Key Takeaway: If you’re comparing SoFi versus Upstart personal loans, keep in mind that SoFi is generally better if you have good-to-excellent credit and want a larger loan with no required fees. Upstart may be the better choice if you have fair or limited credit history since it considers factors beyond your credit score.
SoFi vs. Upstart personal loans at a glance
If you have strong credit and need a large loan, a SoFi personal loan could be a good fit. But if you only want to borrow a small amount of money and have fair or limited credit, an Upstart personal loan is likely the better option to explore.
| Feature | SoFi | Upstart |
|---|---|---|
| Loan amounts | $5,000 to $100,000 | $1,000 to $75,000 |
| APR | 6.99% to 35.49% | 6.3% to 35.99% |
| Origination fee | 0% to 7% | 1% to 8% |
| Funding time | Same-day possible | Typically same-day or next day |
| Repayment terms | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 years | 3 or 5 years |
| Minimum credit requirement | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
- SoFi personal loans pros and cons
- Upstart personal loans pros and cons
- Key differences: How do SoFi and Upstart personal loans compare?
- SoFi vs. Upstart: Which lender is best for you?
- How to get a personal loan from SoFi or Upstart
- What are the best personal loans?
- Our methodology: How Credit Karma rates personal loans
- FAQs SoFi vs. Upstart personal loans
SoFi personal loans pros and cons
Pros
- Large loan amounts offered
- No late fees or prepayment penalties
- Member-only perks like financial planning and travel deals
- Same-day funding possible
- Direct payments for credit card consolidation
Cons
- Must borrow at least $5,000
- May be difficult to qualify for without strong credit
- Origination fee may be needed for lowest rates
Upstart personal loans pros and cons
Pros
- Looks at factors beyond your credit scores
- Small loan amounts available
- Potential quick funding — same-day or next-day possible
- Offers auto-secured loans
Cons
- Charges origination and late fees
- Lacks flexibility with only two loan terms available
Key differences: How do SoFi and Upstart personal loans compare?
Funding time
SoFi: SoFi says you can get your loan funds as soon as the same day, as long as you’re approved and sign your contract by 5:30 pm Eastern time on a business day. But the exact timing depends on your bank.
Upstart: Upstart loans are typically available by the next business day if you accept your loan by 5 pm Eastern time. There’s also a fast track funding option that offers same-day funding if you complete your application before 2 pm.
Verdict: If you need a quick loan, either SoFi or Upstart will likely get you your money fast.
Credit score requirements
SoFi: Neither SoFi nor Upstart disclose their minimum credit scores requirements for a personal loan. But SoFi states its lowest rates are for “the most creditworthy borrowers.”
Upstart: Upstart says it looks beyond your credit history and uses AI models to consider other factors such as your education and employment history. That means you may get approved for an Upstart loan, even with lower credit scores.
Verdict: If you have good or excellent credit, SoFi is a stronger starting point. If your credit has some blemishes, it’s worth checking with Upstart to see if you prequalify for a personal loan.
Loan amounts
SoFi: SoFi personal loans range from $5,000 to $100,000. They’re worth exploring if you need to cover a larger expense like home improvements, a wedding or other major purchase.
Upstart: Upstart offers loans between $1,000 and $75,000 so you might consider one if you only need a small loan. Keep in mind that while Upstart’s shortest loan term is three years, you can pay off your loan early with no prepayment penalty.
Verdict: If you need a small loan less than $5,000, Upstart is your only option between the two lenders. But if you need to borrow more money, SoFi is a good choice as well.
Fees
SoFi: SoFi advertises “no fees required,” but that does come with a catch. While SoFi doesn’t charge a late fee or prepayment penalty, you can opt for an origination fee to receive a lower interest rate. Origination fees are deducted from your loan proceeds.
Upstart: Upstart may charge origination, late and returned payment fees. If you want to pay off your personal loan early, you can without a prepayment penalty.
Verdict: Since you may face an origination fee with either lender, it’s worth prequalifying with both to see which offers you a lower rate. Prequalifying won’t affect your credit scores since it uses a soft credit inquiry.
Customer satisfaction
SoFi: SoFi scores above average for customer satisfaction in JD Power’s 2026 U.S. Consumer Lending Satisfaction Study.
Upstart: Upstart’s 2026 U.S. Consumer Lending Satisfaction Study score is below average for personal loans.
Verdict: If you want a long-term relationship with a lender, SoFi offers member perks and a wider variety of loans and credit cards than Upstart.
SoFi vs. Upstart: Which lender is best for you?
SoFi: Consider if…
- You have strong credit and can receive a competitive rate.
- You need a large loan of up to $100,000.
- You want access to member perks like financial planning and travel deals.
- You have an emergency expense and can’t wait long for the funds.
Upstart: Consider if…
- You have limited or fair credit and have trouble getting approved with other lenders.
- You only want to borrow a small amount.
- You prefer a secured personal loan that uses your vehicle as collateral.
How to get a personal loan from SoFi or Upstart
How to get a SoFi personal loan
You can apply for a SoFi personal loan online or through its mobile app. You’ll need to be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or non-permanent resident, have a valid income source, and live in an eligible state. To start, you can prequalify and check potential rates without affecting your credit.
How to get an Upstart personal loan
Upstart lets you prequalify for a personal loan and check estimated loan offers on its website or mobile app with basic information such as your name, birth date, phone number, and desired loan amount. You must be at least 18 years old with a valid U.S. address, source of income, and Social Security number.
You can also use Credit Karma’s Approval Odds to check your potential loan approval and terms.
What are the best personal loans?
If you decide that SoFi and Upstart aren’t a good fit, here are a few other personal loan options to consider. The best personal loans offer flexible loan amounts and terms, fast funding times and other perks like direct payments to creditors to pay off your debts.
- Upgrade: Upgrade offers personal loans between $1,000 and $50,000, and you may be able to qualify with fair or bad credit.
- Discover: A Discover personal loan is a good option if you want to consolidate your debt because it offers direct payments to many creditors.
- LightStream: If you have strong credit, a LightStream personal loan is worth considering for its rate beat program.
Our methodology: How Credit Karma rates personal loans
Credit Karma’s editors evaluate personal loans by reviewing key features and how they compare to other popular lenders. Those features fall into the following three categories:
- Affordability — We start by checking if a lender’s rates are competitive: Are they higher than average, or are they lower than many competitors? Then, we analyze if fees — particularly origination fees — may make your loan more costly. Last, we’ll check if the lender offers rate discounts for things like automatic payments that may reduce your rate.
- Customer-friendly features — Taking out a personal loan is a big financial commitment, so we prioritize lenders that make things easier for you. For instance, does a lender offer a wide range of loan amounts for people with different borrowing needs? Does it offer at least several loan terms to give you more flexibility with your monthly payment? And, crucially, can it fund your loan quickly? A lender will also get bonus points for offering direct payments for debt consolidation or other customer-friendly features.
- Transparency — We believe personal loan terms should be easy to find and decipher. Prequalification, which lets you check what rate you may qualify for without a hard credit inquiry, is particularly important. We also check to see if a lender has been recently penalized by regulators.
FAQs about SoFi vs. Upstart personal loans
If you have fair credit or limited credit, Upstart is a better place to start. Upstart says it looks beyond your credit and considers other factors such as your education and employment.
SoFi and Upstart don’t disclose their minimum credit score requirements for personal loans. But SoFi says the best rates are for people with strong credit, and Upstart says it looks at other factors such as your employment history in addition to credit.
SoFi doesn’t require a mandatory origination fee, but you may choose one to receive a lower rate. In that case, the maximum origination fee SoFi charges is 7%. Upstart origination fees range from 1% to 8% of your total loan amount.
Both SoFi and Upstart let you use a personal loan for debt consolidation. If you want, SoFi can make the process easier and pay your lenders directly.
You can prequalify and check potential rates with SoFi and Upstart without affecting your credit scores. Both lenders let you do this quickly online or via their mobile apps.
*Approval Odds are not a guarantee of approval. Credit Karma determines Approval Odds by comparing your credit profile to other Credit Karma members who were approved for the personal loan, or whether you meet certain criteria determined by the lender. Of course, there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but knowing your Approval Odds may help you narrow down your choices. For example, you may not be approved because you don’t meet the lender’s “ability to pay standard” after they verify your income and employment; or, you already have the maximum number of accounts with that specific lender.