Avant vs RISE

The short version

Avant and RISE serve different credit tiers, and anyone who can qualify at Avant has little reason to be looking at RISE. Avant is a fair-credit installment lender: a 580 minimum credit score on paper, a typical approved borrower in the 600-700 FICO range, and an APR of 9.95%-35.99% as of September 2026. The tradeoff is an administration fee of up to 9.99% deducted from your loan proceeds before the money reaches your account — a real cost, but layered on top of a rate that’s a fraction of what a triple-digit-APR lender charges.

RISE doesn’t publish a minimum credit score; it bases its decision on what it judges you can afford, your application, your credit history, and the terms offered in your state, which opens the door to applicants Avant’s underwriting won’t reach. That access costs a lot: RISE’s own site puts its APRs at about 60%-299% as of September 2026 (99%-199% on its Texas and Florida pages), and its parent, Elevate Credit, settled a 2020 District of Columbia lawsuit over RISE loans priced above the District’s 24% cap for nearly $4 million in February 2022, including at least $3.3 million in refunds to more than 2,500 DC consumers. If your credit clears Avant’s practical range, price it there first — and even if it doesn’t, a credit union, an employer pay advance, or payday loan alternatives is worth ruling out before either of these.

Rates and fees

Avant’s APR runs 9.95%-35.99% as of September 2026, with an administration fee of up to 9.99% of the loan amount deducted from your proceeds at funding — a cap, not a range. Late payments (more than 10 days past due) carry a $25 fee; a returned or failed payment carries a $15 fee. There’s no prepayment penalty.

RISE charges no application fee, no origination fee, and no prepayment penalty, with an APR of about 60%-299% as of September 2026 (99%-199% on its Texas and Florida pages). It doesn’t publish its late fee or returned-payment fee; those are disclosed in your loan agreement.

Both lenders offer $2,500, so take a $2,500 loan over 24 months at Avant (the midpoint of its 9.95%-35.99% range is about 23%, with the maximum 9.99% administration fee) against $2,500 over 12 months at RISE (179.5% midpoint of about 60%-299%, inside its 7-to-36-month range). A midpoint is an illustration, and your own rate, fee, and term are what govern.

• Avant, $2,500 over 24 months at ~23% APR (midpoint of 9.95%-35.99%), with the maximum 9.99% administration fee: fee $249.75 comes off the top, you receive about $2,250.25; monthly payment about $117.82, total payments about $2,828, total cost roughly $577 over the cash received. Avant publishes only a fee cap, not a range. An APR already includes the origination fee by definition, so we amortize the cash you actually receive at the APR rather than counting the fee a second time. These are our own amortization figures, not a lender quote.
• RISE, $2,500 over 12 months at 179.5% APR (midpoint of about 60%-299%), no origination fee: monthly payment about $460.38, total payments about $5,525, total cost roughly $3,025 — more than the amount borrowed, in a year. RISE’s Texas and Florida pages each state a narrower 99%-199% range, so the midpoint in those two states would be lower. An APR already includes any origination fee by definition, so on a loan with no origination fee we simply amortize the full $2,500 you receive at 179.5% APR over 12 months. These are our own amortization figures, not a lender quote.

At every point in the two ranges, RISE’s APR is several times Avant’s, and that gap, not a fee, is what sets the total cost.

Who qualifies

Avant’s published minimum credit score is 580, but its own data shows the typical approved borrower has a FICO score in the 600-700 range and income above $50,000. Beyond credit, Avant looks for verifiable income (guidance points to at least $1,200/month), an active checking account, and a valid Social Security number. Avant is not available in Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Washington, or West Virginia.

RISE doesn’t publish a minimum credit score. The published requirements are a valid checking account, a valid email address, income above a state-specific minimum that isn’t published, and residence in a state RISE serves. Pre-qualifying is a soft inquiry with no FICO impact; a complete application places a hard inquiry with Clarity Services. Avant and RISE share 29 of RISE’s 30 states; Hawaii is served only by RISE.

Speed and funding

Avant deposits funds via ACH as soon as the next business day if your approval comes through by 4:30 p.m. CT on a weekday; approvals later in the day, on weekends, or needing extra verification can take longer.

RISE funds the next business day at the earliest: applications processed and approved before 6 p.m. Eastern typically fund the following business day by direct deposit, and a paper check instead takes 7 to 10 days.

Where each one wins

• Avant — a lower APR at both ends, a repayment window of up to 60 months, and a $35,000 loan ceiling for borrowers with established fair credit.
• Avant — a published 580 floor, with a realistic path to approval for the 600-700 FICO range.
• RISE — no credit score minimum at all, with underwriting built around affordability and state terms instead.
• RISE — no application fee, no origination fee, and no prepayment penalty, all stated outright.
• RISE — five business days to rescind a loan after signing, a protection Avant doesn’t describe.

Bottom line

If your credit is anywhere near the 600s, Avant is worth pricing first — even with its administration fee, it costs a fraction of what RISE charges for a comparable amount. RISE exists for the gap Avant’s underwriting won’t reach: no credit score minimum and a fixed-installment structure, at a price that’s still very expensive money. Before you apply anywhere, check our guide to bad-credit installment loans — then start a loan request. Full details on each lender are in our Avant review and RISE review.