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6 personal loans like Upgrade

These online lenders offer quick loans to fair credit, often at a lower cost.

Upgrade offers fast online loans that prioritize cash flow over your credit score when you apply. They’re a good option if your credit is less-than-perfect, but you have at least $1,000 in income after expenses each month.

It’s flexible about repayments, with a hardship program that allows you to change your due date. But Upgrade’s rates are on the high end, running from 9.99% to 35.99% APR. And origination fees run as high as 9.99%.

There are other lenders out there like Upgrade. These lenders offer similar fast loans to fair credit borrowers. Some have lower rates and fees and others may be more flexible when it comes to cash flow.

Our 6 top picks for sites like Upgrade

Alternative for your first loan: Upstart

Upstart personal loans

4.2 / 5 ★★★★★

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Both Upstart and Upgrade work with borrowers who have fair credit and offer similar rates and fees. The main difference is that Upstart is a little more expensive and can accept lower credit scores, depending on where you live. But if you've never taken out a loan before, you may find a better deal with this provider than upgrade. This online lender looks at your career and education when you apply for a loan.
  • Not available in: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, West Virginia
Pros
  • Holistic underwriting that factors in education and career
  • Loans as low as $1,000
Cons
  • Origination fee up to 8%
Loan amount$1,000 to $50,000
APR7.80% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score300
Turnaround TimeAs soon as the same day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term3 years

Alternative for building credit: LendingPoint

LendingPoint personal loans

3.3 / 5 ★★★★★

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This online lender accepts credit scores as low as 585 with relatively low fees compared to Upgrade. It offers the option for bimonthly repayments to fit your pay schedule, which can help you stay on track. The maximum loan is only $36,500 — but you may struggle to qualify for a higher amount before building up your credit score.
  • Not available in: Nevada, West Virginia
Pros
  • Accepts credit scores
  • Maximum origination fee of 10%
  • Bimonthly payment option
Cons
  • High starting APR of 7.99%
  • No loans over $36,500
  • Payments every 28 days
Loan amount$2,000 to $36,500
APR7.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit scoreNot stated
Turnaround TimeAs soon as 1 business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for self-employed borrowers: Avant

Avant personal loans

3.4 / 5 ★★★★★

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Avant has a low credit score requirement of around 550 to 580, and is one of the few lenders that accepts self-employed income. Upgrade's credit score requirement is higher at 620.

But Avant's rates are slightly higher than Upgrade, starting at 9.95%. However, Avant's administrative fee caps at 4.75%, and Upstart's origination fee can be as high as 8.99%. These fees are deducted from your loan before delivery. But Avant's maximum loan amount is much lower than Upgrade's, maxing out at only $35,000.

  • Not available in: Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Virginia, West Virginia
Personal loans from $2,000–$35,000. If approved, the actual loan amount, term, and APR that a customer qualifies for may vary based on credit determination and other factors. Avant branded credit products are issued by WebBank, member FDIC.
Pros
  • Similar rates to Upgrade
  • Accepts self-employment income
  • Lower credit score requirement than Upgrade
Cons
  • Administrative fee of 4.75%
  • Lower max loan amount than Upgrade
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 when you already have debt: Prosper

Prosper personal loans

3.4 / 5 ★★★★★

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Prosper is a peer-to-peer platform that accepts people with relatively high debt-to-income ratios (DTI). Where most lenders require a DTI of 43% or below, Propser will go as high as 50%. This makes it a good option for debt consolidation. But its origination fee starts at a high 2.41%. And you must have a 640 credit score or higher.
  • Not available in: Iowa, North Dakota, West Virginia
Pros
  • Accepts DTI as high as 50%
  • Some fair credit borrowers qualify
  • Special medical financing program
Cons
  • Origination fee starts at 2.41%
  • Turnaround of up to 5 business days
Loan amount$2,000 to $50,000
APR8.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score600
Turnaround TimeAs soon as 1 business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Alternative for customer satisfaction: Best Egg

Best Egg personal loans

3.8 / 5 ★★★★★

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Best Egg gets rave reviews from customers. It also has relatively low rates from 7.99% to 35.99% and fees that are lower than Upgrade — but not the lowest available. It accepts fair credit, though you'll need a 640 credit score to qualify. And you're limited to loans from $2,000 to $35,000.
  • 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
  • Stellar customer reviews
  • Low APRs from 7.99% to 35.99%
  • Accepts some fair credit borrowers
Cons
  • Origination fee as high as 9.99%
  • Limited range of loan amounts
Loan amount$2,000 to $50,000
APR7.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score640
Turnaround TimeAs soon as the next business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term3 years

Alternative for joint applicants: Achieve

Achieve personal loans

3.4 / 5 ★★★★★

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Achieve (formally FreedomPlus) is one of the few personal loan providers that accepts cosigners and coapplicants — most lenders don't allow cosigners on unsecured personal loans. Additionally, Achieve offers a rate discount up to 6% if you bring along a joint applicant. If you're consolidating debt and allow Achieve to send at least 85% of your loan funds directly to your creditors for debt consolidation, you may get an additional rate discount up to 4%.

Rates range from 8.99% to 35.99% — the maximum rate is much lower than Upstart's 35.97%. And if you bring a cosigner or coappliant, you may qualify for a better APR or loan terms overall. Achieve's origination fee is lower, ranging from 1.99% to 6.99%. But Achieve is unavailable in 11 states, and Upgrade is available everywhere except Iowa, West Virginia and Washington D.C.

  • 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
  • Accepts cosigners and joint applicants
  • Lower max rate than Upstart
  • Lower origination fee than Upstart
  • Rate discounts for coapplicants and debt consolidation
Cons
  • No autopay discount
  • Not available in 11 states
Loan amount$5,000 to $50,000
APR8.99% to 35.99%
Interest Rate TypeFixed
Min. credit score620
Turnaround TimeAs soon as same business day
Maximum Loan Term5 years
Minimum Loan Term2 years

Compare more personal loans

Select your credit score range and state to see more lenders that might be available to you.

Name Product USFPL Filter Values APR Min. credit score Loan amount
Best Egg personal loans
Finder Score: 3.8 / 5: ★★★★★
Best Egg personal loans
7.99% to 35.99%
640
$2,000 to $50,000
Fast and easy personal loan application process. See options first without affecting your credit score.
Upstart personal loans
Finder Score: 4.2 / 5: ★★★★★
Upstart personal loans
7.80% to 35.99%
300
$1,000 to $50,000
This service looks beyond your credit score to get you a competitive-rate personal loan.
SoFi personal loans
Finder Score: 4.4 / 5: ★★★★★
SoFi personal loans
8.99% to 29.99% fixed APR
680
$5,000 to $100,000
A highly-rated lender with competitive rates, high loan amounts and no required fees.
Upgrade
Finder Score: 4 / 5: ★★★★★
Upgrade
9.99% to 35.99%
620
$1,000 to $50,000
Check your rates with this online lender without impacting your credit score.
LendingPoint personal loans
Finder Score: 3.3 / 5: ★★★★★
LendingPoint personal loans
7.99% to 35.99%
Not stated
$2,000 to $36,500
Get a personal loan with reasonable rates even if you have a fair credit score in the 600s.
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How Upgrade compares

You can find out more about how Upgrade works by reading our review. But in the meantime, here are the highlights.

Upgrade is better suited for fair credit borrowers with stable income. It requires you to have at least $1,000 leftover after paying all other expenses, and prefers credit scores 620+. While Upgrade is more flexible with credit score requirements than more traditional lenders, like banks and credit unions, it’s not the cheapest option.

Upgrade charges an origination fee from 1.85% to 9.99% — this fee is deducted from your loan amount before delivery, and if you’re charged the highest fee, that’s a pretty penny. Upgrade also has higher rates than other providers, ranging from 9.99% to 35.99%.

Pros

  • Fast application and turnaround time
  • Hardship program
  • Fair credit OK
  • Accepts joint applicants

Cons

  • High max APR
  • High origination fee up to 9.99%
  • Strict income requirements
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Editor

Anna Serio was a lead editor at Finder, specializing in consumer and business financing. A trusted lending expert and former certified commercial loan officer, Anna's written and edited more than 1,000 articles on Finder to help Americans strengthen their financial literacy. Her expertise and analysis on personal, student, business and car loans has been featured in publications like Business Insider, CNBC and Nasdaq, and has appeared on NBC and KADN. Anna holds an MA in Middle Eastern studies from the American University of Beirut and a BA in Creative Writing from Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, CUNY. See full bio

Anna's expertise
Anna has written 241 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal, business, student and car loans
  • Building credit
  • Paying off debt
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