Getting really caught in the usual nine-hour working schedule a day is not many people’s cup of tea. Especially, gig workers and freelancers like to work as their own pace, hours, and earn whatever money they want. As of 2025, there are approximately 42 million people in the United States engaged in some kind of gig work. Be it like freelance writer, consultant, food delivery person, farmer, or any other profession.
However, with time flexibility comes with financial unpredictability. At such juncture, cash advance apps help freelancers and gig workers to arrange funds before the next pay cheque.
With so many cash advance apps for gig workers and freelancers available virtually, finding the best one can be challenging. Most commonly apps like EarnIn, Cleo, Giggle Finance, Ualett, and others must be on your top of mind.
Every cash advance app has its pros and cons that we will discuss it here for making you the right choice.
So, here, we will be touching top-rated cash advance apps available for gig workers and freelancers. And help you make an informed decision.
What are Cash Advance App for Gig Workers & Freelancers?
As the name suggest, cash advance apps are temporary financial gains applications for gig workers and freelancers. They help obtain quick and easy money before the arrival of next payday.
Available in several options, cash advance apps offer financial assistance at lower fees, flexible repayment schedule and cost effective compare to traditional loans. Thus, meeting unexpected expenditure like car repair, medical bills, unpaid kids school fees, etc., can easily met with funds gained from such apps.
Can You Get a Loan with Bad Credit as a Gig Workers and Freelancers?
That’s the common doubt that most gig workers and freelancers ask when finding the best cash advance apps for loans. Several apps do accept bad credit holders with poor or low credit score history.
Such platforms rely on your banking transactions, financial stability, and gig platforms payout to ascertain the profile. This implies, bad credit score in the profile do not refrain you some from arranging advance cash from such apps.
Requirements for cash advances and loans for gig workers
When applying for short-term financial help from instant pay apps, specifically created for freelancer and gig workers, make sure to meet the following set of conditions.
- You must be having a valid government identification proof.
- You must be having an active bank account.
- You must showcase the proof of regular income you earn.
- Your minimum gig working or freelancing income must be at least $150 to $500 per week.
- You must be connected with a valid gig working platform (Plaid or manual uploads)
Once all the above conditions are fulfilled, then you will become eligible for cash advance from freelancer loan apps.
Which are the best apps for freelancers and gig worker?
Now, comes the most important part of the discussion, comparison among the best cash advance apps for freelancers and gig working professionals. Here’s the list below for your reference.
EarnIn
EarnIn is one of the popular cash advance apps for gig workers to arrange funds up to $150 a day or $750 pay period. It’s a no interest charged cash advance app for freelancers. You even don’t need to pay any fee for getting a small loan instantly. Once approved, get the cash deposited into your bank account up to 2 days sooner before your payday.
Pros:
- No interest cash advance app.
- Fast access to cash within minutes.
- No credit check required.
Cons:
- Proof of consistent deposit of money in your bank account.
- Does not work with all bank accounts (only specific ones).
- Daily or pay-period limit can be long at times.
Cleo
Best for short-term and small financial needs. Get cash access up to $250 within minutes. AI-powered financial assistance of app quickly screens your profile and provides fast approval. Moreover, best for small and mid-term financial crisis.
Pros:
- No interest and fees charged.
- Best for small financial requirement.
- Even work with freelancers getting inconsistent income in bank account.
Cons:
- To access cash advance, one must pay $5.99.
- Difficult to meet eligibility criteria.
- Rely on Plaid for checking bank connection.
Giggle Finance
Best for large financial requirements up to $10,000 in few minutes. Even repeat borrowers can arrange funds up to $20,000. With simple application process, no credit check required, no hidden fees, and instant cash available, apply for a small to large loan from Giggle Finance App.
Pros:
- Ideal for arranging large sum of cash up to $10,000 for new borrowers and $20k for repeat customers
- No credit check required.
- Fast online application process.
Cons:
- High fees charged because of higher loan amount.
- Limited availability, only in few states.
- Quick repayment schedule.
Ualett
Ualett empowers gig workers, small drivers, and small business owners to get easy access to cash. You can be a Uber delivery driver, truck driver, self-employed professional, gig worker, rideshare driver, or anyone. Get funds deposited into your bank account on the very same day.
Pros:
- Best for ridesharing drivers and delivery drivers.
- Fast funding option.
- Easy to understand app.
Cons:
- Advance limitation on gig worker’s income.
- Limited financial scope for freelancers.
- Income verification required.
Fundo
Fundo, Another cash advance app to arrange small amount up to $250 in advance. It’s a no-interest charged application and best for freelancers.
Pros:
- No credit check required.
- Transparent financial model.
- Works with majority of banks.
Cons:
- Not for all users.
- Required Plaid bank connection.
- Advance limits for low wage earners.
Lendesca
Lendesca, Ideal for freelancers and self-employed professionals to arrange small to large sum of cash instantly.
Pros:
- Get advance cash up to thousands of dollars.
- Flexible repayment schedule.
- No credit check required.
Cons:
- Higher cost compared to traditional loan options.
- Need regular income proof.
- Additional documentation required.
Allotmentloan.com
Best cash advance app for government and federal employees to arrange small to large amount of cash. Even support 1099 workers to arrange loan with fixed repayment schedule.
Pros:
- Structured loan terms and conditions.
- Even work for bad credit holders.
- Work with non-traditional income.
Cons:
- Time-taking approval process.
- Meant for selected gig workers and freelancers.
- Original fees might be charged.
How to choose a cash advance app for your scenario
Here’s the list of ways that can help you choose a cash advance app:
- Choose based on your profession: When working as a rideshare driver, freelancer, or a gig platform worker, choose an app that offer loan to specific professionals.
- Quick funding option: Choose to have the cash advance app that offers you fastest possible cash.
- Fees charged & repayment schedule: Look for an app that does not charge any fee and repayment schedule is flexible.
Which are the Cash Advance Apps that Use (and Don’t use) Plaid?
Here’s the list of cash advance apps that use Plaid
- EarnIn
- Cleo
- Fundo
- Lendesca
Apps that don’t use Plaid
- Giggle Finance (uses bank statements)
- Ualett (may use gig platform data directly)
- AllotmentLoan.com (manual verification)
Which are the Cash advance apps that work with Cash App?
Here’s the list of apps for your reference:
- Cleo
- Giggle Finance
- Ualett
- EarnIn (with some limitations)
Name the Cash advance apps that work with pay stub apps
There are several cash advance apps including Fundo, Cleo, and Lendesca accept uploaded pay stubs or freelance invoices generated from different platforms like FreshBooks, Everlance, Wave, etc.
Which are the Cash advances for DoorDash drivers?
- Ualett (specifically supports DoorDash income)
- Giggle Finance (fast approvals for delivery drivers)
- EarnIn (if DoorDash deposits are regular)
Provide the List of Loan Apps for Uber drivers
- Ualett
- Giggle Finance
- Lendesca (larger loans if driving income is consistent)
Guaranteed cash advance apps
No app can guarantee approval, but these have high acceptance rates for gig workers:
- Giggle Finance
- Cleo (especially with Cleo Plus)
- Ualett
FAQS
Why Gig Workers Need Instant Cash Advances
It is mainly the gig workers who receive ad hoc payments. The ability to allow early collection of wages before the payout date can relieve stress and overdraft charges when car repairs or rent bills or bills come due.
What’s wrong with Most Cash Advance Apps?
Most of the conventional software are not compatible with irregular or 1099 incomes. Others will need an employer working full-time or regular direct deposit, so they are not open to freelancers.
What is the best cash advance app for gig workers?
As there is not a single size fits all but:
- Rideshare/delivery: Ualett, Giggle Finance
- General freelancing: Cleo, EarnIn
- Greater needs: Lendesca, AllotmentLoan.com
Can I get a cash advance if I have bad credit?
Yes. Majority of these apps do not conduct a hard credit inquiry. They pay attention to income action rather than to credit rating.
How do these apps verify income for freelancers and gig workers?
They may:
- Gig platforms (Uber, DoorDash)
- Plaid to scan deposits in banks
- Accept uploaded pay stubs or invoices
Are there any fees associated with using cash advance apps?
Other applications could be tip-based (such as EarnIn) free or at a fee:
- Monthly subscriptions (Cleo)
- Origination fees (Lendesca)
- Advance fees (Giggle Finance)
What’s the typical advance limit for gig workers and freelancers?
This costs between $100-$5,000 on the basis of:
- Income frequency
- Bank account health
- Advance provider
Do these apps perform credit checks, and will they affect my credit score?
Majority of the apps do not hard pulls. Only a handful can pull credit on bigger loans but will not impact your score unless reported (unlikely).
How quickly can I get funds from these cash advance apps?
Some apps (such as Ualett or EarnIn) provide the money instantly, or they take 1-3 business days. Speed will mainly depend on bank or gig service itself.