Bad credit ≠ no options

Best personal loans for bad credit in 2026

If your credit score is under 670, most 'best loan' lists won't help you — they're written for prime borrowers. We focused this list on lenders that actually approve fair (580–669) and rebuilding-credit (under 580) profiles, and ranked them on APR transparency, fee fairness, and the speed of soft-credit pre-qualification.

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Our top 6

  1. 1. LendWyseEditor's pick — best for matching bad-credit profiles
  2. 2. UpstartBest for thin credit history
  3. 3. ProsperBest peer-to-peer for fair credit
  4. 4. Best EggBest for 640+ with high DTI
  5. 5. UpgradeBest for credit-building features
  6. 6. OneMain FinancialBest for secured-option fallback

#1 · Editor's pick — best for matching bad-credit profiles

LendWyse

4.9/ 5

Bad-credit borrowers benefit most from comparison shopping — one direct lender that rejects you doesn't mean every lender will. LendWyse's marketplace runs your soft application against partners that explicitly accept 580+ scores and shows you the offers in 60 seconds.

Loan amounts
$1,000 – $100,000
APR range
5.99% – 35.99%
Terms
12 – 84 months
Min. credit
580+ (varies by partner)
Funding
As soon as next business day
Origination fee
0% – 8% (varies by partner)

Pros

  • One soft credit check, 35+ partner offers
  • Loans from $1K to $100K for almost every credit profile
  • No fees to use the platform
  • 60-second pre-qualification, real APRs

Cons

  • Not a direct lender — your final loan is issued by a partner
  • Offers depend on what partners return for your profile
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#2 · Best for thin credit history

Upstart

4.5/ 5

Upstart's biggest advantage for bad credit is that they consider education and employment, not just FICO. If you're rebuilding after a credit event but have steady income, Upstart often approves.

Loan amounts
$1,000 – $50,000
APR range
7.80% – 35.99%
Terms
36 or 60 months
Min. credit
300+ (alt data)
Funding
1 business day
Origination fee
0% – 12%

Pros

  • Considers more than FICO
  • No minimum FICO when alt-data qualifies
  • Soft-pull pre-qual

Cons

  • High origination fee on weaker profiles
  • APR ceiling at 35.99%
Compare Upstart on LendWyseLendWyse vs Upstart →

#3 · Best peer-to-peer for fair credit

Prosper

4.1/ 5

Prosper's peer-funded model can find lenders willing to fund fair-credit profiles that traditional banks reject.

Loan amounts
$2,000 – $50,000
APR range
8.99% – 35.99%
Terms
24 – 60 months
Min. credit
640+
Funding
1 – 3 business days
Origination fee
1% – 7.99%

Pros

  • Joint applications boost approval
  • Soft-pull pre-qual
  • Long-running platform

Cons

  • Origination fee always applies
  • Funding depends on investor demand
Compare Prosper on LendWyseLendWyse vs Prosper →

#4 · Best for 640+ with high DTI

Best Egg

4.0/ 5

Best Egg is friendlier than most banks on debt-to-income ratios, making it a fit for borrowers with fair credit and existing card debt.

Loan amounts
$2,000 – $50,000
APR range
6.99% – 35.99%
Terms
36 – 84 months
Min. credit
640+
Funding
1 – 3 business days
Origination fee
0.99% – 8.99%

Pros

  • Tolerant of higher DTI
  • Direct creditor pay option
  • Fast funding

Cons

  • Origination fee always applies
  • Smaller loan ceiling
Compare Best Egg on LendWyseLendWyse vs Best Egg →

#5 · Best for credit-building features

Upgrade

3.9/ 5

Upgrade accepts borrowers down to 580 and bundles free credit monitoring and education tools to help rebuild while you repay.

Loan amounts
$1,000 – $50,000
APR range
7.99% – 35.99%
Terms
24 – 84 months
Min. credit
580+
Funding
1 – 4 business days
Origination fee
1.85% – 9.99%

Pros

  • Accepts 580+ FICO
  • Free credit monitoring
  • Soft-pull pre-qual

Cons

  • Origination fee deducted upfront
  • APR climbs quickly for weaker credit
Compare Upgrade on LendWyse

#6 · Best for secured-option fallback

OneMain Financial

3.7/ 5

OneMain accepts borrowers with no credit score and offers secured loans (using a car as collateral) for those who can't qualify unsecured. It's expensive — but it approves when others won't.

Loan amounts
$1,500 – $20,000
APR range
18.00% – 35.99%
Terms
24 – 60 months
Min. credit
No minimum
Funding
Same day to 2 business days
Origination fee
Flat $25 – $500 or 1% – 10%

Pros

  • No minimum credit score
  • Secured loan option
  • In-branch service available

Cons

  • High APRs even for the floor rate
  • Smaller loan ceiling
  • Origination fee on every loan
Compare OneMain Financial on LendWyse

How we ranked them

Methodology

Weighted on minimum credit accepted (25%), APR range for sub-prime tier (25%), fee transparency (20%), funding speed (15%), and the existence of soft-pull pre-qualification (15%).

Frequently asked

Common questions.

  • What's the lowest credit score that can get a personal loan?

    Some lenders accept 580 FICO; a few (OneMain, certain Upstart approvals) have no minimum. The lower your score, the higher your APR — expect 25%+ APR under 600.

  • Can I get a loan with no credit history?

    Yes. Upstart and similar alt-data lenders weigh employment and education. Marketplaces like LendWyse also route thin-file applicants to partners that specialize in them.

  • Will pre-qualifying hurt my score?

    No. Pre-qualification is a soft credit pull and does not affect your score. The hard pull only happens if you formally accept an offer.

  • Should I get a co-signer if I have bad credit?

    A co-signer with strong credit can drop your APR significantly. Prosper and a few others accept joint applications.

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