Alternatives to Shawbrook Bank

4 UK business loan alternatives to Shawbrook Bank, compared on product type, ticket band, rate, decision speed and eligibility.

Shawbrook Bank vs the 4 alternatives

Shawbrook Bank compared with 4 alternatives, last reviewed 2026-04-26
	Shawbrook Bank	Allica Bank	OakNorth	Aldermore	Funding Circle
Product	Term loans, asset finance, commercial property	SME term loan + commercial mortgage	SME term loan + bridging	Asset finance, invoice finance, commercial mortgages	Term loan
Ticket	£25k to £25m	£150k to £5m	£500k to £50m+	£25k to £5m	£10k to £500k
Rate	Bespoke	From 7.99% APR	Bespoke	From 7.5% APR equivalent	6.9% to 26.9% APR
Decision	7 to 14 business days	5 to 10 business days	7 to 14 business days	5 to 10 business days	1 to 3 business days
Soft search	No	No	No	No	Yes
Rating	4.0	4.4	4.2	4.1	4.3

Allica Bank

5 to 10 business days · From 7.99% APR

Allica Bank is a PRA-regulated UK challenger bank founded 2019, focused on the £150k to £5m SME ticket band that mainstream high-street banks have abandoned. Rates start from 7.99% APR for SME term loans and commercial m

Best for: Established Ltd companies, £250k to £5m tickets.

OakNorth

7 to 14 business days · Bespoke

OakNorth Bank is a PRA-regulated UK bank founded 2015 that lends to established SMEs at the £500k to £50m+ ticket band, including bespoke commercial term loans, acquisition finance and bridging. Pricing is bespoke and st

Best for: £500k+ tickets, Acquisition / asset finance.

Aldermore

5 to 10 business days · From 7.5% APR equivalent

Specialist UK SME challenger bank with strong asset finance, invoice finance and commercial mortgage lines. Owned by FirstRand. Established broker channel; not a self-serve fintech experience.

Best for: Asset-finance and IF deals, Commercial property £150k+.

Funding Circle

1 to 3 business days · 6.9% to 26.9% APR

Funding Circle is the largest UK SME term-loan platform, founded 2010, FCA regulated, with tickets from £10k to £500k and decisions in one to three business days. The published rate range (6.9% to 26.9% APR) is wide, so

Best for: Established Ltd companies, Working capital £25k-£250k.

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Last reviewed: 2026-04-26. Editorial by Oliver Mackman.