The short answer
Both are free for employers. DailyPay charges employees a flat $3.49 for an instant transfer and nothing for 1-3 business day transfers; Payactiv makes real-time transfers to its Visa card free with a direct deposit of $200 or more per pay period, and charges $2.49 or $3.49 otherwise.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
DailyPay wins 2Payactiv wins 12 ties
| Dimension | DailyPay | Payactiv |
|---|---|---|
| PricingNeither charges the employer. DailyPay employees pay $3.49 per instant transfer and nothing for 1-3 business day transfers. Payactiv employees pay nothing for ACH or for real-time transfers to its card with a qualifying direct deposit, and $2.49 or $3.49 otherwise. Free | $0/employee/mo | $0/employee/mo |
| CapabilitiesPayactiv documents 9 of the 11 items on our earned wage access checklist, including access limits and pay stub records. DailyPay documents 6, including financial coaching. Always a no-fee transfer option and no tips, Employer eligibility and program controls, Deductions shown as a line item on the pay stub, One-on-one guidance from independent financial professionals, Bill pay, savings goals and discounts in the app | 6 of 11 core capabilities | 9 of 11 core capabilities |
| IntegrationsDailyPay connects to over 180 HCM, payroll and time systems and runs natively inside Workday. Payactiv connects to 150+ payroll and workforce systems, including ADP, Paychex, UKG, Paycor, Oracle and Workday. 180 | 180 native | 150 native |
| SecurityDailyPay states PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Payactiv states ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 Type II attestation. Yes | SOC 2, ISO 27001 | SOC 2, ISO 27001 |
| Fit and supportDailyPay supports employees by email, phone and live chat. Payactiv lists 24-hour phone and email support. Email, phone, live chat, help center | Small businesses, enterprises | Enterprises |
| Attribute | DailyPay | Payactiv |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small businesses, enterprises | Enterprises |
| Native integrations | 180 | 150 |
| Support channels | Email, phone, live chat, help center | Phone, email |
| Founded | 2015 | 2012 |
| Attribute | DailyPay | Payactiv |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Price transparency | Published | Published |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Mobile apps | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Open API | ||
| SOC 2 Type II | ||
| ISO 27001 | ||
| Ownership | Private | Private |
Pricing. Neither charges the employer. DailyPay employees pay $3.49 per instant transfer and nothing for 1-3 business day transfers. Payactiv employees pay nothing for ACH or for real-time transfers to its card with a qualifying direct deposit, and $2.49 or $3.49 otherwise.
Capabilities. Payactiv documents 9 of the 11 items on our earned wage access checklist, including access limits and pay stub records. DailyPay documents 6, including financial coaching.
Integrations. DailyPay connects to over 180 HCM, payroll and time systems and runs natively inside Workday. Payactiv connects to 150+ payroll and workforce systems, including ADP, Paychex, UKG, Paycor, Oracle and Workday.
Security. DailyPay states PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Payactiv states ISO 27001 certification and a SOC 2 Type II attestation.
Fit and support. DailyPay supports employees by email, phone and live chat. Payactiv lists 24-hour phone and email support.
Tapcheck has the highest LeadChange Score in Earned Wage Access after excluding these two (8.0/10).
From $0/employee/mo
It depends on the card. Payactiv’s real-time transfers are free to its Visa card with a direct deposit of $200 or more per pay period, and $2.49 without it. DailyPay charges a flat $3.49 for every instant transfer unless it goes to a DailyPay Card set up with direct deposit.
No. DailyPay says there is zero cost for employers to implement or maintain it, and Payactiv offers its earned wage access to employers at no cost.
DailyPay lists over 180 HCM, payroll and time systems and is a native feature in Workday. Payactiv lists 150+, with partnerships including ADP, Paychex, UKG, Paycor, Oracle and Workday.
Both are: DailyPay states SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS, and Payactiv states a SOC 2 Type II attestation and ISO 27001 certification.
DailyPay lets employees transfer up to 100% of the balance shown as available, up to $1,000 a day. Payactiv gives access to a portion of earned wages set by the employer’s program controls.
Among the earned wage access providers we review, Tapcheck, ZayZoon, Rain, Branch and Instant Financial are the other options. Against each other, DailyPay’s case is payroll coverage and Payactiv’s is free real-time pay to its card.
DailyPay lists small businesses among the sizes it is built for; Payactiv is built for enterprises.
Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices. Then, if you like, ask to hear from both.
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What the LeadChange Score means
A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.
Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.
