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Savings comparison

Chime vs MoneyLion

Updated

Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.

Short answer

Chime and MoneyLion are both banking apps. Chime lists 1.00% APY for standard members, 3.00% APY for Chime Plus and 4.00% APY for Chime Prime, in rates effective Oct 6, 2026, while MoneyLion lists 3.88% APY on MoneyLion Save for MoneyLion One members, accurate as of 10/01/2026. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026, and the official sources differ on 5 of the 7 rows in the table below.

Chime vs MoneyLion at a glance

Chime and MoneyLion are both banking apps. This page puts what each company's official pages and app store listings say side by side, with the date we checked every fact. The sources differ on 5 of the 7 rows in the table below.

Price and fees

Chime says its savings account has no fees, and you need an active Chime Checking Account to open one. The optional MoneyLion One membership costs $9.99 a month, or $0 a month when you direct deposit $500 or more each month. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.

APY or rate

Chime lists 1.00% APY for standard members, 3.00% APY for Chime Plus and 4.00% APY for Chime Prime, in rates effective Oct 6, 2026. Chime says the rate is variable. Chime says there is no minimum balance, but you need $0.01 in savings to earn interest. The higher rates depend on Chime Plus or Chime Prime status, which ties to qualifying direct deposits. MoneyLion lists 3.88% APY on MoneyLion Save for MoneyLion One members, accurate as of 10/01/2026. MoneyLion says the rate is variable. No minimum deposit is required to open the account, and no minimum balance is required to earn APY. The 3.88% rate is tied to MoneyLion One membership. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.

Opening and balance minimums

Chime says its savings account has no minimum balance requirement. MoneyLion says no minimum deposit is required to open MoneyLion Save and no minimum balance is required to earn APY. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.

Protection

Chime is not a bank. Banking services come from The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, and pass-through deposit insurance applies only when certain conditions are met. MoneyLion is not a bank. MoneyLion Spend and MoneyLion Save are provided by Pathward, National Association, Member FDIC, and funds are FDIC insured, subject to applicable limitations and restrictions, when received into your account. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.

Platforms

MoneyLion lists Web, iOS and Android. We haven't verified this for Chime yet, so check the official site for Chime before you decide. We checked MoneyLion on Oct 24, 2026.

Features

Chime lists goals. We haven't verified the features for MoneyLion yet. We checked Chime on Oct 24, 2026.

App store rating

Chime has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 1,629,130 ratings. MoneyLion has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 330,325 ratings. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026. Store ratings are a dated snapshot from each listing, not our score.

What it costs

Bars show only when every app here lists a yearly price, so these prices sit side by side without them. Prices are list prices from each app's own page, before tax and any offer.

At a glance

  • APY

    Chime
    1.00% to 4.00% APY
    MoneyLion
    3.88% APY
    Source
    • Chime lists 1.00% APY for standard members, 3.00% APY for Chime Plus and 4.00% APY for Chime Prime, in rates effective Oct 6, 2026. The rate is variable. Chime says there is no minimum balance, but you need $0.01 in savings to earn interest. The higher rates depend on Chime Plus or Chime Prime status, which ties to qualifying direct deposits. help.chime.com/what-is-annual-percentage-yield-apy-dfafd381, as of Oct 24, 2026.
    • MoneyLion lists 3.88% APY on MoneyLion Save for MoneyLion One members, accurate as of 10/01/2026. The rate is variable. No minimum deposit is required to open the account, and no minimum balance is required to earn APY. The 3.88% rate is tied to MoneyLion One membership. moneylion.com/one, as of Oct 24, 2026.
  • App Store rating

    Chime
    4.81,629,130 ratings
    MoneyLion
    4.8330,325 ratings
    Source
    • Chime has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 1,629,130 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
    • MoneyLion has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 330,325 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
  • Platforms

    Chime
    Not verified yet
    MoneyLion
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Source
    • Chime: Not verified yet.
    • MoneyLion lists Web, iOS and Android. moneylion.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.
  • Minimums

    Chime
    Chime says its savings account has no minimum balance requirement.
    MoneyLion
    MoneyLion says no minimum deposit is required to open MoneyLion Save and no minimum balance is required to earn APY.
    Source
  • Protection

    Chime
    Chime is not a bank. Banking services come from The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, and pass-through deposit insurance applies only when certain conditions are met.
    MoneyLion
    MoneyLion is not a bank. MoneyLion Spend and MoneyLion Save are provided by Pathward, National Association, Member FDIC, and funds are FDIC insured, subject to applicable limitations and restrictions, when received into your account.
    Source
    • Chime is not a bank. Banking services come from The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, and pass-through deposit insurance applies only when certain conditions are met. help.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355c, as of Oct 24, 2026.
    • MoneyLion is not a bank. MoneyLion Spend and MoneyLion Save are provided by Pathward, National Association, Member FDIC, and funds are FDIC insured, subject to applicable limitations and restrictions, when received into your account. moneylion.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.

Features

Features listed by each app's official source. A question mark means not verified yet.
FeatureChimeMoneyLion
Savings goalsListed by the sourceNot verified yet

✓ means the official site lists it. ? means we haven't verified it yet, not that the app lacks it. Chime: help.chime.com/what-are-chime-savings-goals-4aef8222, as of Oct 24, 2026.

Screen by screen

Pick a task to see what each app shows for it. App Store and Google Play images are the apps' own marketing, so they can show sample data and staged layouts. Help center images come from the app's support articles. See every app's screens.

Home

Chime logoChime

  • Chime App Store image of the home screen
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "America's #1 Choice for Banking" showing an Available balance with Savings, Cash back, MyPay and Direct Deposit tiles.App Store listing, as of

MoneyLion

  • MoneyLion App Store image of MoneyLion One
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "One Premium benefits" showing the MoneyLion One membership screen.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion One membership screen
    App Store marketing imageThe MoneyLion One screen: Membership unlocked with a direct deposit progress bar, then benefit tiles for daily cash back, savings APY, identity protection and investing, each with Activate now.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion membership unlocked card
    App Store marketing imageA Membership unlocked card: deposited $524 of $500 with a progress bar and a Manage direct deposit button.App Store listing, as of

Goals

Chime logoChime

  • Chime App Store image of savings goals
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with a savings APY headline showing a Savings screen with goals like Wedding and Emergency fund.App Store listing, as of

MoneyLion

No official screen found yet

Reports and insights

Chime logoChime

No official screen found yet

MoneyLion

  • MoneyLion App Store image of credit monitoring
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Stay in control of your money" showing a Credit Monitoring screen with a score of 780.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion Credit Monitoring screen
    App Store marketing imageThe Credit Monitoring screen: a gauge at 780, Excellent, up 5.2 points, a See all activity button and rows for credit utilization, age of accounts, total balances and credit checks.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion credit score gauge
    App Store marketing imageA credit score gauge from 300 to 850 pointing at 780, labeled Excellent, up 5.2 points, updated May 30.App Store listing, as of

Investments

Chime logoChime

No official screen found yet

MoneyLion

  • MoneyLion App Store image of Investments
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Invest money in your own way" and the line "And spare change with Round Ups", showing an Investments screen.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion Investments screen
    App Store marketing imageThe Investments screen: $1,248.48 with a line chart, time range buttons and Withdraw and Add money buttons.App Store listing, as of

Transfer and send

Chime logoChime

No official screen found yet

MoneyLion

  • MoneyLion App Store image of an Instacash advance
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Access your pay early $20 - $500 with Instacash" showing a "You got Instacash!" screen.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion Instacash confirmation screen
    App Store marketing imageA "You got Instacash!" screen held in a hand, with a $500.00 card showing the destination account, repayment date and wait time, and a Done button.App Store listing, as of

Card controls

Chime logoChime

  • Chime App Store image of Your cards
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Earn 5% cash back with Chime Card." showing a Your cards screen with an Add to Apple Wallet button.App Store listing, as of

MoneyLion

No official screen found yet

Settings and security

Chime logoChime

  • Chime App Store image of the Security Center
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Serious security and real-time alerts" showing a Security Center at 100% and a suspicious activity alert.App Store listing, as of

MoneyLion

No official screen found yet

Other screens

Chime logoChime

  • Chime App Store image of a credit score gauge
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Increase your credit score up to 70 pts" showing a credit score gauge at 720.App Store listing, as of
  • Chime App Store image of MyPay
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Get up to $500 of your pay when you say" showing a MyPay screen with $275 available.App Store listing, as of
  • Chime App Store image of an ATM map
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with a fee-free ATMs headline showing a map with ATM pins.App Store listing, as of

MoneyLion

  • MoneyLion App Store image with a person holding a phone
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Borrow. Earn. Win.", a laurel saying MoneyLion has helped over 18M people get $18B, and a person holding a phone that shows "You got Instacash! $100".App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion App Store image about playing games
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Earn money for playing games" and the line "Earn up to $50 per game", showing game icons and a person on a beanbag.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion App Store image of personal loan offers
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Personal loan offers up to $100k" showing a borrowing amount screen and a loan offer.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion personal loan offers screen
    App Store marketing imageA "How much would you like to borrow?" screen set to $1000 with a See my offers button, purpose tiles for Emergency Bills, Debt Consolidation and Home Improvement, and a Lendio personal loan card.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion App Store disclaimer image
    App Store marketing imageApp Store image titled Disclaimer with numbered footnotes about Instacash, cash back on debit purchases and APY.App Store listing, as of
  • MoneyLion App Store disclaimer image, part 2
    App Store marketing imageA second App Store image titled Disclaimer with numbered footnotes about the savings rate comparison, insurance benefits, investing, Credit Builder, Round Ups and MoneyLion One membership.App Store listing, as of

Chime and MoneyLion, side by side

Rows marked “Differs” are where the official sources say different things, and 5 rows do here.

No row matches exactly, so all 7 rows stay. Rows we can't compare yet dim.

Swipe the table sideways to see both apps.

Chime and MoneyLion compared. Each cell shows the date it was checked and links to its source.
FieldChime logoChimeBanking appChime is a financial technology company, not a bank, that offers checking and savings accounts through partner banks.Visit Chime's siteMoneyLionBanking appMoneyLion is a financial technology company, not a bank, with a MoneyLion Spend account, MoneyLion Save, Instacash cash advances, investing and a marketplace of loan and card offers.Visit MoneyLion's site
Price and feesDiffersChime says its savings account has no fees, and you need an active Chime Checking Account to open one.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355cThe optional MoneyLion One membership costs $9.99 a month, or $0 a month when you direct deposit $500 or more each month.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: moneylion.com/one
APY or rateDiffersChime lists 1.00% APY for standard members, 3.00% APY for Chime Plus and 4.00% APY for Chime Prime, in rates effective Oct 6, 2026. The rate is variable.Chime says there is no minimum balance, but you need $0.01 in savings to earn interest. The higher rates depend on Chime Plus or Chime Prime status, which ties to qualifying direct deposits.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-annual-percentage-yield-apy-dfafd381MoneyLion lists 3.88% APY on MoneyLion Save for MoneyLion One members, accurate as of 10/01/2026. The rate is variable.No minimum deposit is required to open the account, and no minimum balance is required to earn APY. The 3.88% rate is tied to MoneyLion One membership.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: moneylion.com/one
Opening and balance minimumsDiffersChime says its savings account has no minimum balance requirement.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355cMoneyLion says no minimum deposit is required to open MoneyLion Save and no minimum balance is required to earn APY.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: moneylion.com/one
ProtectionDiffersChime is not a bank. Banking services come from The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, and pass-through deposit insurance applies only when certain conditions are met.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355cMoneyLion is not a bank. MoneyLion Spend and MoneyLion Save are provided by Pathward, National Association, Member FDIC, and funds are FDIC insured, subject to applicable limitations and restrictions, when received into your account.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: moneylion.com
PlatformsNot verified yet.MoneyLion lists Web, iOS and Android.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: moneylion.com
Features
  • Yes: Goals
As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-are-chime-savings-goals-4aef8222
Not verified yet.
App store ratingDiffersChime has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 1,629,130 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listingMoneyLion has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 330,325 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing

App store ratings are a dated snapshot from each store listing, not our score. “Not verified yet” means we don't have a current official source for that line. How we source and date this data. Spotted a change? Tell us if something changed.

Weighing a third option? Add up to two more apps to this table and compare up to four side by side.

Who it's for

Pick the tab that sounds like you. The questions come from app help centers, FAQ pages and user forums, and every answer comes from the app's own pages, with the date we checked it.

Just me

Budgeting on your own? These are the basics people ask about first.

  • Is it free?

    Chime

    Chime says its savings account has no fees, and you need an active Chime Checking Account to open one.

    As of . Source: help.chime.com

    MoneyLion

    The optional MoneyLion One membership costs $9.99 a month, or $0 a month when you direct deposit $500 or more each month.

    As of . Source: moneylion.com

  • Does it connect to my bank and import transactions?

    Chime

    Not verified yet

    MoneyLion

    Yes. MoneyLion's help center says you can link your bank accounts to get spending insights from your linked accounts and your MoneyLion Spend account.

    As of . Source: help.moneylion.com

  • Is there support from the app's makers if I need help?

    Chime

    Not verified yet

    MoneyLion

    Yes. In-app chat, phone (24/7) and email.

    In their words: “Here's how to contact MoneyLion Customer Care when you're in a pinch”

    As of . Source: help.moneylion.com

Partners

Sharing money with a partner? Here's how each app handles a second person.

  • Can my partner use their own login details?

    Chime

    Yes. Your partner gets their own login.

    In their words: “To open and keep a joint account, each co-owner must have their own active Chime Checking Account.”

    As of . Source: help.chime.com

    MoneyLion

    Not verified yet

  • How many people can share one account?

    Chime

    Up to 2 people, including you.

    In their words: “A joint account is a checking account owned and shared by two people to manage money together.”

    As of . Source: help.chime.com

    MoneyLion

    Not verified yet

  • Can we keep shared and individual views?

    Chime

    Yes. You can keep shared and individual views.

    In their words: “To open and keep a joint account, each co-owner must have their own active Chime Checking Account.”

    As of . Source: help.chime.com

    MoneyLion

    Not verified yet

Family

Bringing in more of the household? Here's what each app says about families and kids. See apps with custodial accounts for kids.

  • How many people can share one account?

    Chime

    Up to 2 people, including you.

    In their words: “A joint account is a checking account owned and shared by two people to manage money together.”

    As of . Source: help.chime.com

    MoneyLion

    Not verified yet

Freelancer

Paid on an uneven schedule or running a side hustle? Here's what each app offers. See apps with a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k).

  • Can I mix business and personal expenses in this app?

    Chime

    No.

    In their words: “We don't currently support business accounts.”

    As of . Source: help.chime.com

    MoneyLion

    Not verified yet

Business

Running a small business? Here's what each app says about business money.

  • Can I mix business and personal expenses in this app?

    Chime

    No.

    In their words: “We don't currently support business accounts.”

    As of . Source: help.chime.com

    MoneyLion

    Not verified yet

“Not verified yet” means we haven't found a current official source that answers it, not that the app can't. We only say no when the app's own page does.

Which fits your Money Type?

There are four Money Types: Strategist, Spender, Saver and Scrambler. Each card matches one type to what the sources say about these two apps.

  • Strategist

    Neither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.

    First fix: Save the Raise.

  • Spender

    Chime lists goals. A goal gives a Spender a reason to pause before buying, which is the Sleep on It fix.

    First fix: Sleep on It.

  • Saver

    Both Chime and MoneyLion list an APY on deposits. That fits a Saver, whose first fix is putting saved money to work.

    First fix: Put It to Work.

  • Scrambler

    MoneyLion lists bank syncing. Seeing every account in one place helps a Scrambler pay bills first.

    First fix: Bills First.

Not sure which one you are? Take the free Money Types quiz. It takes about two minutes.

Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.

Another option: Fifecta

If neither Chime nor MoneyLion feels right, here is one more option to look at. Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, and it starts from your Money Type, so the plan matches how you already handle money.

What real users say

These are other people's opinions, not Priceless Tay's. We quote public reviews and posts word for word, link each one and show its date, but we haven't checked the claims in them. A post counts toward a theme when it uses one of that theme's keywords, so a mention can be praise or a complaint.

What Chime users say

Based on 500 App Store reviews, 7 Reddit posts, 1 YouTube video and 2 Hacker News posts dated May 2026 to Oct 2026, read Oct 2026. We collected the Reddit and YouTube data with Apify, a scraping service, on Oct 24, 2026.

  • Of the 510 reviews, posts and videos we read, 83 mention deposits, transfers or getting paid.
  • Of the 510 reviews, posts and videos we read, 45 mention how easy or hard the app is to use.
  • Of the 510 reviews, posts and videos we read, 40 mention customer service or support.

Positive

“It’s the best banking app out there in my opinion. You can get paid two days earlier than your paycheck...”
App Store reviewer on the App Store, . See the App Store reviews. Apple doesn't give single reviews their own link, so this opens the app's reviews.

Critical

“Worst customer service and dispute resolution it takes over 3 months so they can tell you your dispute was denied...”
App Store reviewer on the App Store, . See the App Store reviews. Apple doesn't give single reviews their own link, so this opens the app's reviews.

Mixed

“I've had chime for 3 years and for the most part it's been a great experience.”
u/dnyte270 in r/chimefinancial on Reddit, . Read it on Reddit.
Where these come from

FAQ

How much does Chime cost?

Chime says its savings account has no fees, and you need an active Chime Checking Account to open one. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.

How much does MoneyLion cost?

The optional MoneyLion One membership costs $9.99 a month, or $0 a month when you direct deposit $500 or more each month. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.

What APY does Chime list?

Chime lists 1.00% APY for standard members, 3.00% APY for Chime Plus and 4.00% APY for Chime Prime, in rates effective Oct 6, 2026. Chime says the rate is variable. Chime says there is no minimum balance, but you need $0.01 in savings to earn interest. The higher rates depend on Chime Plus or Chime Prime status, which ties to qualifying direct deposits. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.

What APY does MoneyLion list?

MoneyLion lists 3.88% APY on MoneyLion Save for MoneyLion One members, accurate as of 10/01/2026. MoneyLion says the rate is variable. No minimum deposit is required to open the account, and no minimum balance is required to earn APY. The 3.88% rate is tied to MoneyLion One membership. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.

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Keep comparing

Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.

Want a plan built on your Money Type?

Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, so you know where each dollar goes.

Pinterest pin for Chime vs MoneyLion, a side-by-side app comparison from Priceless Tay.

Save this comparison

Pin it so you can find it again when you're ready to choose.

Sources and confidence

Last checked
Not verified yet
2 of 14 facts
Chime6 of 7 verified, 1 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
MoneyLion6 of 7 verified, 1 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026

Each fact links to the official page it came from, with the date we checked it. Once a fact is older than its app's window (8 days for apps whose rates change often, 35 days for the rest), it reads “Not verified yet” until we check it again. How we source, date and index this data.

This is education, not financial advice.