Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Home Equity Home Equity Investments Unison vs. Unlock: Which Wins Out in Our Comparison? Updated Nov 01, 2024 4-min read Written by Aly Yale Written by Aly Yale Expertise: Home equity, mortgages, real estate Aly Yale is a freelance writer with more than a decade of experience covering real estate and personal finance topics. Learn more about Aly Yale Unison and Unlock offer home equity agreements that let you leverage your home’s equity without taking on extra debt or monthly payments. In this Unison vs. Unlock comparison, we’ll review terms, eligibility requirements, customer reviews, and more to find a winner. 4.5 View Rates 3.8 View Rates Funding limits $30,000 – $500,000 $30,000 – $500,000 Funding limits Funding limits $30,000 – $500,000 $30,000 – $500,000 Term length 10 years 30 years Term length Term length 10 years 30 years Min. credit score 550+ 620+ Min. credit score Min. credit score 550+ 620+ State availability 27 states + D.C. 13 states State availability State availability 27 states + D.C. 13 states See the best home equity agreements Is eligibility easier with Unison or Unlock? It’s critical that you review the eligibility requirements of each company before making a decision. Due to the state limitations for both Unison and Unlock, it’s possible one or both don’t service homeowners in your state. Unison: AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA, WI, and DC Unlock: AZ, CA, FL, MI, NC, NJ, NV, OR, SC, TN, UT, VA, and WA Check out the financial and home requirements below if you reside in one of the states these companies operate in. RequirementUnisonUnlockCredit score620+550+IncomeNoneNoneMax. LTV70%80%Type of homeSingle-family, townhouse, condoSingle-family, townhome, condo, 2-4 unit propertyFree estimateFree estimate While Unison is more widely available geographically, Unlock stands out for having more lenient financial requirements like a lower credit score and higher loan-to-value ratio. Unlock also accepts more home types than Unison. Does Unison or Unlock have better customer reviews? To ensure you get the best service and experience, it’s important to consider customer reviews. We’ve looked into reviews of both Unison and Unlock on Trustpilot, Google, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). SourceUnlockUnisonTrustpilot4.7/54/5Google4.2/5NoneBBB3.96/51.62/5 Ratings are accurate as of April 25, 2024. Unlock’s customers rate it much higher than Unison on Trustpilot and the BBB website. It’s also viewed positively on Google, while Unison has no reviews. On Trustpilot, customers tout Unlock’s great service and communication, and many say it’s good for self-employed homeowners. Over 90% of customers say their experience with Unlock was “great” or “excellent.” Unison has a solid score on Trustpilot, though its rating has decreased in recent months. Almost three-quarters of reviewers say their experience was “great” or “excellent.” Scenarios in which Unison or Unlock is better If you’re unsure whether Unison or Unlock is your best option, we’ve determined a few scenarios in which one company is better. Click a scenario in the table to jump down. ScenarioWinnerIf you have a low credit scoreUnlockIf you want a long term lengthUnisonIf you want flexibility during repaymentUnlockIf you want a more experienced companyUnisonIf you think you may sell your home soonUnlock Scenario #1: If you have a low credit score Unlock allows for much lower credit scores than Unison. With Unlock, you can qualify for a home equity sharing agreement with just a 500 credit score. Unison requires 620 or higher. Winner Unlock Scenario #2: If you want a long term length With Unison, you don’t have to buy out the company’s share for up to 30 years. That gives you ample time to save up for that potentially large payment. Unlock, on the other hand, has a much shorter 10-year term. This means you’ll need to settle up quite a bit earlier if you go with this company. Winner Unison Scenario #3: If you want flexibility during repayment Unlock is the only home equity sharing company that offers partial buyouts, meaning you can make smaller payments over time. This can make buying back your home equity much more manageable, and it may even save you cash in the long term. With Unison, no partial buyouts are available, and you’ll need to buy back your equity in full once the 30-year term ends. Winner Unlock Scenario #4: If you want a company with more experience Unison has been around since 2004. When you compare that to Unlock, which has only been around since 2021, that’s a lot more experience—both in the home equity space and in serving customers. Winner Unison Scenario #5: If you think you may sell soon Unison has a five-year restriction period, which means it won’t share in any equity loss if you sell your house within the first five years of signing your agreement. If you do sell, you’d owe the company at least the full value of its original investment amount, regardless of what the home’s current market value is at that point. Unlock doesn’t have these restrictions and allows customers to sell their homes or buy out the company’s share at any point in the 10-year term. Winner Unlock Final verdict: Our choice between Unison and Unlock Our team rated Unlock higher than Unison, with an editorial rating of 4.6 vs. 3.8 out of 5. This rating considered the terms of these agreements, customer reviews, eligibility requirements, and many more factors. This makes Unlock our choice between the two companies for residents in a state where both operate. However, if you live in a state where only one company operates, both companies receive a high enough rating to consider.