage, and About ExtraCash page, and Brigit’s help article How much does Brigit cost? (updated October 27, 2026) and Terms of Service (last revised March 31, 2026).

How each company charges you

Dave charges you twice, once a month and once per advance, while Brigit charges you once a month and adds a fee only for Express on Plus.

Dave’s homepage lists an “up to $5 monthly membership fee for ExtraCash, Income Opportunity Services, and Financial Management Services.” On top of that membership, Dave charges an ExtraCash fee of 5% of each overdraft, with a $5 minimum and a $15 maximum, according to its fee schedule. Dave’s quarterly report for the period ending June 30, 2026 says Dave removed that cap “for certain Member cohorts,” so a large advance can cost more than $15. Take the money in Dave Checking in seconds or wait three business days for a transfer to your bank, and Dave charges the same fee. Dave’s marketing pages describe the fee as “the greater of $5 or 5%” and leave out the $15 cap.

Brigit charges $8.99 a month for Plus and $15.99 for Premium, according to its help center. With Instant Cash, Brigit says “delivery is always free” on the one-to-three-day schedule. Express Delivery within 20 minutes costs Plus members “a small fee,” and section 7.6.3 of Brigit’s Terms of Service puts that fee at $0.99 to $5.99, rising with the advance size. Premium includes free Express Delivery and Credit Builder.

Two price notes. Brigit’s terms list Plus at “$5.99 to $9.99 per month” and mention promotional and legacy rates, so your Plus price may differ from $8.99. Dave’s membership says “up to $5,” so some members pay less. We used $8.99 and $5, the top prices each company shows new members.

One $100 advance, one month, side by side

For a single $100 advance in a month, Brigit Plus costs $8.99 with standard delivery and Dave costs $10, counting each membership.

Same assumptions on both sides: one $100 advance, repaid in 14 days, with one month of membership counted against the advance. The APR formula divides the cost by $100, multiplies by 365, and divides by 14.

Option	Cost for $100	APR equivalent (14 days)
Dave, any delivery to Dave Checking or your bank	$5 fee + $5 membership = $10	261%
Dave, to an external debit card	$5 + $1.50 + $5 = $11.50	300%
Brigit Plus, standard delivery	$8.99	234%
Brigit Plus, Express	$9.98 to $14.98	260% to 391%
Brigit Premium, Express included	$15.99	417%
Brigit free plan, if approved	$0	0%

Work the first row yourself: $10 divided by $100 is 0.10, times 365 is 36.5, divided by 14 is 2.61, or 261%. Every paid row lands in triple digits. That’s what a flat fee does to a two-week advance. Neither company charges interest, so neither quotes an APR, and the math still shows the price of seeing your own money early.

Which costs less a year?

Dave costs less a year if you take fewer than 10 advances, and Brigit Plus with standard delivery costs less if you take 10 or more.

The break-even is simple. A year of Dave’s membership costs $60, and a year of Brigit Plus costs $107.88, a $47.88 gap. Dave’s fee runs at least $5 per advance, so Dave catches up after 10 advances ($47.88 divided by $5 is 9.6). Same assumptions in every row: 12 months of both memberships, Dave’s fee on instant delivery to Dave Checking, and Brigit’s Express fee at its published $0.99 to $5.99 range.

Your advance pattern	Dave, fees plus $60	Brigit Plus, standard	Brigit Plus, Express	Brigit Premium
$100, twice a year	$70	$107.88	$109.86 to $119.86	$191.88
$50, once a month	$120	$107.88	$119.76 to $179.76	$191.88
$250, once a month	$210	$107.88	$119.76 to $179.76	$191.88
$250, every payday (26 times)	$385	$107.88	$133.62 to $263.62	$191.88

Dave’s math for the $250 rows: 5% of $250 is $12.50. Twelve of those cost $150, plus $60 in membership, for $210. Twenty-six cost $325, plus $60, for $385. Brigit Premium at $191.88 beats Dave on both $250 rows because Premium includes Express Delivery for a flat price.

Look at the rows where Brigit wins, though. Both describe someone using an advance every month or every payday, and that pattern costs $108 to $385 a year on either app. That’s a budget gap, not a timing gap. Put the same $9 to $15 a month into a starter emergency fund and within a year you’d have your own $108 to $180 cushion. Our guide to high-yield savings accounts shows where to keep that cushion.

And the cheapest Brigit row isn’t in the table. Brigit’s terms (section 7.7) say eligible users can get an advance without a subscription by emailing Brigit and asking for one. Dave has no equivalent $0 path. Our earned wage access fees guide runs this math for the rest of the market.

Brigit vs Dave on limits, banking, and repayment

Both cash advance apps top out at $500, and they differ on where your money lives and how much control you get over the due date.

• Limits: ExtraCash amounts range from $25 to $500, and Dave says “few qualify for $500.” Brigit advances range from $25 to $500, or $25 to $250 in Maine, and Brigit reports an average advance of $72 from February 2018 to July 2026. Dave says its CashAI reviews “180+ data points” to set your amount, and Brigit computes a Brigit Score from 0 to 100 from your bank account health, spending, and earnings.
• Banking: Dave requires you to open an ExtraCash account and a Dave Checking account at Coastal Community Bank, and the free instant path runs through Dave Checking. Brigit connects to the checking account you already have and needs a smartphone.
• Repayment: Dave says “ExtraCash is repayable on demand,” and you agree to a settlement date when you take the money. Brigit withdraws the advance on the due date you choose when you request the money. You can push that date back with an extension credit, and Brigit charges “no late fees or penalties.” Brigit’s help center gives two deadlines for extending, two business days before the due date in one article and three in another, so extend early.
• Inactivity: Dave charges $5 a month on the ExtraCash account after 12 months with no deposits or withdrawals. If you stop using Dave, close the account.

Both apps collect from a bank account, not from your paycheck, so a late direct deposit can leave you short on the due date. Brigit’s flexible due date gives you more room when your paydays shift. If an overdraft fee already hit, our guide on getting overdraft fees refunded explains what to ask your bank.

Credit checks and credit building

Neither app checks your credit for an advance, and only Brigit sells a credit builder.

Dave says “Dave does not require a credit check at any point.” Brigit says Instant Cash has no impact on your score. Brigit Premium includes a Credit Builder installment loan, which reports your payment activity to the credit bureaus as long as you save each month, per Brigit’s Credit Builder article. Brigit adds that results vary and some users’ scores may not improve.

Paying $15.99 a month for Premium mostly to build credit is expensive. A secured card does the same job for less, and our guide on how to build credit from scratch walks through the steps.

Lawsuits and regulators

The FTC has gone after both companies over how they sold advances, and both now face local or state suits calling the products unlicensed loans.

• Dave, federal: the FTC sued Dave on November 5, 2024, alleging Dave advertised advances “up to $500” that few members got, charged undisclosed express fees of $3 to $25, and defaulted members into a 15% tip. The Justice Department filed an amended complaint on December 30, 2024, adding CEO Jason Wilk and seeking civil penalties. The FTC’s case page lists the case as pending. A court denied Dave’s motion to dismiss on September 12, 2025, according to Dave’s quarterly report. Dave disputes the claims.
• Dave, Baltimore: the city sued on December 30, 2025, alleging ExtraCash is an unlicensed loan that charges more than 10 times Maryland’s 33% APR cap. Status: pending.
• Brigit, FTC: in November 2023, the FTC announced an order requiring $18 million for refunds over deceptive claims about advance amounts, fees, and cancellation. The FTC tracks the payments on its Brigit refunds page. Status: the order stands, and the FTC sent a second round of refunds in May 2026 and says money remains in the fund.
• Brigit, Minnesota: Attorney General Keith Ellison sued on June 10, 2026, calling Brigit an unlicensed short-term lender with APRs “regularly” above 300% and some above 700%, against Minnesota’s 50% cap. Status: pending.

Dave’s current fee schedule shows no tips and lists a $15 maximum fee that Dave no longer applies to every member, and Brigit’s current pages show no tips either. The CFPB’s December 2025 advisory opinion says covered earned wage access isn’t credit under federal law, but neither Dave’s overdraft model nor Brigit’s subscription model fits that definition cleanly. Our explainers on whether earned wage access is a loan and on earned wage access laws cover the fight.

Dave vs Brigit: which should you pick?

Pick Dave if you take a few cash advances a year and want a bank account bundled in, and pick Brigit if you borrow monthly, want to keep your bank, or need a flexible due date.

Pros and cons of each

	Dave	Brigit
Pros	Smaller membership, up to $5. Free instant delivery to Dave Checking. Fee capped at $15 for members who still have the cap. No credit check.	No per-advance fee on standard delivery. You pick and extend the due date. No late fees. Free Express and Credit Builder on Premium. Keeps your bank.
Cons	A 5% fee on every advance, $5 minimum, with no $0 path. You open new accounts, and Dave charges an inactivity fee. Federal and city suits.	$8.99 or $15.99 every month, borrow or not. Plus charges up to $5.99 for Express. The free plan works only by email. Minnesota suit and a 2023 FTC order.

Pick Dave if

• You expect fewer than 10 advances a year.
• You want instant money without a separate speed fee, and you’ll use Dave Checking.
• You’re comfortable moving part of your banking to Coastal Community Bank through Dave.

Sign up for Dave

Pick Brigit if

• You take 10 or more advances a year and can wait one to three days for standard delivery.
• Your paydays move, and you want to choose and extend your own due date.
• You want to keep your current bank account.
• You’ll email Brigit for the no-subscription option first.

Sign up for Brigit

Skip both if

• You can wait a day or two for free money. EarnIn charges no subscription and $0 for a standard transfer, and our EarnIn vs Dave and EarnIn vs Brigit comparisons run those numbers.
• Your employer offers a pay-access program that repays through payroll.
• You’d borrow every pay period. A subscription to cover a monthly shortfall is a budget problem, and our beginner’s guide to budgeting is the better fix.

For the full story on each, read our Dave review and Brigit review, or compare alternatives in apps like Dave and apps like Brigit. Another matchup: EarnIn vs Klover.

Dave vs Brigit FAQ

Dave vs Brigit: the bottom line

The Dave vs Brigit answer depends on how often you borrow. Dave costs less for fewer than 10 advances a year, and Brigit Plus with standard delivery costs less for 10 or more. Brigit also offers a free plan by email, a due date you control, and no new bank account, which gives Brigit the edge for most frequent users. Before you subscribe to either, check whether EarnIn’s free standard transfer or an employer program covers you, and treat a monthly advance habit as the cue to build a cash buffer.

No employer program? See earned wage access without an employer, or read earned wage access vs cash advance for where Dave and Brigit fit.