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Sites like LightStream

Compare online loans like LightStream – with more lending flexibility or easier eligibility.

LightStream, the personal loan arm of Truist, is a direct online lender with some of the lowest interest rates out there. And if you get a lower offer from another lender, LightStream will beat it by 0.10%, as long as you meet LightStream’s terms and conditions.

With this perk, LightStream is a go-to choice for those with great credit scores of 670 and above – but you may want to look elsewhere if your credit score is below this or you’re a recent college graduate trying to build a credit history.

Our top 6 picks for sites light LightStream

  • Alternative for new borrowers: Upstart
  • Alternative for fair credit borrowers: FreedomPlus
  • Alternative for good credit borrowers: Best Egg
  • Alternative for young professionals: SoFi
  • Alternative for healthcare providers: Laurel Road
  • Best for comparing multiple lenders: Credible

Alternative for new borrowers: Upstart

Upstart personal loans

4.2 / 5 ★★★★★

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Upstart could be a better fit than LightStream if you're just starting out. It accepts credit scores as low as 300 and looks at factors like your education and career when making a decision. It also offers a more flexible range of loan amounts, starting from $1,000 – LightStream's minimum loan is $5,000.

Upstart's rates can be as low as 7.8% APR for the best credit borrowers, but its origination fees run as high as 10%. And it requires a lower DTI ratio than other lenders, so it isn't ideal for debt consolidation. But if you're just out of school, you may have a better chance of approval than with LightStream.

  • Not available in: West Virginia
Pros
  • No prepayment penalty
  • Counts education and career in underwriting process
  • Most loans funded within one business day
Cons
  • Origination fee up to 10%
  • Only two terms to choose from
  • No mobile app to manage loans
Loan amount$1,000 to $50,000
APR7.80% 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 fair credit borrowers: FreedomPlus

Achieve personal loans

3.4 / 5 ★★★★★

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FreedomPlus accepts fair credit borrowers with scores as low as 620 and allows cosigners which can help you get approved. It also offers rate discounts to borrowers who have more than $40,000 in retirement savings, have a qualified coapplicant, or are using the funds to pay off debt.

FreedomPlus has APRs from 8.99% to 35.99%, factoring in an origination fee from 1.99% to 6.99% – which LightStream doesn't charge. While customers give FreedomPlus overwhelmingly positive reviews online, it's not available in all states and doesn't offer loans under $5,000.

  • 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
  • Good customer reviews
  • Three types of rate discounts
  • Reduced rates for excellent credit
Cons
  • Not available in every state
  • Limited range of amounts you can borrow
  • Loan amounts may vary by state
Loan amount$5,000 to $100,000
APR8.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score620
Turnaround Time1 to 3 business days
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for good credit borrowers: Best Egg

Best Egg personal loans

3.8 / 5 ★★★★★

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Best Egg may work if you make at least $25,000 a year and your credit score is above 640 but below 670 – which is LightStream's minimum. Best Egg offers quick loans with competitive rates to customers with good to excellent credit, but it charges an origination fee between 0.99% and 8.99%.

Best Egg has similar rates to LightStream, ranging from 8.99% to 35.99%, and it gets good reviews on sites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. Customers praise the company for its customer service and speedy turnaround, but it may be harder to qualify if you're self-employed.

  • Not available in: Iowa, Vermont, West Virginia
*Trustpilot TrustScore as of December 2022. Best Egg loans are personal loans made by Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender or Blue Ridge Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. The Best Egg Credit Card is issued exclusively by First Bank & Trust, Member FDIC, Brookings SD pursuant to a license by Visa International. Visa is a registered trademark, and the Visa logo design is a trademark of Visa International Incorporated. “Best Egg” is a trademark of Best Egg Technologies, LLC. Offers may be sent pursuant to a joint marketing agreement between Cross River Bank, Blue Ridge Bank, N.A. and/or First Bank & Trust and Marlette Marketing, LLC, a subsidiary of Best Egg, Inc.

The term, amount, and APR of any loan we offer to you will depend on your credit score, income, debt payment obligations, loan amount, credit history and other factors. Your loan agreement will contain specific terms and conditions. About half of our customers get their money the next day. After successful verification, your money can be deposited in your bank account within 1-3 business days. The timing of available funds upon loan approval may vary depending upon your bank’s policies. Loan amounts range from $2,000– $50,000. Residents of Massachusetts have a minimum loan amount of $6,500 ; Ohio, $5,001; and Georgia, $3,001.

For a second Best Egg loan, your total existing Best Egg loan balances cannot exceed $100,000. Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) range from 8.99%–35.99%. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 0.99%–8.99% of your loan amount, which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive. The origination fee on a loan term 4-years or longer will be at least 4.99%. Your loan term will impact your APR, which may be higher than our lowest advertised rate. You need a minimum 700 FICO® score and a minimum individual annual income of $100,000 to qualify for our lowest APR. For example: a 5‐year $10,000 loan with 9.99% APR has 60 scheduled monthly payments of $201.81, and a 3‐year $5,000 loan with 7.99% APR has 36 scheduled monthly payments of $155.12. To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver’s license or other identifying documents. Best Egg products are not available if you live in Iowa, Vermont, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, or U.S. Territories. TO REPORT A PROBLEM OR COMPLAINT WITH THIS LENDER, YOU MAY WRITE OR CALL–Operations Manager, Email: crt-resolutions@bestegg.com, Address: P.O. Box 42912, Philadelphia, PA 19101, Phone: 1-855-282-6353. This lender is licensed and regulated by the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Financial Institutions Division, P.O. Box 25101, 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504. To report any unresolved problems or complaints, contact the division by telephone at (505) 476-4885 or visit the website https://www.rld.nm.gov/financial-institutions/
Pros
  • Loans start at $2,000
  • Relatively low credit and income requirements
  • Good customer reviews
Cons
  • No cosigners
  • Not available in all states
Loan amount$2,000 to $50,000
APR8.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score600
Turnaround TimeAs soon as one business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term3 years

Alternative for member perks: Sofi

SoFi personal loans

4.4 / 5 ★★★★★

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Like LightStream personal loans with competitive rates starting at 8.99% APR. Both lenders offer the same personal loan amounts — $5,000 to $100,000 — though SoFi might charge fees to some borrowers.

While its personal loan rates might be slightly higher than LightStream, Sofi provides its borrowers with financial advisers and networking opportunities. It even has an and an entrepreneur program to provide seed funding for startups. These free resources are designed to help you get ahead financially when you're just starting your career.

  • Available in all states
Fixed rates from 8.99% APR to 29.99% APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% direct deposit interest rate discount. SoFi rate ranges are current as of 02/06/2024 and are subject to change without notice. The average of SoFi Personal Loans funded in 2022 was around $30K. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed and will depend on the term you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, and a variety of other factors.
Loan amounts range from $5,000– $100,000. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 0%-7%, which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive.
Autopay: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.
Direct Deposit Discount: To be eligible to potentially receive an additional (0.25%) interest rate reduction for setting up direct deposit with a SoFi Checking and Savings account offered by SoFi Bank, N.A. or eligible cash management account offered by SoFi Securities, LLC (“Direct Deposit Account”), you must have an open Direct Deposit Account within 30 days of the funding of your Loan. Once eligible, you will receive this discount during periods in which you have enabled payroll direct deposits of at least $1,000/month to a Direct Deposit Account in accordance with SoFi’s reasonable procedures and requirements to be determined at SoFi’s sole discretion. This discount will be lost during periods in which SoFi determines you have turned off direct deposits to your Direct Deposit Account. You are not required to enroll in direct deposits to receive a Loan.
Pros
  • Borrow up to $100,000 in funds
  • Career resources
Cons
  • Higher rates than LightStream
  • Good to excellent credit required
Loan amount$5,000 to $100,000
APR8.99% to 29.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score680
Turnaround TimeUp to 2 business days
Maximum Loan Term7 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for healthcare providers: Laurel Road

Laurel Road personal loans

4.2 / 5 ★★★★★

Laurel Road offers personal loans ranging from $1,000 to $80,000 to healthcare professionals that earn at least $60,000 a year, have a debt-to-income ratio of 40% or less and a credit score of at least 660. It also offers student loan refinancing with rates below 4% APR with discounts added in.

Laurel Road allows cosigners and offers competitive rates, even if you aren't a medical professional. But its loans are best for doctors and dentists: they can qualify for higher loan amounts and special rates. And if you're a resident or in a fellowship, you can make $25 monthly repayments until you've completed your program.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • 0.25% autopay discount
  • No origination or prepayment fees
  • Discounts and higher loan amounts for medical professionals
Cons
  • High income requirement
  • 660+ credit score required
Loan amount$5,000 to $80,000
APR7.99% to 23.25%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score680
Turnaround TimeAs soon as 2 business days
Maximum Loan Term7 years
Minimum Loan Term3 years

Best for comparing multiple lenders: Credible

Credible personal loans

4.3 / 5 ★★★★★

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While not a direct lender, the Credible connection service searches and matches you to multiple prequalified rates with personal loan lenders – which can help you save time. To get started, all you need to do is fill out a short online form and create an account.

Credible scans its network to find you prequalified rates from lenders. If matched, you'll be redirected to the lender's website to finalize your application. It's best for busy people looking for high loan amounts who don't mind using Credible's limited selection of partners.

  • Available in all states
Pros
  • One form to view multiple offers
  • Best Rate Guarantee of $200
  • Low potential APR of 4.6%
Cons
  • Limited selection of lenders
  • May receive multiple marketing calls and emails from lenders
  • Some affiliate lenders charge fees to borrow
Loan amount$600 to $100,000
APR4.60% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit scoreFair to excellent credit
Turnaround TimeAs soon as 1 business day
Maximum Loan Term7 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

How does LightStream compare?

LightStream has some of the most competitive rates available, but only if you have good to excellent credit. Here are the main pros and cons of this lender.

Pros

  • Loans up to $100,000
  • No origination fees
  • 0.10% best rate guarantee
  • Cosigners allowed
  • Available in all 50 states

Cons

  • Excellent credit required
  • No loans under $5,000
  • Hard to reach out to customer service by phone
Name Product Filter Values APR Min. credit score Loan amount
LightStream personal loans
Finder Score: 4.8 / 5: ★★★★★
LightStream personal loans
7.49% to 25.99%
Good to excellent credit
$5,000 to $100,000
Borrow up to $100,000 with low rates and no fees.
PenFed Credit Union personal loans
Finder Score: 3.6 / 5: ★★★★★
PenFed Credit Union personal loans
7.99% to 18%
580
$600 to $50,000
With over 80 years of lending experience, this credit union offers personal loans for a variety of expenses.
Upgrade
Finder Score: 4 / 5: ★★★★★
Upgrade
8.49% to 35.99%
620
$1,000 to $50,000
Check your rates with this online lender without impacting your credit score.
Best Egg personal loans
Finder Score: 3.8 / 5: ★★★★★
Best Egg personal loans
8.99% to 35.99%
600
$2,000 to $50,000
Fast and easy personal loan application process. See options first without affecting your credit score.
Credible personal loans
Finder Score: 4.3 / 5: ★★★★★
Credible personal loans
4.60% to 35.99%
Fair to excellent credit
$600 to $100,000
Get personalized prequalified rates in minutes and then choose an offer from a selection of top online lenders.
Freedom Debt Relief
Not rated yet
Freedom Debt Relief
N/A
N/A
Starting at $4,000
Freedom Debt Relief works to help people with unmanageable, unsecured debt get back on their feet.
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