Best Personal Loans
SoFi is the default pick for most borrowers because it charges no origination fee and includes unemployment protection if you lose your job during repayment. LightStream suits borrowers with strong, established credit who want a straightforward loan with nothing bundled in. Choose Upstart if a thin or short credit history is holding back your options elsewhere, since its underwriting looks at education and employment history in addition to a credit score.
Best Personal Loans
Nothing we can price
None of these carry the figures needed to rank them for your situation yet.
Compared side by side
4 compared on the 4 things that decide it. A blank cell means we could not confirm the answer, not that the answer is no.
| Provider | Origination fee | Prequalification | Funding speed | Hardship policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoFi Personal Loan Best overall | — | — | — | — |
| LightStream Personal Loan Best for strong credit | — | — | — | — |
| Discover Personal Loans Best for predictable costs | — | — | — | — |
| Upstart Personal Loan Best for thin credit files | — | — | — | — |
Every offer, priced the same way
Ranked by what it costs you over a year. The arithmetic behind each figure is shown so you can check it. Offers we could not price are listed at the bottom with the reason.
1. SoFi Personal Loan — SoFi
Best overall
No origination fee, plus a formal unemployment protection benefit if you lose your job.
Priced from national figures.
2. LightStream Personal Loan — Truist
Best for strong credit
A no-frills loan with no fees layered on top, aimed at borrowers with an established credit history.
Priced from national figures.
3. Discover Personal Loans — Discover
Best for predictable costs
No origination fee and no prepayment penalty, so paying it off early does not cost extra.
Priced from national figures.
4. Upstart Personal Loan — Upstart
Best for thin credit files
Underwriting considers education and work history, which can help newer borrowers qualify.
Priced from national figures.
How we ranked these
We rank on whether the lender offers soft-pull prequalification, whether an origination fee is charged, what hardship or forbearance options exist if you cannot pay, and how quickly funds are typically disbursed after approval. We do not rank on advertised rates, since the rate any individual borrower receives depends on their own credit file.