Avant and Best Egg both serve fair-to-good credit. Avant reaches lower on the credit spectrum; Best Egg rewards stronger profiles with better pricing and direct-pay consolidation. Here's the decision rule.
Avant, LLC
Fair-credit personal loans with a clean digital experience and fast funding.
Pros
Cross River Bank (issuing partner)
Debt-consolidation specialist with direct-pay to creditors.
Pros
Pick Avant if: Borrowers in the 580–660 FICO range who want a straightforward online lender with transparent terms.
Pick Best Egg if: Borrowers consolidating multiple credit card balances who want a single fixed payment.
Apply at Avant, LLC →Apply at Cross River Bank (issuing partner) →
Avant is accessible down to approximately 580 FICO — one of the lower published floors among personal-loan lenders. Best Egg typically requires a minimum credit score of around 600 FICO, with better rates for scores above 640. Both serve the fair-credit range, but if your score is in the 580–600 band, Avant is the more accessible option. Verify current eligibility minimums at avant.com and bestegg.com, as lenders update their credit criteria based on market conditions. Source: CFPB guidance on checking personal loan offers at consumerfinance.gov.
Best Egg generally offers lower APRs for borrowers with good credit (640+), given its tighter credit box. Avant's APR range starts higher because it serves a broader risk spectrum including lower-score borrowers. For borrowers near the 600–640 FICO range, actual offers from both can be close — the only reliable comparison is to pre-qualify with both using soft pulls and compare actual offer APRs. Both charge origination fees that are included in the APR disclosure under Regulation Z. Source: CFPB at consumerfinance.gov.
Both Avant and Best Egg allow you to check your pre-qualified rate with a soft credit pull — your credit score is not impacted when you check rates. A hard inquiry is triggered only when you formally accept a loan offer. This means you can pre-qualify with both lenders simultaneously and compare actual APR offers before committing to either. The CFPB recommends pre-qualifying with multiple lenders for personal loans to find the best rate (consumerfinance.gov).
Avant personal loans range from $2,000 to $35,000, making it useful for smaller borrowing needs. Best Egg personal loans range from $2,000 to $50,000, giving higher-income borrowers access to larger loan amounts. Both offer multiple repayment terms (Avant: 12–60 months; Best Egg: 36–60 months). If you need more than $35,000, Best Egg is the relevant option. For smaller loans, both are accessible. Verify current loan amount ranges and terms at avant.com and bestegg.com before applying.
Best Egg offers a direct-pay option for debt consolidation — it can send loan proceeds directly to your credit card issuers or other creditors at closing rather than depositing to your bank account. This removes the risk of spending the loan proceeds. Avant does not offer direct creditor payment; it deposits the loan amount to your bank account and you manually pay off the debts. For a disciplined debt-consolidation strategy, Best Egg's direct-pay option is a structural advantage that reduces the step where consolidation loans often fail.
Avant is one of the faster personal-loan funders — approved loans can receive funds as soon as the next business day after acceptance. Best Egg typically funds within 1–3 business days after acceptance and document verification. For urgent needs (emergency expense, a time-sensitive payment), Avant's funding speed is comparable to the fastest lenders in the market. Both require identity and income verification before funding; document delays extend the timeline. Verify current funding timelines at avant.com and bestegg.com.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Lending is not the issuer of any product compared here; affiliate links may pay a referral commission at no cost to you — selection is independent of compensation.