Independent ranking
Best UK unsecured business loans
Independent UK lender rankings from desk research, post-decline options included. FundBiz does not run a credit check. Typical decision times vary by product and lender and are stated in the ranking below.
Start here · What do you need?
Funding Circle and iwoca anchor mainstream unsecured lending: a fixed-term loan or a flexi-draw facility with no asset named as security, though almost all still require a director personal guarantee. White Oak UK covers business loans alongside its asset finance line, and Zempler Bank (formerly Cashplus) offers small-ticket credit such as overdrafts, a business credit card and Creditbuilder for thinner-file directors that mainstream lenders decline. This FundBiz ranking assesses 4 UK lenders for "best uk unsecured business loans", weighting primarily on genuine unsecured availability (35%), transparency (20%), decision speed (20%) (see the full weighted criteria below). Scores are our own desk-research assessment built from the FCA Register, Companies House filings and each lender's published product criteria, not customer reviews and not paid placement. Lenders don't pay for inclusion or rankings. If you send an enquiry, we pass it to a business finance broker, who pays us a fixed fee; you pay nothing.
Source: FundBiz methodology. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, FundBiz
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind FundBiz. His background runs through commercial finance, mortgages and fintech, including as managing director of an invoice finance business. He oversees FundBiz's guides and lender reviews.
Last updated:
-
Term loan · £10k to £750k · As little as 5 minutes
Term loans of £10k to £750k with no business assets taken as security, for established Ltds.
Our assessment: Transparency: strong · Decision speed: strong (as little as 5 minutes) · Eligibility breadth: top tier.
Read full Funding Circle review → -
Flexi-loan / line of credit · £1k to £1m · Same day to 24 hours
Unsecured flexi-loan, draw-as-you-go, for newer or thinner-file Ltds.
Our assessment: Transparency: strong · Decision speed: top tier (same day to 24 hours) · Eligibility breadth: strong.
Read full iwoca review → -
SMB term loans, asset finance, professional finance · £5k to £500k · Most decisions within 24 hours (White Oak UK's own figure)
Covers business loans alongside asset finance and invoice finance.
Our assessment: Transparency: average · Decision speed: strong (most decisions within 24 hours (White Oak UK's own figure)) · Eligibility breadth: strong.
Read full White Oak UK review → -
Business overdraft, credit card + Creditbuilder · Small-ticket credit; limits set per application · Not published
Now trading as Zempler Bank: small-ticket overdrafts, a business credit card and Creditbuilder for thin-file directors.
Our assessment: Transparency: strong · Decision speed: strong (not published) · Eligibility breadth: strong.
Read full Cashplus Bank review →
Side-by-side comparison
| Lender | Typical rate | Ticket | Decision | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding Circle | From 6.9% per year | £10k to £750k | As little as 5 minutes | Established Ltds with a trading record and clean credit |
| iwoca | From 1.5% per 30 days | £1k to £1m | Same day to 24 hours | Working capital and cash-flow-gap files needing flexible draw-down |
| White Oak UK | Bespoke, quoted at offer | £5k to £500k | Most decisions within 24 hours (White Oak UK's own figure) | Established SMEs |
| Cashplus Bank | Quoted at offer | Small-ticket credit; limits set per application | Not published | Small-ticket credit needs |
Sources: each lender's own published product pages: Funding Circle · iwoca · White Oak UK · Cashplus Bank. Figures change; confirm with the lender before you rely on one.
What is the best UK unsecured business loan?
Funding Circle and iwoca anchor mainstream unsecured lending: a fixed-term loan or a flexi-draw facility with no asset named as security. White Oak UK covers business loans, and Zempler Bank (formerly Cashplus) offers small-ticket credit for thinner-file directors.
What does "unsecured" actually mean on a UK business loan?
No specific business asset is named as security for the facility. It doesn't usually mean no personal guarantee: almost every lender on this list still requires a director PG, which is a personal commitment rather than a charge over a named asset.
What does a UK unsecured business loan cost?
As recorded in our lender reviews: Funding Circle: from 6.9% per year. iwoca: from 1.5% per 30 days. White Oak UK: bespoke, quoted at offer. Cashplus Bank: quoted at offer. Lenders price each case individually, so confirm the cost on a real quote.
How fast can an unsecured business loan fund?
As recorded in our lender reviews: Funding Circle: as little as 5 minutes. iwoca: same day to 24 hours. White Oak UK: most decisions within 24 hours (White Oak UK's own figure). Cashplus Bank: not published. Timings are the lenders' own or typical figures and depend on how complete your application is.
What unsecured loan applications get declined?
Sub-12-month trading and recent CCJs or missed payments are the most common declines at Funding Circle. iwoca and Zempler Bank are both aimed at thinner files, and White Oak UK adds a further route, including funding for professional indemnity insurance.
How we ranked these
We weight genuine unsecured availability (35%), transparency (20%), decision speed (20%), eligibility breadth (15%), post-decline acceptance (10%). Rankings reflect our published editorial methodology, not any commercial arrangement. See our /methodology/ for the full basis.
Methodology weights
Weights specific to "Best UK unsecured business loans":
- Genuine unsecured availability35%
- Transparency20%
- Decision speed20%
- Eligibility breadth15%
- Post-decline acceptance10%
Read the full methodology for how we score and rank the lenders we review.
Also considered
- Start Up Loans Company (unsecured to the founder personally, for pre-revenue cases)
Not for
Applicants needing £250k+ where an asset-backed structure prices cheaper; a personal guarantee is still required almost everywhere on this list even without a named asset.
Send an enquiry
Tell us what you need in 2 minutes. FundBiz is not a lender and does not run a credit check. We pass your enquiry to a business finance broker, who will contact you about your options. For limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners.
Send an enquiry →FundBiz is owned and operated by Best Business Loans Ltd, directed by Oliver Mackman. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).