6 top loan companies like Avant

Upgrade offers larger loan amounts than Avant — and allows you to borrow just $500 if you need. While it does have slightly higher credit score requirements than Avant, its starting interest rate is much lower and it accepts coapplicants. You'll also be able to defer up to two payments through its hardship program. But you could be stuck with a high origination fee of 8%.

• Not available in: Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Vermont, West Virginia

Upstart is one of the few lenders that takes a holistic approach to lending. Rather than rely just on your credit score, it considers your education and work experience when you apply for a loan. Its interest rates start lower than Avant at 8.27%, and depending on your state, you may qualify with a credit score of 580. But its loan terms are limited to 36 or 60 months, and you may be stuck with a high origination fee up to 8%.

• Not available in: West Virginia

A peer-to-peer lender, Prosper offers slightly larger loans than Avant — up to $40,000. You can use it to consolidate your debt, start a business, improve your home and more. But you'll need to have fair credit to qualify — and there's a chance you could be stuck with an origination fee between 2.41% to 5%.

• Not available in: Iowa, North Dakota, West Virginia

LendingPoint is one of the few personal loan options beside Avant to accept credit scores as low as 585. But because of this, it has a higher starting interest rate than Avant — and only allows you to borrow up to $36,500. However, its origination fee caps out at 6%, and you could opt for biweekly payments with a 24-month loan term to keep interest costs down.

• Not available in: Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

OneMain Financial provides secured and unsecured loans, and you can choose to apply online or at a branch. If you choose to visit a branch, you could potentially receive your loan funds on the same day you apply. However, this comes with steep fees: Interest starts at an extremely hgih 18%, and you could have an origination fee of 10%. And unlike Avant, you'll only be able to borrow loans up to $20,000.

• Not available in: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, Vermont

Monevo is a connection service, not a direct lender, so you'll have the chance to find a wide variety of loans you might qualify for. There is no set minimum credit score, but borrowers with bad or fair credit are unlikely to qualify for its low advertised rates. And you may still receive marketing calls or emails after you find a lender.

• Available in all states