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Most startup loan lists are sorted by APR.
That is the wrong axis.

If you are four months into your LLC with no revenue and a 690 FICO, the APR ranking is irrelevant — Bluevine will reject you, OnDeck will reject you, and each rejection is a hard credit pull that drops your score.

We sort by what the underwriter is going to say no to, and we tell you that before you click apply. Answer 5 questions to find your actual options.

Find My Loan Match What Do Lenders Actually Check?

The thing nobody says about startup loans

Most startup loans are not business loans — they are personal credit with a business label. Lenders use your personal FICO score as the primary underwriting input. The LLC is nearly irrelevant under 2 years old. Protecting your personal credit is the most valuable preparation you can do before applying.

Lenders Ranked by Who Approves You

Not by APR. By actual eligibility match for early-stage founders.

Lender	Score	APR / Cost	Best For	Min. Requirement
Kiva	8.5 /10	0% APR — no interest, no fees	Pre-revenue solo founders who can run a 30-day social fundraising campaign	Need money in under 30 days, or need mor	Full review →
Fundbox	8.3 /10	4.66% draw fee per 12-week draw (equivalent to ~18–29% APR depending on draw pattern)	Businesses with 3+ months of operation and irregular cash flow needing a revolving credit line	pre-revenue or under 3 months old	Full review →
Lendio	8.1 /10	8% to 60%+ APR depending on which lender Lendio routes you to — varies enormously	Businesses 6+ months old who want to compare multiple lender offers without filing separate applications	pre-revenue with under 3 months in busin	Full review →
Kabbage (American Express Business Blueprint)	8 /10	Monthly fee of 1.5–10% of the drawn amount (equivalent to 18–120% APR depending on term)	Businesses already in the American Express ecosystem with 1+ year of operating history	pre-revenue, under 12 months old, or hav	Full review →
SBA Microloan Program	7.8 /10	8.0% to 13.0% APR — the lowest fixed rates available to pre-revenue startups in the US	Pre-revenue and early-stage founders who can wait 30–60 days for funding and qualify through a local intermediary	Need funding in under 30 days, or need m	Full review →

Scores reflect editorial assessment of fit for early-stage founders. Data verified May 2026. This is not financial advice. Verify all details with each lender before applying.

The Realism Floor — What to Actually Expect

Typical first-month outcome if you execute seriously: SBA Microloan funded at approximately 10% APR in 6–8 weeks for $20,000–$50,000, OR a CDFI loan funded at 12–18% APR for $15,000–$35,000, OR a personal loan at 14–22% for $10,000–$40,000. If you need money in 48 hours, you are paying 35%+ APR, full stop — there is no fast cheap money for pre-revenue startups.