30-second pick: Bree if you want the cheapest one-off advance with no monthly fee. Nyble if you want to build credit at the same time. KOHO Cover only if you're already a paid KOHO subscriber. All three are dramatically cheaper and safer than payday lenders like Money Mart or Cash Money.

The decision in one table

Bree — deep dive

Bree's pitch is simple: $0 to use, only pay if you want it instantly. You connect your chequing account via Plaid, and Bree analyzes 60 days of income and spending to decide your advance limit (typically $100–$300 to start, up to $500 with history).

• Pricing: Free standard (1–3 business days) or $1.99–$3.99 instant
• Tip: Bree's app prompts for an optional tip — skip it; doesn't affect approval or future limits
• Repayment: Auto-pulled from your chequing account on your next payday
• Credit reporting: None. Bree doesn't help or hurt your credit score
• Provincial coverage: All 10 provinces including QC

Pick Bree if: you need a one-time bridge to next payday, don't want a subscription, and don't care about credit-building.

Nyble — deep dive

Nyble does what Bree doesn't: it reports your on-time repayments to Equifax Canada. For someone rebuilding their credit (post-collection, post-bankruptcy, or just thin file), this is huge — 6 months of perfect Nyble repayments can lift a 580 score into the 620–660 range.

• Pricing: $3.99/mo subscription
• Advance: $250 to start, builds to $1,000
• Credit reporting: Yes — Equifax (both positive AND negative)
• Repayment: Auto-pulled on next payday
• Provincial coverage: All except Quebec

Pick Nyble if: your credit score is below 660 and you want to actively build it. Don't pick Nyble if you're prone to missed payments — the credit-reporting cuts both ways.

KOHO Cover — deep dive

KOHO Cover is bundled into KOHO's paid prepaid Mastercard plans. If you're already paying $4–$19/month for KOHO's cashback + budgeting + roundups, Cover is essentially free — you get up to $250 instantly with $0 interest.

• Cost: $0 marginal cost if you're already a KOHO subscriber. Otherwise factor the $4–$19/mo plan into the cost
• Advance: $250 flat (no growth tier)
• Credit reporting: Cover itself doesn't report. KOHO has a separate Credit Building product (also paid) that does — buy both if credit-building matters
• Repayment: Auto from your KOHO account on next direct deposit

Pick KOHO Cover if: you're already a KOHO user. The cost is sunk, Cover is the cheapest $250 short-term credit you'll find.

The decision tree

1. Are you already paying for KOHO? → KOHO Cover (it's free for you)
2. Is your credit score below 660? → Nyble (cash + credit building)
3. Is this a one-off and you have decent credit? → Bree (no subscription)
4. None of the above? → Build a $1,000 emergency fund in a HISA instead

What about iCash, MyCanadaPayday, and GoDay?

These are technically payday loans, not cash advance apps — much higher cost (~$15 per $100 borrowed = 390% APR). Use only as a true last resort. See our full best cash advance apps in Canada 2026 roundup which covers all 6.

Cash advance + BNPL — a warning

If you're using cash advance apps AND BNPL (Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm) at the same time, you're 6–12 months from a debt cycle. Mortgage and loan underwriters scan bank statements for both. See our guide on how BNPL affects your credit score — even when it doesn't show on your bureau report, it shows on your bank statement.

More on KOHO

KOHO Cover is one of three KOHO products people often confuse. For the full picture see our KOHO review (2026) and our KOHO Line of Credit review — the larger revolving credit option that sits alongside Cover. If you're stuck on sign-in, see our KOHO app & login help.