Alternatives to Tide loans (Funding Options)

4 UK business loan alternatives to Tide loans (Funding Options), compared on product type, ticket band, rate, decision speed and eligibility.

Tide loans (Funding Options) vs the 4 alternatives

Tide loans (Funding Options) compared with 4 alternatives, last reviewed 2026-05-08
	Tide loans (Funding Options)	iwoca	Funding Circle	Fleximize	Capify
Product	Broker / aggregator (not a direct lender)	Flexi-loan / line of credit	Term loan	Term loan with flex features	Merchant cash advance + term loan
Ticket	£500 to £20m (panel-priced)	£1k to £500k	£10k to £500k	£5k to £500k	£3.5k to £500k
Rate	Varies by panel lender	From 2% per month	6.9% to 26.9% APR	From 0.9% per month	Factor rate 1.15 to 1.45
Decision	24 hours to 5 days	Same day to 24 hours	1 to 3 business days	24 to 48 hours	Same day
Soft search	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rating	3.9	4.4	4.3	4.0	4.0

iwoca

Same day to 24 hours · From 2% per month

iwoca is a UK flexi-loan and line-of-credit provider founded 2011, FCA regulated, tickets £1k to £500k with same-day to 24-hour decisions. The draw-as-you-go structure makes iwoca the best mainstream option for working c

Best for: Working capital and cash-flow gaps, Newer Ltd companies (12 months+).

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.

Fleximize

24 to 48 hours · From 0.9% per month

Direct lender with flex features (top-ups, payment holidays, reduced repayments during slow months). Underwriting more accommodating than mainstream term lenders for sub-2-year trading. Per-month rate hides effective APR

Best for: Seasonal businesses needing payment flex, 12 to 24 month-trading Ltd companies.

Capify

Same day · Factor rate 1.15 to 1.45

Specialist in merchant cash advance against card-machine takings. Fast, accommodating on credit history, but the factor-rate model makes effective APR opaque. Best fit for hospitality and retail with strong card-machine

Best for: Hospitality, retail, salons, Strong card-machine flow.

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Last reviewed: 2026-05-08. Editorial by Oliver Mackman.