Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team
Credafin vs Smava
Where Credafin and Smava differ
| Compare |  Credafin |  Smava |
|---|---|---|
| Term | 12 to 84 months | 6 to 120 monthsHigher |
| Credit check | Hard | Soft prequal |
| Funding time | Within 48 hours after contract signature and bank validation | Within a few working days; with digital account check and video ident some banks disburse the same day |
| Lender type | Broker | Marketplace |
| Free early repayment | YesHas it | No |
| Eligibility | At least 18 years old, regular income, resident in Belgium, not registered in the BNB national payment incidents file | At least 18 years old, main residence in Germany, current account at a German bank, regular income, sufficient creditworthiness |
| Loan types | Personal, Debt consolidation, Car, Student | Personal, Car, Debt consolidation, Business |
| APR | Not confirmed | -0.4% to 19.9% |
| Loan amount | Not confirmed | €1,000 to €120,000 |
| Representative example | Not confirmed | Ratenkredit: EUR 50,000 net loan, 60 months, 8.70% effective annual rate, 60 monthly instalments of EUR 1,022.73, total EUR 61,363.57, Vereinigte Volksbank Raiffeisenbank eG |
| Credit needed | Not confirmed | Fair |
Same on both: Arrangement fee (0 EUR), Rate type (Fixed), Use cases (Home improvement).
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Key differences
- Smava scores higher overall: 8.9 vs 8.8.
- Free early repayment: only Credafin.
- Term is higher at Smava: 6 to 120 months vs 12 to 84 months.
- Support channels: only Smava offers Help centre.
- Loan types: only Credafin offers Student.
- Loan types: only Smava offers Business.
Our verdict on each
Credafin
Credafin suits Belgian borrowers with a regular income who want an intermediary for a personal, car, student or consolidation loan rather than a direct lender. Fees stay modest, with an origination fee of 0 EUR, free early repayment and funding Within 48 hours after contract signature and bank validation after signature.
Smava
Smava suits German borrowers who want one comparison across personal, car, consolidation and business loans, plus home finance, without paying a setup fee. It scores 6 overall, with -0.4% to 19.9% on loans and 3.2% on home finance, but early repayment is not free.
Score breakdown
| Area | Credafin | Smava |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2Higher | 9.1 |
| Offer | 8.9 | 9.1HigherAmounts of €1,000 to €120,000, rates of -0.4% to 19.9%, no origination fee of 0 EUR and same day funding. |
| Trust | 8.3 | 8.5Higher |
From lowest to highest
| Fact | Credafin | Smava |
|---|---|---|
| Term | 12 to 84 months | 6 to 120 months |
How they place
| Ranking | Credafin | Smava |
|---|---|---|
| Personal loans | 879 of 1920 | 122 of 1920 |
| Debt consolidation loans | 307 of 425 | 52 of 425 |
| Car loans | 282 of 432 | 31 of 432 |
| Home improvement loans | 403 of 562 | 59 of 562 |
Which one suits you
Pick Credafin if free early repayment matter most.
Pick Smava if term matter most.
If neither fits
Sofkredit has term at 6 to 240 months, against 12 to 84 months for Credafin and 6 to 120 months for Smava.
Sofkredit reviewEvery fact side by side
| Fact | Credafin | Smava |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed rate | Fixed rate |
| Features | Not confirmed | Same day funding |
| Legal entity | Credafin SPRL | smava GmbH (HRB 97913, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg) |
| Headquarters | Belgium | Germany |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2007 |
| Support channels | Email, Phone | Email, Phone, Help centreCovers more |
Mortgages
| Fact | Credafin | Smava |
|---|---|---|
| Initial rate | Not confirmed | 3.2% |
| APRC | Not confirmed | 3.2% |
| Fixed period | Not confirmed | 10 years |
| Maximum loan to value | Not confirmed | 110% |
| Product fee | Not confirmed | €0 |
| Purpose | Not confirmed | Purchase, Remortgage |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Credafin | Smava | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | Not confirmed | -0.4% to 19.9%lowest quarter | 8.99 |
| Loan amount | Not confirmed | €1,000 to €120,000highest quarter | €40,000 |
| Term | 12 to 84 monthsabove the median | 6 to 120 monthshighest quarter | 60 |
Median across 1152 listed lenders.
Pros and cons
Credafin
Pros
- Origination fee of 0 EUR on personal loans, plus free early repayment
- Fixed rate model, fixed rate, across terms of 12 to 84
- Funding Within 48 hours after contract signature and bank validation once the contract is signed and the bank has validated
Cons
- Credit check is hard, hard, so the search is recorded on your file
- Support runs on email and phone only, with no live chat among the listed routes
- As a broker, the offer and the lender come from a partner rather than from Credafin itself
Smava
Pros
- Loan amounts run €1,000 to €120,000 with terms of 6 to 120
- Loan types cover personal, car and debt consolidation in one comparison
- A soft prequalification credit check (soft prequal) means you can check rates before a full application
Cons
- Free early repayment: no, so paying a loan off early carries a cost
- Credit needed is fair, and eligibility also requires a German bank account and regular income
- A marketplace, so the rate you get depends on which partner bank responds and the final offer comes from them
Who each suits
Credafin
Who it suits
- Belgian residents with a regular income who can pass a hard credit check
- Borrowers consolidating debts, or covering car, study or home improvement costs
- People who expect to repay early and want to do it at no extra cost
Who should look elsewhere
- Borrowers wanting a gentler first look, since Cashspace ES runs a soft prequal where Credafin uses a hard
- Anyone recorded in the BNB national payment incidents file, which eligibility rules out
- People after a very short window, since Cashspace runs terms of 2 to 4 against 12 to 84 here
Smava
Who it suits
- Adults in Germany with a current account at a German bank and regular income
- Anyone consolidating debts, funding a car or improving a home who wants to compare offers rather than one lender
- Borrowers who want a fixed rate over 6 to 120 on a personal loan
Who should look elsewhere
- People who want to repay a loan early at no cost
- Borrowers without regular income or a German current account
- Anyone needing a variable-rate loan, since the model is fixed rate
Current offers
Smava
Current offer
Bonus
500 EUR Amazon.de voucher on taking out a loan: 500 EUR Amazon.de voucher
Loan of at least EUR 30,000 concluded via the 'Zum Kreditvergleich mit Gutschein' button only; voucher sent by email after the 14-day withdrawal period has passed; restrictions apply per amazon.de/gc-legal
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
Cheaper-goes-does-not-exist guarantee: One-off compensation of the difference if a comparable domestic bank offer is cheaper
Applies to loans brokered via smava; amount follows the offers received in the smava credit comparison, stated without hidden conditions
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Credafin | Smava |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Germany | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Credafin
What does Credafin charge to arrange a personal loan?+
The origination fee is 0 EUR, and early repayment carries no extra charge. That leaves interest as the main cost of a loan, so the fixed rate on fixed rate loans is the figure worth comparing across lenders.
How quickly does money arrive after applying?+
Funding happens Within 48 hours after contract signature and bank validation. The clock starts once you have signed the contract and your bank has validated the details, so the payout follows a contract step rather than an instant decision, and it is worth asking how quickly your bank completes validation.
Smava
What does Smava charge for setting up a loan?+
There is no origination fee on the personal loan: the arrangement fee is 0 EUR, and the product fee is €0. What you pay instead is interest on the borrowed amount, which is priced at -0.4% to 19.9% for your own profile.
How much can I borrow and over what term?+
Loan amounts run €1,000 to €120,000, and terms run 6 to 120. The rate model is fixed, so the figure you are offered is set at the start and does not drift with market moves.