Small business financing, matrix ranked

Small business loans, scored the same way for 2026

We built one scorecard for loan range, credit floor, revenue requirement and funding speed, then ran every small business lender through it. No lender buys a better spot on this page, so what you see here is the same shortlist we would use ourselves.

Compare lenders now No hard credit pull to compare
No credit score impact
Under two minutes
Manually verified lenders
Manually
verified
2026
At a glance
Starting APR7.74%
Loan amounts$5K to $5M
Repayment terms3 mo to 10 yrs
Fastest fundingSame day
Figures reflect qualified borrowers and update monthly. Last checked September 2026.
Ranked and updated monthly

This month's top rated small business lenders

01 Fundivi Top Rated $10K – $5M Same Day 4.8

Runs no credit check at all and approves almost entirely on monthly revenue, with decisions landing in as little as three hours.

Strengths
  • Approval based on revenue, not a credit pull
  • Decisions typically land within three hours
  • Matches or beats a competing offer on request
Tradeoffs
  • Needs at least $30,000 in monthly revenue
  • Working capital pricing costs more than a bank loan
Loan amount
$10K – $5M
Funding speed
Same Day
Min credit
None
Monthly revenue
$30K+
Visit Fundivi
02 Kapitus Established Lender Pick $10K – $5M 24–48 Hours 4.2

Over three billion dollars funded since 2006, with term loans, credit lines, leasing and SBA options from one lender.

Strengths
  • $3B plus funded to small businesses since 2006
  • Multiple product types from one lender
  • No prepayment penalty
Tradeoffs
  • $21,000 monthly revenue requirement is high
  • Not available to businesses under 12 months old
Loan amount
$10K – $5M
Funding speed
24–48 Hours
Min credit
600+
Monthly revenue
$21K+
Visit Kapitus
03 Fundera Marketplace Pick $2.5K – $5M 1–7 Days 3.9

Matches applicants to a curated set of partner lenders across term loans, lines of credit, SBA, equipment, and invoice financing through one soft pull application.

Strengths
  • Soft credit check only to compare offers
  • A+ BBB rating, backed by NerdWallet
  • Five loan types under one application
Tradeoffs
  • Smaller partner network than larger marketplaces
Loan amount
$2.5K – $5M
Funding speed
1–7 Days
Min credit
600
Monthly revenue
$8K+
Visit Fundera
04 Credibly Multi Product Pick $5K – $600K 24 Hours 4.2

Working capital, MCA, equipment and SBA products from a single lender, with approval in about four hours.

Strengths
  • Low minimum credit score of 500
  • Several financing products under one roof
  • Operating since 2010 with a track record
Tradeoffs
  • Factor rates run higher than bank pricing
  • Some products repay on a daily schedule
Loan amount
$5K – $600K
Funding speed
24 Hours
Min credit
500+
Monthly revenue
$15K+
Visit Credibly
05 SBG Funding Low Revenue Bar Pick $5K – $5M Same Day 4.1

A two minute application and a ten thousand dollar monthly revenue floor make this an accessible option for smaller businesses.

Strengths
  • Same day funding with a two minute application
  • Low $10,000 monthly revenue requirement
  • No origination fee
Tradeoffs
  • Cash advance pricing runs higher than other products
  • Larger requests may need extra documentation
Loan amount
$5K – $5M
Funding speed
Same Day
Min credit
500+
Monthly revenue
$10K+
Visit SBG Funding
06 Biz2Credit Largest Loan Ceiling $50K – $6M 24–72 Hours 4.2

Goes up to six million dollars through commercial real estate backed loans, the highest ceiling in this matrix.

Strengths
  • Application takes as few as four minutes
  • Access to up to $6M through secured loans
  • Includes a business credit score review
Tradeoffs
  • Larger loans need $250K plus in annual revenue
  • Underwriting fee charged at time of funding
Loan amount
$50K – $6M
Funding speed
24–72 Hours
Min credit
650
Monthly revenue
$10K+
Visit Biz2Credit
07 Ameris Bank Equipment Finance Application Only Equipment $5K – $5M Same Day – 48 Hours 3.7

The equipment financing arm of Ameris Bank, offering application only funding for vehicles, machinery, and technology, with same day funding under $250,000.

Strengths
  • No tax returns or financials to apply
  • Same day funding under $250K
  • Backed by a chartered bank
Tradeoffs
  • $300K annual revenue minimum required
Loan amount
$5K – $5M
Funding speed
Same Day – 48 Hours
Min credit
620+
Monthly revenue
$5K+
Visit Ameris Bank Equipment Finance
08 National Funding Long Track Record Pick $5K – $500K 24 Hours 3.7

More than twenty five years of small business lending history and no penalty for paying a loan off early.

Strengths
  • 25 plus years of small business lending history
  • $4.5B plus funded to date
  • No prepayment penalty
Tradeoffs
  • $500K loan ceiling will not suit very large needs
  • Rates run higher than a bank product
Loan amount
$5K – $500K
Funding speed
24 Hours
Min credit
500+
Monthly revenue
$10K+
Visit National Funding
09 Live Oak Bank Top SBA Lender by Volume $50K – $15M Weeks (SBA) 4.3

The nation's largest SBA 7(a) lender by dollar volume, built for acquisitions, real estate, and large SBA transactions.

Strengths
  • Largest SBA 7(a) volume nationally
  • Dedicated business analyst on every file
  • SBA 504 up to $15M for real estate
Tradeoffs
  • No online application, requires a call
Loan amount
$50K – $15M
Funding speed
Weeks (SBA)
Min credit
680+
Monthly revenue
$100K+
Visit Live Oak Bank
10 Harvest Small Business Finance Commercial Real Estate SBA $125K – $20M 60–90+ Days (SBA) 3.7

One of only fourteen non bank lenders licensed to originate SBA 7(a) loans in house, focused on owner occupied commercial real estate.

Strengths
  • Approves SBA 7(a) loans in house
  • Averages 54 days to closing
  • 99.6% performing loan rate since 2016
Tradeoffs
  • Commercial real estate focus only
Loan amount
$125K – $20M
Funding speed
60–90+ Days (SBA)
Min credit
680+
Monthly revenue
$100K+
Visit Harvest Small Business Finance

Compare small business lenders side by side

10 lenders compared on rate, speed and eligibility. Sort the matrix by what matters most to your business, or use the shortcuts below.

Lender Rating Funding speed Min monthly revenue Min credit score Actions
Fundivi
 4.8 / 5 Same Day $30K+ No minimum View More
Kapitus
 4.2 / 5 24–48 Hours $21K+ 600+ View More
Fundera
 3.9 / 5 1–7 Days $8K+ 600+ View More
Credibly
 4.2 / 5 24 Hours $15K+ 500+ View More
SBG Funding
 4.1 / 5 Same Day $10K+ 500+ View More
Biz2Credit
 4.2 / 5 24–72 Hours $10K+ 650+ View More
Ameris Bank Equipment Finance
 3.7 / 5 Same Day – 48 Hours $5K+ 620+ View More
National Funding
 3.7 / 5 24 Hours $10K+ 500+ View More
Live Oak Bank
 4.3 / 5 Weeks (SBA) $100K+ 680+ View More
Harvest Small Business Finance
 3.7 / 5 60–90+ Days (SBA) $100K+ 680+ View More

Gold badges mark the strongest figure in each column. Figures reflect published lender terms and are checked monthly. Apply directly with the lender you choose; this page connects businesses to third party lenders and does not itself underwrite or fund loans.

Reviewed by the CompareBusinessLoansOnline editorial team
Lender terms checked monthly against publicly published rates and lender disclosures. Last reviewed September 27, 2026.
10 lenders tracked Updated monthly Independent scoring
60+
Lenders reviewed and scored
$5B+
Funded to small businesses yearly
2 min
Average time to compare
In plain terms

What a small business loan actually is

Strip away the marketing and it is just borrowed capital, funded by a bank, an online lender, a credit union or an SBA program, repaid on a set schedule with interest layered on top. What separates it from a personal loan is what the lender actually weighs: monthly revenue and time in business carry far more weight than your personal balance sheet. Deal sizes run from a few thousand dollars for a working capital cushion up into the millions once SBA backing enters the picture.

How financing actually works

1

Apply directly with a matched lender

Once you find a fit, you apply straight with that lender: your revenue, credit profile and what the funds are for. Most skip a hard pull at this stage, so shopping around will not touch your score.

2

Read the lender's real offer

Skip past the teaser rate and look at the APR line. That figure already accounts for fees, which is the only fair way to stack lenders side by side.

3

Get funded by that lender, then repay

Some lenders wire money the same afternoon, others take a couple of weeks. Either way, repayment starts once their funds land in your account.

Rate and cost by loan type

Loan type
Typical rate
Best suited for
Term loans
7.74% to 30% APR
A one time purchase you have already budgeted for
Revenue based financing
Factor 1.10 to 1.40x
Sales that swing seasonally and a thin credit file
Line of credit
From 15% APR
Expenses that show up without much warning

Ignore the rate a lender leads with and ask for the APR instead. Origination charges, platform fees and closing costs all get folded into that one figure, which is what makes it possible to stack offers side by side.

Worth knowing

Credit score is only half the story. Which category of lender you pick, direct online, marketplace or SBA, does just as much to set your timeline and total cost. Fast funding tends to carry a premium, and the cheapest paper almost always takes the longest to arrive.

500+Min score accepted by some lenders
2 minTo compare lenders here
$5B+Funded to small businesses yearly
Before you apply

Matching yourself to the right loan type

Two businesses with near identical revenue and credit can walk away with offers that differ by thousands of dollars, simply because they applied to different lenders. Matching your timeline and your numbers to the right lender type is most of the work; comparing the fine print beneath that is the rest.

01

Two lenders, two very different bills

Shop the same loan type at two lenders and a 10 point APR swing is common, not rare. On a modest loan, that gap alone can run into the thousands over the life of the repayment.

02

One lender's decline is another's approval

A 600 score gets turned away at one lender and waved through at another that accepts scores down to 500. Checking more than one is often the difference between a decline and a funded offer.

2 to 5%

Even the same loan product can price out differently once every fee is counted. Add origination charges, platform fees and closing costs together and the gap between the sticker rate and the real cost typically lands between two and five percent, which is exactly why the full APR, not the number on the landing page, is worth asking for up front.

Ask for the all in APRThe number a lender leads with rarely includes origination or closing charges. The APR does, so treat it as the only figure worth comparing.

Know your floor before you applyEvery lender publishes a different minimum score and revenue bar. Applying where you already clear it keeps unnecessary hard pulls off your file.

Decide what speed is worth to youSame day funding usually carries a premium. If your timeline has slack, a slower lender can meaningfully cut what you pay.

Match the term to your cash flowShorter terms cut total interest but raise the payment size. A longer term does the opposite, so pick based on what your monthly cash flow can absorb.

Check what happens if you pay earlyA penalty of three to five percent on the remaining balance is common if you clear the loan ahead of schedule. Skip it if you expect to pay down early.

Why lender type matters

Speed, rate and risk move together

The lender category you pick decides almost everything else about the loan, so weigh these trade offs before you apply.

Direct online lenders

Fund within hours in many cases, but charge a premium for that speed. Best when timing matters more than rate.

SBA approved lenders

Take two to eight weeks but offer the lowest rates available. Best for established businesses that can wait.

Marketplaces

One application reaches dozens of vetted lenders at once, useful when you are unsure which type fits your business.

Pick your lane

Four ways to fund a small business, compared

Each product serves a different need, timeline and borrower profile. Applying to the wrong one is one of the most common reasons for delays and declines.

01

Term loans

Most requested

You get one deposit, then chip away at it in equal monthly payments for one to five years. It works best when you already know exactly what you are buying, a piece of equipment, a buildout, a new hire, rather than covering costs that shift month to month. Most lenders will let you clear the balance early without charging extra for it.

7.74% to 30%Starting APR
Up to $5MLoan amount
1 to 5 yrsRepayment term
02

Revenue based financing

Best for thin credit

Instead of a fixed payment, a set share of what you bring in each day or week goes toward the balance, so a slow week automatically means a smaller payment. Lenders here care far more about what lands in your account monthly than what your credit report says, which opens the door for younger businesses or owners rebuilding their credit.

1.10 to 1.40xFactor rate
Up to $5MLoan amount
Same dayFunding speed
03

Line of credit

Most flexible

Think of it as a credit card built for the business: a limit sits ready, you pull from it only when something comes up, and interest applies solely to the portion you have drawn. Pay it back and the same room opens up again, which makes it a natural fit for expenses that arrive without much warning or a business with a seasonal rhythm.

From 15%APR
Up to $2MLoan amount
1 to 3 daysFunding speed
04

SBA loans

Lowest rates

The Small Business Administration backs a slice of the loan, up to 85 percent of the balance, which is why approved lenders can afford to offer the lowest rates and the longest terms on this page. The tradeoff is paperwork and patience: expect a more thorough application than any other product here.

From 10.5%APR
Up to $5MLoan amount
2 to 8 wksFunding speed
Questions answered

What owners ask before they apply.

Straight answers on credit floors, funding speed and fees, in plain language with no sales pressure.

What is a small business loan and how does it work?

It is money a lender advances to a business that gets repaid over time with interest. Applying usually starts with a look at revenue and time in business rather than a deep dive into personal credit history. Once a lender approves an applicant, it sends an offer spelling out the APR and repayment schedule; the applicant accepts directly with that lender and funds land in the business account, with repayment typically starting right away. Loan sizes on this page range from roughly five thousand dollars up past five million once SBA backed programs are in play.

It depends on the lender. Some online term loan lenders accept scores starting around 600 to 625. Marketplaces can go as low as the 500s through partner lenders. Revenue based lenders often skip a hard credit check and underwrite off monthly deposits instead. Traditional banks typically want 680 or better for their sharpest rates, while SBA programs generally land in the 650 to 690 range. Strong, consistent revenue and a longer operating history can offset a score that falls short of a lender's stated minimum.

Expect a wide spread depending on lender type. Online term lenders generally land between 7.74 and 30 percent APR for borrowers with solid profiles. SBA 7(a) loans track the prime rate and often run 10.5 to 15 percent APR. Short term and alternative lenders charge more for speed and flexibility. Revenue based financing is priced as a factor rate rather than an APR, which is why comparing the full cost, not the sticker rate, matters before signing anything.

Speed and rate usually move in opposite directions. Several direct online lenders can fund the same day an application is approved. Marketplaces typically take a day or two once matched with a partner lender. Traditional banks run two to four weeks given the documentation involved, and SBA loans can stretch two to eight weeks. If timing is the priority, a direct online lender is usually the faster path; if the lowest rate matters more, SBA or a bank financing may be worth the wait.

It depends on the product. Term loans and working capital loans cover the broadest range, from payroll and inventory to equipment, marketing, renovations or buying out another business. Revenue based financing tends to fund day to day operating costs and short term cash gaps. A business line of credit is built for expenses that show up unpredictably. SBA loans can cover working capital, equipment, real estate and acquisitions, but rule out personal expenses and speculative investments.

Not always. Unsecured loans are priced on credit and cash flow alone, and most online lenders and marketplaces offer them, usually at a somewhat higher rate. Secured loans trade collateral for a lower rate and often a larger amount. Even on an unsecured loan, many lenders still ask for a personal guarantee. Revenue based financing is the exception on both counts, since repayment is tied directly to how the business performs rather than to pledged assets.

Your next move

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