Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team
Optimise vs S-Pankki
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Optimise |  S-Pankki |
|---|---|---|
| APR | 9.49% to 12.6%Lower | 25.005% |
| Loan amount | £10,000 to £500,000 | €5,000 to €50,000 |
| Term | 36 to 360 monthsHigher | 12 to 144 months |
| Arrangement fee | No upfront fees; broker fee added on completion (up to 12.5% of secured loan) | 0 EUR |
| Credit check | Soft prequal | Hard |
| Funding time | Funds typically released within two weeks | Paid to the account given in the application after signing the loan agreement; customers report it on the same day |
| Representative example | Borrow 30,000 over 180 months at 9.25% fixed for 5 years then 9.75% variable; 12.6% APRC, total payable 64,878.60 incl. broker fee 3,750 and lender fee 600 | S-Laina of 5 000 EUR over 12 months at the highest possible rate: monthly payment 469.24 EUR, 5 630.88 EUR paid in total |
| Lender type | Broker | Direct lender |
| Eligibility | Homeowners (mortgaged or own outright); employed, self-employed, retired or benefits-based incomes; all credit scores considered | S-Laina: at least 21 years old, Finnish personal identity code, permanently resident in Finland, regular gross income of at least 1 200 EUR per month, no registered payment defaults, existing S-Pankki customer with an S-Tili account |
| Loan types | Secured, Personal, Debt consolidation, Business, BridgingCovers more | Personal |
| Credit needed | Poor | Fair |
| Free early repayment | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Origination fee (%) | 0% to 12.5% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Rate type (Variable), Use cases (Home improvement).
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Key differences
- Founded is lower at S-Pankki: 2006 to 2007 vs 2009.
- APR is lower at Optimise: 9.49% to 12.6% vs 25.005%.
- Term is higher at Optimise: 36 to 360 months vs 12 to 144 months.
- Support channels: only Optimise offers Email.
- Support channels: only S-Pankki offers Help centre.
- Loan types: only Optimise offers Secured, Debt consolidation, Business.
Our verdict on each
Optimise
Optimise is a UK broker for property-backed lending, built for homeowners whether mortgaged or owning outright, and for borrowers with a poorer credit history. Borrowing of £10,000 to £500,000 is available at 9.49% to 12.6% APR, with terms of 36 to 360, though a broker fee of 0% to 12.5% can be added on completion.
S-Pankki
S-Pankki suits a Finnish borrower who wants to stretch a mortgage against as much of a property's value as possible and holds an account there. The trade-off is price: the mortgage starts at 3.6%, while the personal loan carries an APR of 25.005%.
Score breakdown
| Area | Optimise | S-Pankki |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2Higher | 9.1Origination fee is 0 EUR and early repayment is free, but the S-Laina APR of 25.005% is high. |
| Offer | 9.3HigherOffer strength comes from a secured loan with soft prequalification at soft prequal, so property carries the risk instead of a hard credit check. | 9.1A fixed stretch of 5 to 10 and a maximum loan to value of 95% suit buyers with limited deposits. |
| Trust | 8.6 | 8.9Higher |
The bill, worked out
Borrow a typical amount over a typical term (estimate at the stated APR)
Optimise
1,530.18 to 2,060.58
1,530.18 to 2,060.58
S-Pankki
4,314.49
4,314.49
Optimise comes out 2,784.31 lower in this example.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Pick Optimise if, pick S-Pankki if
Pick Optimise if apr, term, and loan types matter most.
Pick S-Pankki if trust matter most.
A third option
Prestamiau ES has apr at 0% to 36%, against 9.49% to 12.6% for Optimise and 25.005% for S-Pankki.
Prestamiau ES reviewHow they place
| Ranking | Optimise | S-Pankki |
|---|---|---|
| Personal loans | 691 of 1932 | 727 of 1932 |
| Loans for bad credit | 145 of 275 | 151 of 275 |
| Mortgages | 248 of 719 | 262 of 719 |
| Remortgage deals | 177 of 351 | 190 of 351 |
| Home improvement loans | 314 of 562 | 333 of 562 |
| Equity release | 13 of 32 | 14 of 32 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Optimise | S-Pankki |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed rate | Not confirmed |
| Features | Not confirmed | Credit line |
| Legal entity | Optimise Finance | S-Pankki Oyj |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Finland |
| Founded | 2009 | 2006 to 2007Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Phone | Phone, Help centre |
Mortgages
| Fact | Optimise | S-Pankki |
|---|---|---|
| Initial rate | 6.59% to 26.3% | 3.6%Lower |
| APRC | 12.6% | 3.8%Lower |
| Fixed period | 5 years | 5 to 10 yearsHigher |
| Maximum loan to value | Not confirmed | 95% |
| Product fee | £3,750 | €300 |
| Purpose | Purchase, Remortgage, First time buyer, Buy to let, Equity release | Purchase, Remortgage, First time buyer, Buy to let, Equity release |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Optimise | S-Pankki | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | 9.49% to 12.6%above the median | 25.005%highest quarter | 8.99 |
| Term | 36 to 360 monthshighest quarter | 12 to 144 monthshighest quarter | 60 |
| Origination fee (%) | 0% to 12.5%below the median | Not confirmed | 0.25 |
Median across 1005 listed lenders.
Pros and cons
Optimise
Pros
- Loans of £10,000 to £500,000 at 9.49% to 12.6% APR, with terms running 36 to 360.
- A fixed rate for 5 before the pricing changes, which suits planned work.
- Every credit score is considered, and the credit profile that fits is poor, so a thinner file is still workable.
Cons
- A broker fee of 0% to 12.5% is added on completion, so the total cost sits above the quoted rate alone.
- The eligibility criteria cover property owners, mortgaged or outright, which narrows the pool of applicants considerably.
- Money moves slowly: Funds typically released within two weeks, so this is no route to funds in the same week.
S-Pankki
Pros
- A maximum loan to value of 95% lets a buyer stretch closer to the full value of the property.
- The mortgage initial rate of 3.6% sits well below Sofkredit's 8% to 14%.
- The rate is fixed for 5 to 10, so the monthly payment is known in advance.
Cons
- The S-Laina APR reaches 25.005% at the top of the range, and the representative example shows a total repaid well above the amount borrowed, so a slow repayment costs a lot of rate.
- The S-Laina rate is variable, so the payment can rise when the base rate moves and there is no fixed period to hold it steady.
- The credit search is hard, and only 20.4% of lenders on the site rely on a soft prequalification instead.
Who each suits
Optimise
Who it suits
- Homeowners with a mortgage or a home owned outright, funding home improvement work.
- Borrowers whose credit profile is poor, since all credit scores are considered.
- Employed, self-employed, retired and benefits-based earners in the UK.
Who should look elsewhere
- Renters and first-time buyers with nothing to pledge: eligibility is limited to homeowners who are mortgaged or own outright.
- Borrowers chasing a quick fix, because Funds typically released within two weeks sets the wait.
- Readers who want a lender's own rate table: Monzo Flex publishes 10% to 23% directly, an easy side by side check.
S-Pankki
Who it suits
- A buyer with limited savings, since the maximum loan to value of 95% is what makes a small deposit workable.
- An existing S-Pankki customer: the S-Laina asks for an S-Tili account, a Finnish personal identity code, permanent residence in Finland and no registered payment defaults.
- A borrower who wants the rate held at 3.6% for 5 to 10 and then chooses again.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for a reader shopping on the lowest headline rate: Prestalo lists 2.36% and Creditilia ES lists 4%, both under S-Pankki's 3.6%.
- Not for someone who needs a larger unsecured loan than the S-Laina amount of €5,000 to €50,000, or a lighter touch than a hard search.
- Not for a rate comparison that treats a wide range as more choice: Sofkredit's 8% to 14% sits far above S-Pankki's 3.6%, so that is the costlier direction to move in.
Current offers
S-Pankki
Current offer
Bonus
Mortgage without delivery fee: 0 EUR delivery fee (normally at least 300 EUR)
Valid for new mortgage applications made 14.9.-31.10.2026: first-home buyers, home movers and mortgage transfers to S-Pankki
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Optimise | S-Pankki |
|---|---|---|
| Finland | No | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Optimise
What rate will I pay, and what does the APR include?+
Advertised rates run 9.49% to 12.6% APR, and the worked example is shown at 12.6% APRC. The APRC is the figure that folds in the broker and lender fees, so it is the better number to compare, while the rate itself is what drives the monthly payment.
Is there an arrangement fee or upfront charge?+
There are no upfront fees. What you pay is a broker fee added on completion of 0% to 12.5%, plus lender fees, and the homeowner loans page quotes a product fee of £3,750. The cost does not appear in your first payment, so the completion stage is where it lands.
S-Pankki
How much does a S-Laina cost to borrow?+
The quoted APR is 25.005%, which is the rate at the top of the range rather than the everyday price. The representative example shows the smallest loan over the shortest term paid at that highest rate, so the total repaid comes to clearly more than the amount borrowed. The origination fee is 0 EUR, so arranging the loan adds nothing to the first payment.
What does the mortgage cost in fees?+
The mortgage carries a product fee of €300, so unlike the S-Laina, where the origination fee is 0 EUR, taking out a home loan is not free to arrange. The annual percentage rate on the mortgage is 3.8%, which spreads the cost of borrowing over the fixed period rather than showing the headline rate alone.