Catch vs. Payout (2026): Which Free Class Action App Is Better?
Both apps are free and help you find class action settlement money — but they take very different approaches. Catch connects to your bank. Payout doesn’t. Here’s which one actually gets you more money with less friction.
Quick Verdict
Payout
- Free — no subscription required
- 97 active settlements right now
- No bank account connection needed
- 400,000+ downloads, $80M+ found
- Files claims fully in-app
- Self-reported purchase history
Catch
by Kikoff
- Completely free, no commission
- Automatic transaction matching
- Covers major brands
- Requires Plaid bank connection
- Fewer user reviews and downloads
- Settlement count not publicly disclosed
Bottom line: If you want the app with the most settlements, the most users, and no bank account sharing required, Payout wins. Catch is legitimate and worth trying alongside Payout — but it’s not a replacement.
What settlements can you claim right now?
Before diving into the comparison, here’s what’s actually available to claim on Payout today. These are real, verified settlements with open deadlines:
YouTube Privacy Settlement
Cash App Referral Texts
Waffle Recall (TreeHouse Foods)
Poppi Soda False Advertising
Krispy Kreme Data Breach
Michael Kors Outlet Pricing
Vending Machine Overcharges
Beef Price-Fixing (Tyson & Cargill)
97 total active settlements on Payout. New ones added regularly as companies lose class action cases.
What is Catch?
Catch is a class action settlement finder app built by Kikoff, a San Francisco fintech company. It’s free to use, takes no commission on settlements, and markets itself as the “#1 app” for finding class action money. To match you with settlements, Catch connects to your bank accounts and credit cards through Plaid, then scans your transaction history against active settlement databases. When it finds a match, it walks you through filing.
The settlements Catch surfaces include major brands like Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Uber, and T-Mobile. Their featured payouts go up to $450 (Temu), $300 (Snapchat), $300 (Facebook), and $250 (Instagram). The app is available on both iOS and Android and, importantly, is 100% free with no hidden subscription.
What is Payout?
Payout is the most downloaded class action settlement app with 400,000+ downloads across iOS and Android. It aggregates 97 active, verified settlements, tells you which ones you’re likely eligible for, and lets you file your claim directly inside the app — usually in under 5 minutes.
Unlike Catch, Payout doesn’t require connecting your bank account. You answer a few simple questions about your purchase history, and the app surfaces matching settlements. Users have collectively found over $80M in settlement money through Payout. The core app is free — there’s an optional premium subscription for personalized matching and priority alerts, but you can browse and file every settlement without paying anything.
The biggest difference: Bank access vs. no bank access
This is the core trade-off between the two apps. Catch connects to your bank and credit card accounts via Plaid to automatically scan for settlements you qualify for. The upside: it’s automatic. You link your accounts once and Catch alerts you when new matches appear. The downside: you’re giving a third-party app read access to your full transaction history.
Plaid is a legitimate, widely-used financial data company — it powers apps like Venmo, Robinhood, and Coinbase. But handing over bank access still isn’t something everyone is comfortable with, especially for an app you just downloaded. The irony isn’t lost on people: you’re sharing financial data with an app to recover money from companies that misused your data.
Payout takes the opposite approach. You self-report: “Did you ever buy a Snapple product?” “Did you have a Cash App account?” It’s a few taps instead of linking your bank. You might miss a settlement that Catch’s automated matching would have caught — but you’re not handing over your transaction history to do it. For most people, the self-reporting trade-off is worth it.
Settlement count: Payout’s 97 vs. Catch’s undisclosed database
Payout publicly lists 97 active settlements with specific deadlines, payout ranges, and eligibility criteria. You can browse the full list before signing up. The transparency matters — you know exactly what’s available and whether it’s worth your time before you commit to anything.
Catch doesn’t publicly disclose how many settlements are in its database. Their marketing highlights big-brand settlements (Google, Facebook, Temu), but the total count isn’t something they advertise. That’s not necessarily a red flag — settlement databases change constantly — but it makes it harder to compare apples-to-apples.
Worth noting: both apps focus on different types of settlements. Payout leans into consumer product cases (food & beverage, subscriptions, data privacy). Catch emphasizes transaction-matched settlements where your purchase history is the proof. There’s meaningful overlap, but also cases unique to each app.
Pricing comparison
On price, both apps are genuinely free and neither takes a cut of your settlement money. Here’s the full breakdown:
| Feature | Payout | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Download | Free | Free |
| Filing claims | Free | Free |
| Commission on payouts | $0 (0%) | $0 (0%) |
| Premium subscription | Optional | None needed |
| Bank account required | No | Yes (via Plaid) |
Neither app charges you or takes a percentage. You keep everything from the settlement administrator.
Filing experience: Which is actually easier?
Catch’s automated matching is genuinely convenient — once you link your bank, it does the work. The catch (no pun intended) is that some settlement claims still redirect you to external sites where you fill out forms manually, even after the app has done the matching. You go from a slick interface to a clunky 2008-era claims website.
Payout handles filing in-app. You answer eligibility questions, fill out your information, and submit — without leaving the app or navigating to a settlement administrator’s website. The whole process takes about 5 minutes per claim. Users consistently cite this as the biggest practical advantage: “everything is organized and easy to understand” rather than “sorting through endless emails or worrying about missing out.”
Both apps handle the deadline tracking problem well — they alert you to upcoming filing deadlines so you don’t miss out. That alone is worth something: fewer than 10% of eligible people actually file in most class action settlements, and missed deadlines are the #1 reason.
Social proof and track record
Payout has 400,000+ downloads, a 4.6-star App Store rating, 4.5 stars on Google Play, and 12,000+ reviews. Users have collectively found $80M+ in settlement money through the app. That’s a meaningful track record — it tells you the app works at scale, not just for a handful of early adopters.
Catch is newer and doesn’t disclose comparable user stats publicly. The Kikoff brand (the company behind Catch) has credibility — Kikoff is a venture-backed fintech that’s built legitimate financial products. But for class action apps specifically, Catch is the newer entrant.
If you want the app with more real-world evidence it works, Payout’s numbers speak clearly. If you want to bet on a startup backed by an established fintech company, Catch is a reasonable choice to use alongside Payout.
What real users say about Payout
These are verified App Store reviews from Payout users:
“No brainer”
Came across an ad and was super skeptical, but signed up anyways, and instantly made $60 on a drink company's class action!! It has a long list of settlements from big name brands so you're almost guaranteed to be a part of something.
“Honestly… WORTH IT”
You can get paid for settlements you're eligible for. All the active class actions are in one place with exactly where to file for them. It's a no brainer in my opinion.
“Class-Action Cash”
Payout makes managing class-actions much easier, and in a way that truly feels supportive. Instead of sorting through endless emails or worrying about missing out on money, everything is organized and easy to understand.
“SO WORTH IT!!!”
You're literally giving up free money by not getting this app. Takes two seconds to sign up and start earning. Can't recommend enough.
Should you use both?
Honestly, yes — and it takes about 15 minutes total. Both apps are free, and the settlements they surface have some overlap but aren’t identical. If you’re comfortable connecting your bank to Catch, it can catch matches that Payout’s self-reporting flow might miss. And Payout’s larger settlement database and in-app filing will surface opportunities that Catch doesn’t have.
That said, if you’re only going to use one: start with Payout. The 97-settlement database, 400K+ download track record, and no-bank-connection requirement make it the lower-friction, higher-confidence starting point. Add Catch if you want to maximize coverage — just know what you’re sharing when you do.
The bigger mistake isn’t picking the wrong app — it’s not using either one. Billions of dollars in class action settlement money go unclaimed every year because people don’t know they qualify. Most settlements pay $25–$500, take 5 minutes to file, and require no lawyer. That’s free money sitting on the table.
The bottom line
Catch and Payout are both legitimate, free apps that can find you real class action settlement money. They’re not competing on price — they’re competing on approach.
Catch automates matching by reading your bank transactions. Payout lets you browse 97 active settlements and file without giving up your financial data. Payout has the larger user base, more transparent settlement count, and the more self-contained filing experience. For most people, it’s the right place to start — and potentially the only app you’ll need.