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Best Personal Loans of 2026 hero
Loans · Rankings

Best Personal Loans of 2026

By Juan Hurtado, Editor-in-chief
Updated Apr 10, 2026
10 min read

Choosing the right lender matters for your long-term financial health. DollarScout evaluated the top lenders on fees, ease of use, feature set, and customer support to help you find the best fit for your needs in 2026.

Quick summary

Our top 5 picks

1
Best overall
SoFi Personal Loans
4.5 / 5.0
2
Best low rates
LightStream
4.6 / 5.0
3
Best no-fee lender
Marcus by Goldman Sachs
4.3 / 5.0

The rankings

5 products compared
1
SoFi Personal Loans
· Best overall
4.5/5
2
LightStream
· Best low rates
4.6/5
3
Marcus by Goldman Sachs
· Best no-fee lender
4.3/5
4
Upstart
· Best for thin credit files
4.2/5
5
LendingClub
· Best online experience
4.1/5

Side-by-side comparison

Every product across every metric we scored.

Feature
#1
SoFi Personal Loans
#2
LightStream
#3
Marcus by Goldman Sachs
#4
Upstart
#5
LendingClub
DollarScout rating 4.5 / 5.0 4.6 / 5.0 4.3 / 5.0 4.2 / 5.0 4.1 / 5.0
Best for Best overall Best low rates Best no-fee lender Best for thin credit files Best online experience
Account minimum $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commissions $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs $0 stocks / ETFs
Mobile app iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android iOS + Android
Fractional shares — — — — —
Standout feature Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing Competitive pricing

Detailed reviews

In-depth look at every product on our list.

Best Overall · Editor's Choice
1
Ranked #1

SoFi Personal Loans

4.5/5 4.5
DollarScout rating
SoFi Personal Loans logo
SoFi Personal Loans
Best overall

Sofi Loans stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Visit Site
Read full review on SoFi Personal Loans's website
Rating
4.5 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Sofi Loans stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full SoFi Personal Loans review
Our pick for best low rates
2
Ranked #2

LightStream

4.6/5 4.6
DollarScout rating
LightStream logo
LightStream
Best low rates

Lightstream stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Visit Site
Read full review on LightStream's website
Rating
4.6 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Lightstream stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full LightStream review
Our pick for best no-fee lender
3
Ranked #3

Marcus by Goldman Sachs

4.3/5 4.3
DollarScout rating
Marcus by Goldman Sachs logo
Marcus by Goldman Sachs
Best no-fee lender

Marcus stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Visit Site
Read full review on Marcus by Goldman Sachs's website
Rating
4.3 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Marcus stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Marcus by Goldman Sachs review
Our pick for best for thin credit files
4
Ranked #4

Upstart

4.2/5 4.2
DollarScout rating
Upstart logo
Upstart
Best for thin credit files

Upstart stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Visit Site
Read full review on Upstart's website
Rating
4.2 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Upstart stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full Upstart review
Our pick for best online experience
5
Ranked #5

LendingClub

4.1/5 4.1
DollarScout rating
LendingClub logo
LendingClub
Best online experience

Lendingclub stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Visit Site
Read full review on LendingClub's website
Rating
4.1 / 5.0
Account minimum
$0
Fees
$0 base
Standout
Competitive pricing

Standout features

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support
DollarScout's take

Lendingclub stands out in the personal loan space for its balanced feature set and approachable onboarding. It's a strong default choice for most consumers evaluating lenders.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Strong user experience
  • Solid customer support

Cons

  • Some advanced features locked behind paid tiers
  • Limited international coverage
Visit Site Read full LendingClub review
Our methodology

How we scored every product on this list

Our rankings combine hands-on testing, public filings where applicable, and verified user feedback. All lenders are regulated by the CFPB and state regulators.

Every ranking combines hands-on testing, public filings where available, and verified user feedback. Read our full methodology for the complete scoring rubric.

JH
Written by
Juan Hurtado
Editor-in-chief, 10+ years in finance
Updated Apr 10, 2026