Head to head
iwoca vs Starling Bank: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
Independent, side by side. Rate, ticket band, decision speed and eligibility compared for UK limited companies and LLPs.
Start here · What do you need?
iwoca is the stronger all-round pick in our reviews, but Starling Bank wins on specific files. iwoca offers flexi-loan / line of credit (ticket range: £1k to £1m; rate: From 1.5% per 30 days); Starling Bank offers business banking; loans shown in the Starling app are provided by iwoca (ticket range: Set by iwoca (Starling doesn't offer its own business loans); rate: Set by iwoca). The right answer depends on ticket size, trading history and sector. Starling Bank beats iwoca for existing Starling business customers who want to see an iwoca offer inside their banking app. Read the side-by-side, then jump to the "When iwoca wins" and "When Starling Bank wins" sections for the buyer-fit logic.
Source: FundBiz methodology. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
iwoca, at a glance
- Product
- Flexi-loan / line of credit
- Ticket range
- £1k to £1m
- Typical rate
- From 1.5% per 30 days
- Decision time
- Same day to 24 hours
- FundBiz editorial view
- Stronger all-round; best for working capital and cash-flow-gap files needing flexible draw-down
Starling Bank, at a glance
- Product
- Business banking; loans shown in the Starling app are provided by iwoca
- Ticket range
- Set by iwoca (Starling doesn't offer its own business loans)
- Typical rate
- Set by iwoca
- Decision time
- Set by iwoca
- FundBiz editorial view
- Wins on specific files; best for existing Starling business customers who want to see an iwoca offer inside their banking app
Side-by-side
Full profiles: iwoca · Starling Bank
| Compared on | iwoca | Starling Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Flexi-loan / line of credit | Business banking; loans shown in the Starling app are provided by iwoca |
| Ticket range | £1k to £1m | Set by iwoca (Starling doesn't offer its own business loans) |
| Typical rate | From 1.5% per 30 days | Set by iwoca |
| Decision time | Same day to 24 hours | Set by iwoca |
| Soft search at quote | Yes | Yes |
| Ltd-only? | No | Yes |
Sources: iwoca's own site · Starling Bank's own site. Figures change; confirm with the lender before you rely on one.
FundBiz enquiries are for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners. Some lenders on this page also accept other business types; we do not arrange those and do not recommend a lender on that basis.
When iwoca wins
- Same-day decisions for most applicants, which keeps the quote-to-funding window short.
- Flexi-loan structure means the applicant only pays interest on what they draw, useful for cash-flow-gap files.
- iwoca says it only runs soft credit checks when you apply, so applying does not affect your credit score.
- Comfortable with sub-2-year trading and lighter credit profiles where Funding Circle declines.
Best for
Working capital and cash-flow-gap files needing flexible draw-down, Newer Ltd companies trading 12 to 24 months, Borrowers who want a lender soft search and a same-day decision.
Watch outs
- A per-30-day rate looks low but adds up (iwoca's own example shows 3.33% per 30 days as 49% APR representative), so compare the APR before borrowing.
- Borrowing is capped at up to 20% of turnover, so larger clean files may suit Funding Circle or OakNorth better.
- Personal guarantee required.
When Starling Bank wins
- Loan offers can appear inside the existing Starling business app for eligible customers.
- PRA and FCA authorised; FSCS-protected deposits.
- iwoca, the lender behind the in-app loans, says it only runs soft credit checks when you apply.
Best for
Existing Starling business customers who want to see an iwoca offer inside their banking app.
Watch outs
- Starling doesn't lend its own business loans, so there's no Starling rate or criteria to compare.
- The in-app route is for Starling business customers only; others can apply to iwoca directly.
FAQ
iwoca or Starling Bank: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
iwoca is our stronger all-round pick in our reviews, but the right answer depends on what your file looks like. iwoca is the stronger pick for working capital and cash-flow-gap files needing flexible draw-down, while Starling Bank is the stronger pick for existing Starling business customers who want to see an iwoca offer inside their banking app. If your file sits in one of those buckets, pick the right fit rather than the headline. See our /methodology/ for how we assess each lender.
What does each product look like, iwoca vs Starling Bank?
iwoca offers flexi-loan / line of credit (ticket range: £1k to £1m; rate: From 1.5% per 30 days; decision time: Same day to 24 hours). Starling Bank offers business banking; loans shown in the Starling app are provided by iwoca (ticket range: Set by iwoca (Starling doesn't offer its own business loans); rate: Set by iwoca; decision time: Set by iwoca). iwoca uses a soft search at quote.
Starling Bank uses a soft search at quote. Verify live commercials before signing because lender pricing moves and bespoke rates are common above £100k tickets.
Which is weakest for what?
iwoca is the wrong answer for fixed-term project finance, consider Funding Circle or Allica. Starling Bank is the wrong answer for borrowers banking elsewhere. If either of those describes your file, look at the side-by-side table for the alternative, or read our other lender reviews.
Can FundBiz help with iwoca or Starling Bank?
FundBiz is not a lender and is independent of both. This comparison and our lender reviews are editorial research to help you decide which to approach. FundBiz doesn't send enquiries to lenders. If you send an enquiry through FundBiz, we pass it to a business finance broker, who will contact you about your options.
Who can send an enquiry through FundBiz?
The FundBiz enquiry form is for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners. Eligibility for iwoca and Starling Bank is set by each lender, and trading history requirements vary, so check each lender's own criteria.
Related comparisons
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How we ranked these lenders
Every lender is scored on the same four FundBiz criteria: pricing transparency, eligibility clarity, decision speed and treatment of declined applicants. Scores are our own desk-research assessment built from the FCA Register, Companies House filings and each lender's published product sheets, not customer reviews and not hands-on product testing. Each comparison shows the date it was last updated. Inclusion is never paid for, and FundBiz receives no commission from lenders. FundBiz is paid a fixed fee by a business finance broker for each enquiry we pass on. See our full methodology.
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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. Last updated: . Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).