LendingTree Personal Loans Review 2025: Pros, Cons, and How It Works

4.8 _/5

Personal Loans

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Our take: LendingTree is a convenient way to compare personal loan offers without filling out multiple applications. It’s best for borrowers who want to shop quickly across many lenders, but you should be prepared for potential follow-up calls and know that rates can run high if your credit isn’t strong.

• Network of over 300 lenders
• Prequalify for several loans at once
• Soft pull
• Fast process
• Available to people with varying credit profiles

• Loan maximums are $50,000
• Once you choose a lender, that lender conducts a hard pull
• Some users report getting a significant amount of sales and spam phone calls after applying.
• Cannot guarantee loan funding
• High maximum rates for lower credit borrowers

Rates (APR)	5.99% – 35.99%
Loan amounts	Up to $50,000
Repayment terms	24 – 84 months
Min. credit score	Varies by lender, typically 580+

Table of Contents

1. About LendingTree personal loans
2. How do LendingTree personal loans work?
   1. Save money by choosing the best loan
   2. Tools and features
   3. Loan options
   4. Costs and fees
   5. Loan uses
3. Pros and cons of LendingTree personal loans
4. LendingTree personal loans reviews
5. Alternatives to LendingTree

Consumers have so many options for personal loans that it can feel like a full-time job just comparing them. That’s where LendingTree makes life easier. Instead of filling out multiple applications and hoping for the best, you fill out one quick form and see offers from lenders you actually prequalify for. I’ve found this approach saves time, stress, and—if you pick the right loan—money.

Do I recommend it? Yes. If you value convenience and want to see a wide range of offers in one place, LendingTree is a smart choice. Just be ready for some follow-up calls and know that if your credit isn’t great, like with most lenders, the rates you’re offered may not be the lowest. Still, for most borrowers, the benefits outweigh the downsides.

About LendingTree personal loans

LendingTree isn’t a lender—it’s a marketplace that’s been around since 1997 to help people compare loans without having to apply everywhere individually. Along the way, it has acquired well-known financial sites like MagnifyMoney, CompareCards, and ValuePenguin.

That matters because it shows the company isn’t just matching borrowers with lenders; it has invested in building out financial education and comparison tools across several brands. In other words, it’s trying to cover more of the decision-making process, not just the application itself.

Today, LendingTree’s reach goes beyond personal loans. On its platform, you can also shop for mortgages, private student loans, credit cards, and more. For someone who wants to compare different types of financial products in one place, that breadth can be convenient.

How do LendingTree personal loans work?

In 2025, Americans owe $253 billion in personal loan debt, a 3.3% increase from 2024. With so many lenders in the market, LendingTree simplifies the process by gathering offers in one place so you can quickly compare rates, terms, and features to find a match that fits your needs.

Compare offers from 300+ lenders

LendingTree has partnerships with more than 300 different personal loan lenders. You complete an online loan request that contains all of your personal information, and LendingTree conducts a soft credit check.

This soft credit check helps LendingTree connect you with the best matches for you. Once you’re prequalified, you can view loan offers from several different lenders. Review the rates and terms to choose the best one.

When you choose a lender, you’ll complete the formal application on that lender’s website. At that time, the lender may perform a hard credit inquiry as part of the final loan approval process.

Save money by choosing the best loan

The main reason people use LendingTree is to compare offers side by side to get a clearer picture of what’s out there. According to LendingTree, borrowers who shop on its platform save an average of $1,659 compared to going with a single lender. That’s not guaranteed, but it shows the value of checking multiple options before you sign.

What you qualify for depends a lot on your credit score. LendingTree cites these average personal loan rates by credit score as of Q2 2025:

Credit tier	Average APR
Excellent (800 and above)	11.66%
Very good (740-799)	14.35%
Good (670-739)	22.83%
Fair (580-669)	30.22%
Poor (under 580)	32.09%

These are averages, so some borrowers find better (or worse) offers, but the data makes one thing clear—your credit score is going to set the playing field.

Tools and features

LendingTree isn’t just about loan comparisons—it also offers a handful of tools that can help you stay on top of your money. These extras won’t replace a full-on budgeting app, but they can be useful if you like having everything in one place. For example:

• Credit score monitoring: See where you stand and track changes over time. Helpful if you’re trying to qualify for better rates down the road.
• Budgeting insights: Get a snapshot of your spending patterns so you can spot problem areas before they spiral.
• Financial education: Articles, explainers, and guides on everything from credit basics to loan types.
• Up-to-date articles: LendingTree regularly updates its content, so you’re not working with stale advice.
• Personalized alerts: Notifications that flag changes in your credit or new offers that might fit your profile.

Are these features a reason to use LendingTree on their own? Probably not. But if you’re already comparing loans, it’s nice to have these tools in the same dashboard without having to sign up for yet another service.

Loan options

Borrowers who use LendingTree to secure a personal loan have numerous options due to the high number of lending partners that LendingTree has. Here are some examples:

• Fixed-rate personal loans: These loans come with predictable, equal monthly payments and an interest rate that does not change during the loan’s term.
• Variable-rate personal loans: These are uncommon, but some lenders might offer a variable rate that can rise or fall based on the prime rate.
• Unsecured loans: Most of LendingTree’s personal loans are unsecured, meaning you do not have to provide collateral to get the loan.
• Secured loans: Some lenders may offer secured loans, which are tied to an asset.
• Various repayment options: While personal loans typically have lengths from 24 to 60 months, some lenders on the platform offer repayment lengths up to 84 months.

Costs and fees

LendingTree itself is free to use, but the lenders you’re matched with set their own personal loan fees. One example is Upstart, which often appears on the platform. Upstart charges an origination fee that can range from 0% to 12% of your loan amount. On a $10,000 loan, that could mean anywhere from no fee at all to losing $1,200 right off the top before the money even hits your bank account.

Other fees vary by lender, too—some tack on late fees or even prepayment penalties, while others stick strictly to interest charges. That’s why it’s important to look at the total cost of the loan, not just the advertised APR. A loan with a slightly higher rate but no fees might end up being the cheaper option in the long run.

Loan uses

When you prequalify for a personal loan on LendingTree, you’ll be asked what you plan to use the money for. In reality, this is more about lender guidelines than about locking you into one purpose—most borrowers aren’t going to get quizzed later on whether they spent it on debt payoff or a kitchen remodel.

That said, personal loans are flexible, and people use them for just about anything:

• High-interest debt consolidation
• Home renovation
• Business startup costs
• Education expenses
• Weddings or travel
• Emergencies and medical bills
• Moving expenses

If you’re using a loan to consolidate credit card debt, one tip is to watch for origination fees. Some lenders charge as much as 5% of your loan amount, which eats into how much actually goes toward paying off that balance. If you can, prioritize a lender that waives origination fees so your consolidation actually saves you money.

Pros and cons of LendingTree personal loans

There are benefits and drawbacks to using LendingTree as your personal loan marketplace.

Pros

• Network of over 300 lenders

• Prequalify for several loans at once

• Soft credit pull

• Fast process

• Available to people with varying credit profiles

Cons

• Loan maximums are $50,000

• Once you choose a lender, that lender conducts a hard pull

• Some users report getting a significant amount of sales and spam phone calls after applying

• Cannot guarantee loan funding

• High maximum rates for lower credit borrowers

LendingTree personal loans reviews

LendingTree’s reputation is a bit of a mixed bag depending on where you look, but generally positive. On one hand, it earns strong marks for being a legitimate, established company. On the other hand, customer experiences vary—especially around the number of sales calls people report after submitting their information.

Here’s a snapshot of its current ratings:

Review site	Rating	Number of reviews
Better Business Bureau (BBB)	1.0/5 stars	104
Trustpilot	4.5/5	15,598

The A+ from the BBB reflects LendingTree’s responsiveness and track record as a business, but the low customer star rating highlights frustrations—most often about spam calls and emails after applying. Note, however, this rating is based on just over 100 reviews, so it may not be as representative of the full customer sentiment.

Trustpilot reviews, by contrast, skew much more positive, with many borrowers saying they liked the ability to compare loan offers quickly.

In short, LendingTree is seen as credible and safe to use. If you decide to use it, be prepared for some possible follow-up contacts from lenders.

Alternatives to LendingTree

If you want an alternative to LendingTree, Credible is a strong pick thanks to its $200 Best Rate Guarantee, which can give you some peace of mind while rate shopping. Another option is Engine by MoneyLion, which is especially useful if you’re looking for a personal line of credit.

Read about our recommendations for the best personal loans. Also, check out our full list of reviewed personal loan companies.

How we rated LendingTree personal loans

Since 2017, LendEDU has evaluated personal loan companies to help readers find the best personal loans. Our latest analysis reviewed 1,029 data points from 49 lenders and financial institutions, with 21 data points collected from each. This information is gathered from company websites, online applications, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives.

These star ratings help us determine which companies are best for different situations. We don’t believe two companies can be the best for the same purpose, so we only show each best-for designation once.