About
Personal loans compared on real APR, not the advertised rate
SideBySide Loans compares APRs, fees and terms across 11+ personal loan lenders so the true cost of borrowing is visible before you apply. It's for anyone consolidating debt, financing a large expense, or simply trying to lower the rate they're already paying.
Why APR is everything
APR includes both the interest and the fees. A loan advertised at a 9% rate with a 5% origination fee actually costs 12.5% APR, and that is the number we compare, because the advertised rate on its own can hide thousands of dollars. The same logic drives the debt-consolidation comparison on the home page: the average credit card charges around 21% APR, a personal loan around 12%, and that 8%+ gap is where the savings come from.
Rates on the site currently start at 6.24%, several lenders charge no fees at all, and same-day funding is possible with some. Those three facts rarely belong to the same lender, which is exactly why they need to be compared side-by-side.
Top picks by credit profile
Your credit score decides which lenders will talk to you, so the picks are sorted by profile rather than by a single best. LightStream also runs a Rate Beat Program and Marcus offers repayment tools and 0% APR offers; details like that sit in each lender's comparison row.
- Excellent credit: LightStream, zero fees, from 6.24%, up to $100K
- Good credit: Marcus, no fees, flexible payment dates, 8.99% to 29.99% APR
- Fair or bad credit: Upstart, with AI underwriting
Guides for the parts a table can't explain
Alongside the comparisons, the blog covers how personal loans work, APR versus interest rate, credit score requirements, the best loans for debt consolidation, options for fair credit, and zero-fee lenders. Read the APR guide first if nothing else; it's the difference between a good loan and an expensive one.
It's written for the borrower with a specific job to do: paying off a card balance at 21%, covering a large expense without putting it on a card, or replacing a loan taken at a worse rate. You should be able to leave knowing which two or three lenders are actually worth applying to.
Funding and the fine print
The footer states it plainly: this site may earn affiliate commissions from qualifying applications, and there is an affiliate disclosure page for the detail. Our stance sits on the same footer: honest loan comparisons with real APR transparency.
Loan terms and rates may change, so always verify current terms with the lender before you accept an offer. The compare-all-lenders page is the full table, and the contact page is for questions and corrections.