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Loans like Best Egg

Compare online loans with lower rates — or easier eligibility requirements.

Since 2014, Best Egg has become one of the fastest-growing online lending platforms, with competitive interest rates, fast turnaround and good customer reviews. But you’ll need a credit score of at least 640 to qualify, and you’re on the hook for an origination fee.

If Best Egg isn’t right for you, these alternatives offer online applications, equally competitive rates and, in some cases, no origination fees. Others lend to borrowers with credit scores below 640 – or let you use your funds to pay off student loans.

Our 9 top picks for loans like Best Egg

Alternative for low rates: LightStream

LightStream personal loans

4.83 / 5 ★★★★★

LightStream offers some of the lowest rates available for excellent credit borrowers, and it will beat a competitor's rate by .10% if you meet certain conditions. It has a 0.5% autopay discount if you set up payments before loan funding. Loan amounts are higher than Best Egg, starting at $5,000 and going up to $100,000. LightStream doesn't include application fees, origination fees or prepayment penalties.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • Larger amounts available
  • Rate Beat program
  • No fees
Cons
  • Minimum loan amount of $5,000
  • Most competitive rates require autopay
Loan amount$5,000 to $100,000
APR7.49% to 24.49%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit scoreGood to excellent credit
Turnaround TimeSame day
Maximum Loan Term12 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for fair credit: Upstart

Upstart personal loans

4.15 / 5 ★★★★★

Upstart can be a good alternative to Best Egg if you're just building your credit. While most borrowers happen to have fair or good credit, it goes beyond your credit score to look at other factors, such as your education and career. It also offers a wider range of loan amounts than Best Egg, from $1,000 to $50,000. Its rates start as low as 4.6% APR, but origination fees run as high as 12%.

  • Not available in: West Virginia
Pros
  • Accepts fair credit
  • Factors in alternative criteria
  • Loans as low as $1,000
Cons
  • Higher APRs than Best Egg
  • Origination fee as high as 12%
Loan amount$1,000 to $50,000
APR4.60% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score300
Turnaround Time1 to 3 business days
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term3 years

Alternative for bad credit: OneMain Financial

OneMain Financial personal loans

3.4 / 5 ★★★★★

OneMain Financial is one of the few lenders that accepts poor credit, making it a good alternative to Best Egg for borrowers with bad credit. While rates start high, at 18% APR, this is lower than what you'll find with most lenders that accept poor credit. It also offers a secured option to help you qualify for a lower rate than you might otherwise find with another lender. But due to the high rates, this loan isn't a good option for debt consolidation — even if you can't qualify for another personal loan. Bad credit borrowers should consider other debt-relief options or DIY debt payment strategies.

  • Not available in: Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont
Pros
  • Accepts poor credit
  • Factors in alternative criteria
  • Secured options for lower rates
Cons
  • Higher APRs than Best Egg
  • Not ideal for debt consolidation
  • Origination fee as high as 10%
Loan amount$1,500 to $20,000
APR18% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit scoreVaries
Turnaround TimeAs soon as the same day
Maximum Loan Term6 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for joint applicants: Achieve

Achieve personal loans

3.4 / 5 ★★★★★

Achieve (formerly FreedomPlus) not only has lower rates than Best Egg, it also offers steep rate discounts. This can reach as high as to 6% off your APR if you apply with a coborrower and 4% off if you send the loan directly to creditors for debt consolidation. While FreedomPlus charges an origination fee of up to 6.99%, it's lower than Best Egg's fee. However, it has a slightly longer turnaround time, taking up to four days from start to finish. It's also not available in several states.

  • Available in: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington
Pros
  • Lower rates and fees than Best Egg
  • Discount for joint applicants
  • Discount for debt consolidation
Cons
  • Longer turnaround time than Best Egg
  • Limited state availability
Loan amount$1,000 to $50,000
APR7.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score620
Turnaround TimeAs soon as the next business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for small loans: Upgrade

Upgrade personal loans

4 / 5 ★★★★★

Upgrade offers loans as low as $1,000 — one of the smallest loans you can find with a personal loan provider. This makes it a good alternative to Best Egg if you're looking for something under the lender's minimum. Other than that, these two lenders are relatively similar — rates and fees are on the high end for a personal loan provider, but both accept fair credit. Aside from the loan amounts, the main difference is that Upgrade is slightly harder to qualify for. In addition to the minimum credit score requirement of 620, Upgrade also requires borrowers to have at least $1,000 in monthly income left after expenses.

  • Not available in: Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Vermont, West Virginia
Pros
  • Loans as low as $1,000
  • Rates and fees similar to Best Egg
  • Accepts fair credit
Cons
  • Higher minimum credit score than Best Egg
  • High cash flow requirement
Loan amount$1,000 to $50,000
APR8.49% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score620
Turnaround Time1 to 4 business days
Maximum Loan Term7 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for peer-funded loans: Prosper

Prosper personal loans

3.42 / 5 ★★★★★

Loans through Prosper are similar to Best Egg loans, offering amounts between $2,000 and $50,000, with APRs between 6.99% and 35.99% and three- to five-year repayment terms. Prosper charges a 2.41% to 5% origination fee and it can take up to 14 days to get your funds. Prosper doesn't get as high of marks on sites like Trustpilot, though, which may have to do with the longer turnaround time.

  • Not available in: Iowa, North Dakota, West Virginia
Pros
  • Same rates, amounts and terms as Best Egg
  • Available in Vermont
Cons
  • Poor customer reviews
  • Not available in North Dakota, Iowa or West Virginia
  • Potentially longer turnaround time
Loan amount$2,000 to $50,000
APR6.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score600
Turnaround TimeUp to 14 business days
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term3 years

Alternative for self-employed borrowers: Avant

Avant personal loans

3.45 / 5 ★★★★★

Avant makes it easier to get a loan when you don't work full-time for an employer — it can take time to prove that you have steady income. This lender also accepts borrowers with credit scores as low as 580 and charges lower origination fees, making it a good option for borrowers on the lower end of the fair credit spectrum. However, with APRs ranging from 9.95% and 35.99%, borrowers with good credit or higher should avoid this option. It also settled lawsuits over its collection practices in 2019 and 2021.

  • Not available in: Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, New York, Vermont, West Virginia
Pros
  • Accepts self-employed income
  • Lower credit score minimum than Best Egg
  • Lower origination fee than Best Egg
Cons
  • High APRs
  • History of lawsuits
Loan amount$2,000 to $35,000
APR9.95% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score580
Turnaround TimeAs soon as the next business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for quality customer reviews: Universal Credit

Universal Credit personal loan

3.9 / 5 ★★★★★

Universal Credit may have higher rates and fees than most personal loan providers. But like Best Egg, it's one of the few that gets consistently positive customer reviews across sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot. If you have fair credit and would pay a little extra to avoid hours on the phone with customer service, this might be the choice for you. But for good credit borrowers, the savings from lower rates and fees at another lender could be worth the potential hassle.

  • Not available in: Iowa, West Virginia
Pros
  • Positive customer reviews
  • Accepts fair credit
Cons
  • High APRs
  • High origination fees of 5.25% to 8.99%
Loan amount$1,000 to $50,000
APR11.69% to 35.93%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score620
Turnaround TimeAs soon as one business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term3 years

Alternative for borrower perks: Sofi

SoFi personal loans

4.45 / 5 ★★★★★

SoFi is offers relatively low rates and access to extra perks to help you build your career. This includes access to financial advisers, networking opportunities and an entrepreneur program – which comes with seed money and more. Sofi offers fixed-rate loans from 8.99% APR to 25.81% APR, which includes an autopay discount. But it's harder to qualify with this lender than Best Egg, requiring a credit score of at least 680.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • Member benefits
  • Competitive rates
Cons
  • More difficult to qualify than Best Egg
  • Not available in Mississippi
Loan amount$5,000 to $100,000
APR8.99% to 25.81%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score680
Turnaround TimeAs soon as the same day
Maximum Loan Term7 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

How does Best Egg compare?

Read our Best Egg review to get the full picture of what Best Egg offers. But here are Best Egg’s major pros and cons:

Pros

  • Simple application
  • Fast turnaround time
  • Competitive rates
  • Multiple repayment methods

Cons

  • Good customer reviews online
  • Only available in select states
  • Hard to qualify if self-employed
  • 700+ FICO score required for lowest rates

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