The best in
If you’re looking for the best personal loan to renovate your home, consolidate debt or cover urgent expenses, check out our Bankrate 2025 award winners. Our experts ranked and reviewed everything from rates to customer service to give you our unbiased take on the best personal loan lenders of 2025. While some lenders may be partners, this didn’t influence our process.
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At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation of . Read more about how we scored the 2025 Bankrate Awards winners in .
See our top picks
Best for borrowers with bad credit
Upgrade
Why they won
Upgrade offers borrowers with credit scores as low as 580 a solid personal loan choice with fees lower than those of several other bad credit lenders reviewed by Bankrate. The lender is the clear winner on loan term flexibility, giving qualified borrowers up to seven years to repay. That helps you pay less each month while working toward a better future credit score.
Top features
- Longest repayment term of bad credit reviewed lenders.
- Origination fees below 10 percent compared to up to 12 percent at competitors.
- Funds may be available within one business day of approval.
Best for borrowers with excellent credit
Discover
Why they won
Discover rewards borrowers with superior credit management skills by offering the lowest minimum rates of the top excellent credit lenders reviewed by Bankrate. The lender doesn’t charge any fees, which means you receive all of the funds you borrow. You can also spread your payment out longer than many other lenders and have access to customer service every day of the week.
Top features
- Lower minimum APR than many other excellent credit lenders.
- Seven-day-a-week customer service gives borrowers more account management flexibility.
- Offers six- and seven-year terms to lower payments on higher loan amounts.
Best for first-in-class customer experience
Upgrade
Why they won
Upgrade customers can choose multiple ways to stay on top of their loan with chat, email, phone support and a highly rated app available every day of the week. The lender also offers perks like free credit score monitoring.
Top features
- Direct payment to creditors make the debt consolidation process easier.
- Lower minimum credit score requirements than other online lenders.
- Potential same-day approval for quick access to emergency funds.
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Best personal loan in an emergency
LendingClub
Why they won
LendingClub can fund qualified borrowers the same day they apply, making it a great choice if you need money for an unexpected, urgent expense. Plus, LendingClub's origination fees top out lower than at other Bankrate-reviewed emergency loan competitors.
Top features
- Your loan can get approved and funded within a single business day.
- You can choose a six-year term if you need more time to repay the loan.
- Due date flexibility may be useful for juggling bills after an emergency.
Best for home improvement
LightStream
Why they won
LightStream offers repayment terms and rates that rival home equity products, with one major advantage: no fees. Add a six-figure loan amount maximum and quick funding times, and it’s easy to see why the lender earned Bankrate’s award for best home improvement personal loan lender.
Top features
- Loan amount maximum gives homeowners plenty of funds for major renovations.
- Unsecured loan means faster funding with less paperwork than mortgage loans.
- 20-year maximum term is the longest of all Bankrate-reviewed home improvement lenders.
Best for debt consolidation
Discover
Why they won
Discover combines low minimum and maximum APRs with a longer maximum term to give you a smaller payment on a debt consolidation loan. You won’t have origination fees deducted from the loan amount because Discover doesn’t charge any. Finally, Discover will save you effort by sending the funds directly to your existing creditors.
Top features
- Access to a Discover representative seven days a week.
- No origination fees means you have more funds to apply toward paying off debt.
- Seven-year repayment term maximum gives you a lower payment than the five-year cap other lenders offer.
Best online lender
SoFi
Why they won
SoFi combines the flexibility of high loan amounts and a wide range of repayment options with a completely digital application experience. It also offers an impressive array of exclusive benefits, such as referral bonuses and rate discounts. SoFi even offers same-day funding for quick cash needs if you apply early enough on business days.
Top features
- Loan amounts available as high as $100,000 for major purchases.
- Repayment terms run from 24 to 84 months to customize an affordable payment.
- Get prequalified on the mobile app or online.
Best from a bank
TD Bank
Why they won
TD Bank gives customers a competitive rate option alongside access to all of its standard banking products. Funding may be available as quickly as one day, and you can choose in-person service if you live near one of TD Bank’s branches. Competitive rates combined with no origination fees make TD Bank Bankrate’s top choice for personal loans from a bank.
Top features
- TD Bank offers a 15-day grace period before charging a late fee.
- TD Bank also offers standard banking products like checking accounts and credit cards.
- Whatever you borrow, you take home: TD Bank doesn’t charge origination fees.
Explore the best of the best
Check out the 2025 Bankrate Awards winners across our top categories.
