Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team
Alterna Bank vs LEND.ch
Where Alterna Bank and LEND.ch differ
| Compare |  Alterna Bank |  LEND.ch |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Purchase, Remortgage, Home equity | Purchase, Equity release, Home equity |
| Lender type | Direct lender | Marketplace |
| Initial rate | 3.7% | Not confirmed |
| APRC | 3.74% | Not confirmed |
| Fixed period | 5 years | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Alterna Bank scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 8.9.
- Support channels: only Alterna Bank offers Phone.
- Purpose: only Alterna Bank offers Remortgage.
- Purpose: only LEND.ch offers Equity release.
Our verdict on each
Alterna Bank
Alterna Bank lends directly to Canadian borrowers outside Quebec across home purchase, remortgage and home equity, with a credit line offered alongside personal loans. Its APRC of 3.74% sits under the site median of 4.9%, which makes it worth weighing for anyone shopping on cost.
LEND.ch
LEND.ch suits Swiss residents in permanent employment who want a marketplace loan at rates of 4.3% to 9.96%, well under the 12% site median. The trade-off is the fee, which is score dependent, spread across the whole term and taken from the payout, so what lands in your account is less than what you borrow.
Score breakdown
| Area | Alterna Bank | LEND.ch |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.5Higher | 9.3 |
| Offer | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| Trust | 9.2Higher | 8.3 |
Licences and countries
| Country | Alterna Bank | LEND.ch |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Not confirmed | |
| Switzerland | Not confirmed |
Additional countries for Alterna Bank: 1. Additional countries for LEND.ch: 1.
What we checked
Alterna Bank
- alternabank.ca: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
LEND.ch
- lend.ch: 6 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Alterna Bank | LEND.ch |
|---|---|---|
| Personal loans | 250 of 1932 | 113 of 1932 |
| Mortgages | 38 of 719 | 16 of 719 |
| Home equity loans and HELOCs | 9 of 110 | 5 of 110 |
| Home improvement loans | 71 of 562 | 54 of 562 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Alterna Bank | LEND.ch |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Alterna Bank | Switzerlend AG (CHE-456.445.646) |
| Headquarters | Canada | Switzerland |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2015 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Email, Chat, Help centre |
Loans
| Fact | Alterna Bank | LEND.ch |
|---|---|---|
| APR | Not confirmed | 4.3% to 9.96% |
| Loan amount | Not confirmed | from CHF 10,000 |
| Term | 12 to 60 months | 12 to 84 monthsHigher |
| Arrangement fee | Not confirmed | One-off origination fee, score-dependent, charged for the whole loan term and deducted from the payout (e.g. CHF 130 per year for 36 months, CHF 390 total on CHF 20,000) |
| Credit check | Not confirmed | Hard |
| Representative example | Not confirmed | Personal loan CHF 20'000 over 36 months, score A+: annual fee CHF 130, total fee CHF 390, payout CHF 19'610; effective interest rate 4.30% to 9.96% |
| Pricing model | Fixed rate | Not confirmed |
| Features | Credit line | Not confirmed |
| Rate type | Fixed | Not confirmed |
| Free early repayment | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Eligibility | Not currently available in Quebec; Canadian residents outside Quebec | Of legal age, resident in Switzerland, holder of a Swiss bank account, with a regular income (Swiss residents with permanent employment) |
| Loan types | Personal, Credit line | Personal, Debt consolidation, Car, Student, Business, Secured, Bridging |
| Use cases | Home improvement | Home improvement |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Alterna Bank | LEND.ch | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial rate | 3.7%below the median | Not confirmed | 4.425% |
| APRC | 3.74%lowest quarter | Not confirmed | 5.04% |
| Fixed period | 5 yearsbelow the median | Not confirmed | 10 years |
Median across 238 listed lenders.
Pros and cons
Alterna Bank
Pros
- Its initial rate of 3.7% undercuts the site median of 4.35%, and the APRC of 3.74% is below the site median of 4.9%.
- A credit line sits with the personal loans, a feature carried by 34.4% of lenders on the site, so borrowing can flex as projects change.
- You apply to the lender itself, and support runs on email, chat and phone, which covers phone, chat, email and a help centre.
Cons
- The fixed period of 5 is shorter than the site median of 6.5, so the certainty lasts less time.
- The offer score of 4.6 sits well under the cost score of 7.3, with home improvement the only use named for the credit line.
LEND.ch
Pros
- Rates of 4.3% to 9.96% sit below the 12% median across loans on the site and below the 10% to 23% range at Monzo Flex.
- Early repayment is free, matching 81.2% of the loans across the site, so a fee spread over the term can be cut short without a charge.
- A single application can cover personal, debt consolidation and car under the same marketplace structure, rather than a separate search for each purpose.
Cons
- The arrangement fee is score dependent and charged across the whole term, so a weaker profile pays more for the same 4.3% to 9.96%.
- The fee is deducted from the payout, as the representative example shows, so the amount landing in the account is lower than the amount borrowed and 4.3% to 9.96% understates the cost.
- The credit check is hard, so a search is on the file before any offer, and hard searches account for 72.7% of the loans on the site.
Who each suits
Alterna Bank
Who it suits
- Canadian borrowers outside Quebec buying, remortgaging or taking home equity, which are the purposes it serves.
- People who want a credit line next to the loan, since credit lines sit in its feature list alongside personal loans.
- Applicants who prefer to deal with the lender itself, with support by email, chat and phone rather than a broker.
Who should look elsewhere
- Prestalo, whose initial rate of 2.36% sits below Alterna Bank's 3.7%.
- Sofkredit, whose initial rate of 8% to 14% is a far higher band than Alterna Bank's 3.7%.
- Creditilia ES, whose initial rate of 4% is a shade above Alterna Bank's 3.7%.
LEND.ch
Who it suits
- Swiss residents in permanent employment who hold a Swiss bank account and a regular income, which is the stated eligibility.
- Borrowers after a personal or consolidation loan at 4.3% to 9.96% who can carry a hard credit search.
- People funding home improvement or a car purchase who want a single marketplace to quote them.
Who should look elsewhere
- Borrowers who want an interest-free loan should try Cashspace ES, which lists 0%, rather than the 4.3% to 9.96% band here.
- UK borrowers who prefer a 10% to 23% band to 4.3% to 9.96% should look at Monzo Flex, since LEND.ch lends only to residents in Switzerland with a Swiss bank account.
- Borrowers priced out by the PHP 12 to PHP 36 band at Cashspace have room here, where rates run 4.3% to 9.96%.
Current offers
Alterna Bank
Current offer
Bonus
Mortgage incentives up to $1,000 for eligible borrowers: up to $1,000 CAD toward switching or legal fees
Eligible borrowers; does not include prepayment penalties from a member's current financial institution; 120-day rate guarantee on new mortgages and 30-day on renewals
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Qtrade Direct Investing cash back offer: up to 5% cash back
For a limited time, via the Qtrade Direct Investing platform
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Alterna Bank | LEND.ch |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Yes | No |
| Switzerland | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Alterna Bank
What rate does Alterna Bank charge on a mortgage?+
Alterna Bank's published initial rate is 3.7% and its APRC is 3.74%. Both sit under the site medians of 4.35% and 4.9%, which puts its cost position ahead of most of the field on the two numbers that matter for a mortgage.
How long is the rate fixed for?+
The fixed period is 5, against a site median of 6.5. The model is fixed-rate only, so the rate holds for that stretch and no longer, a shorter run of certainty than the median lender in the field.
LEND.ch
What rate am I likely to be offered?+
Rates run 4.3% to 9.96%, which sits below the 12% median across loans on the site and well under the 10% to 23% range at Monzo Flex. The band is a range rather than a single price because the offer depends on your profile, so a weaker file sits nearer the top of it. The score band you land in also sets the fee.
How much is the arrangement fee and when is it taken?+
It is a single origination charge, it depends on your credit score, it is spread across the whole loan term and it is taken out of the payout rather than invoiced separately. The representative example shows the shape: an annual fee on the top score band and a total fee on a personal loan, with the payout reduced by both. Check the payout figure against the amount you asked to borrow.
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