Loans Like Sunshine Loans

Like Sunshine Loans, Upstart has a simple, online application that offers quick approvals for loans to borrowers, regardless of their credit score. Unlike Sunshine Loans, however, Upstart has a strong reputation. It's accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an rating and has thousands of positive Trustpilot reviews.

Upstart allows borrowers to access up to $50,000. Its underwriting process relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to factor in nontraditional data like education, grades and job offers to determine your rates and fees. Upstart won't immediately charge a late fee if you miss a payment. Instead, it offers a 15-day grace period.

However, borrowers may face an origination fee of up to 12%, which is very high for a personal loan.

Upgrade is a good alternative to Sunshine Loans for borrowers wanting flexible payment options. Like Sunshine Loans, Upgrade has no prepayment fees, but it offers much better repayment terms that range from two to seven years. Additionally, if cash is tight, Upgrade's hardship program lets you make partial payments of 30% to 50%, giving you more breathing room. Plus, you'll have a 10-day grace period before any late fees kick in.

Upgrade offers rate discounts for setting up autopay or using the loan for debt consolidation. While reviews on Trustpilot and BBB praise Upgrade's fast turnaround and customer service, watch out for potentially high origination fees and interest rates.

Best Egg has a solid reputation as one of the fastest-growing online lending platforms. It's known for its great customer service, quick application process and fast turnaround, and it has positive reviews on the BBB and Trustpilot. To qualify, however, you'll need a credit score of at least 640, and the best loans go to borrowers with credit scores of 700+.

Unlike Sunshine Loans, which has a maximum loan amount of $2,000, Best Egg offers secured and unsecured loan options for up to $50,000. You can get rate discounts for secured loans, and you can also lower your rates with Best Egg's direct payment option for debt consolidation. Be wary of origination fees, however, as you could end up with a fee as high as 9.99%.

Similar to Sunshine Loans, Avant doesn't have a minimum credit score requirement, but it stands out by considering multiple factors, such as income and repayment history, to determine rates and terms. Notably, Avant accepts self-employment income, which is uncommon among personal loan providers.

Avant offers interest rates starting at 9.95% and an administrative fee of up to 4.75%, which is relatively low for borrowers with bad credit. Avant is also accredited by the BBB with an A+ rating and has plenty of positive reviews on Trustpilot.

Many lenders need to see a reliable, verifiable source of income to approve loans, which can be difficult for those who are self-employed or work in the gig economy. But Dave — a cash advance provider, not a lender — offers advances up to $500 even to non-traditional workers. You'll have to pay it back out of your next deposit, however, which is a much shorter loan term than Sunshine Loans. But there are no interest charges or late fees, so you'll only repay what you borrow.

EarnIn is a paycheck advance app rather than a lender like Sunshine Loans, but it won't check your credit or charge interest or late fees. In fact, EarnIn offers completely free advances up to $750 that you'll repay once your next paycheck drops. You'll only pay a small fee if you don't want to wait one to three days for free delivery of your funds. But you may have to submit timesheets or otherwise prove your hours worked.