Updated September 29, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team
Qonto ES vs Upgrade
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Qonto ES |  Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| APR | 19.5% | 7.74% to 35.99%Lower |
| Loan amount | €750 to €1,000,000 | $1,000 to $50,000 |
| Term | 1 to 12 months | 24 to 84 monthsHigher |
| Credit check | Hard | Soft prequal |
| Funding time | Answer within max 48 h, money in the Qonto account within a few days | Within 1 business day of clearing verifications |
| Lender type | Broker | Direct lender |
| Eligibility | PragmaGO loan: registered office in Spain, company registered at least 1 year, 12 months of activity, any legal form or autonomo, minimum 250 EUR monthly turnover, Qonto account required | Be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or living in the U.S. on a valid visa; be at least 18 years old (or older where the majority age is higher); provide verifiable bank account information and a valid email address |
| Loan types | Business, Credit line | Personal, Debt consolidation, Secured, Car |
| Arrangement fee | Not confirmed | 1.85%-9.99% one-time origination fee, deducted from loan proceeds |
| Representative example | Not confirmed | $10,000 unsecured personal loan, 36-month term, 17.59% APR including 13.94% yearly interest rate and 5% one-time origination fee; $9,500 received, $341.48 monthly payment, $12,293.46 total |
| Free early repayment | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Origination fee (%) | Not confirmed | 1.85% to 9.99% |
| Credit needed | Good | Not confirmed |
| Use cases | Not confirmed | Home improvement |
Same on both: Rate type (Fixed).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Upgrade scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.6.
- Qonto ES is licensed in 1 more country.
- Qonto ES is available in 29 more countries.
- APR is lower at Upgrade: 7.74% to 35.99% vs 19.5%.
- Term is higher at Upgrade: 24 to 84 months vs 1 to 12 months.
- Support channels: only Qonto ES offers Chat.
- Features: only Upgrade offers Same day funding.
- Loan types: only Qonto ES offers Business, Credit line.
- Loan types: only Upgrade offers Personal, Debt consolidation, Secured.
Our verdict on each
Qonto ES
Qonto suits Spanish businesses and sole traders that keep a Qonto account and want a fixed rate on a revolving facility. The trade-off is cost: at 19.5% with a hard credit check, it prices above the 12% median across the site, so the flexibility has to earn its place.
Upgrade
Upgrade lends directly through Upgrade, Inc. and suits US borrowers who want a fixed rate personal loan, debt consolidation or car finance with fast payout. Amounts run $1,000 to $50,000 over terms of 24 to 84 at a fixed rate, so the monthly figure is set at the start.
Score breakdown
| Area | Qonto ES | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.5The rate is 19.5%, above the 12% site median, on a fixed rate with a hard credit check. | 9.0Higher |
| Offer | 9.0 | 9.3HigherAmounts of $1,000 to $50,000 over terms of 24 to 84 at a fixed rate, fee taken from the payout. |
| Trust | 8.3 | 9.2Higher |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Qonto ES | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Lines of credit | 6 of 328 | 15 of 328 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Qonto ES | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| France | ACPR 16958 FR_ACPR PSD_PI FR_ACPR!68677 | Not confirmed |
| Spain | Banco de Espana 16958 | Not confirmed |
| United States | Not confirmed |
Additional countries for Qonto ES: 30. Additional countries for Upgrade: 1.
What we checked
Qonto ES
- qonto.com: 13 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- euclid.eba.europa.eu: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Upgrade
- upgrade.com: 19 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Qonto ES | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed rate | Fixed rate |
| Features | Credit line | Same day funding, Credit lineCovers more |
| Legal entity | QONTO | Upgrade, Inc. |
| Headquarters | France | United States |
| Support channels | Chat, Email, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Qonto ES | Upgrade | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | 19.5%highest quarter | 7.74% to 35.99%below the median | 8.99% |
| Term | 1 to 12 monthslowest quarter | 24 to 84 monthsabove the median | 60 |
| Origination fee (%) | Not confirmed | 1.85% to 9.99%above the median | 0.25 |
Median across 1005 listed lenders.
Pros and cons
Qonto ES
Pros
- The rate is fixed (fixed), so the cost of drawn credit does not reset with market moves.
- The facility is a credit line (credit line) as well as a business loan (business and credit line), so one relationship covers a repeating need and a single large draw.
- Amounts run €750 to €1,000,000, wide enough for an equipment purchase or a payroll bridge.
Cons
- The rate of 19.5% sits above the 12% median across the site and up in the 24.92% band, which makes it an expensive way to borrow.
- The credit check is hard (hard) and the bar is good credit (good), so a thin file has no route here.
- The facility runs 1 to 12, so a drawn balance has to clear inside a short window rather than be spread over years.
Upgrade
Pros
- Borrowing is priced at a fixed rate, so the monthly payment holds for the life of the loan
- Amounts of $1,000 to $50,000 cover consolidation, car and home improvement plans as listed in personal, debt consolidation and secured
- Free early repayment lets you clear the balance ahead of schedule without a charge
Cons
- The arrangement fee of 1.85% to 9.99% is deducted from the payout, so a loan can arrive smaller than the amount approved
- The top of 7.74% to 35.99% is well above the site median of 12%, so a thin credit file lands at the expensive end
- Eligibility is limited to US citizens, permanent residents or people in the US on a valid visa who can provide verifiable bank details
Who each suits
Qonto ES
Who it suits
- Businesses registered in Spain that already run a Qonto account and need working capital between invoices.
- Autonomos and companies of any legal form that clear the eligibility bar and want a revolving line rather than a single lump sum.
- Firms that value a fixed rate (fixed) on short drawn balances more than the lowest headline number.
Who should look elsewhere
- Businesses chasing the lowest rate: Plazo ES lists 24.19% against Qonto's 19.5%, and that gap is worth pricing first.
- Anyone without a Qonto account or a registered office in Spain, because eligibility needs both, so Cashspace is the other listed name to check.
- Borrowers with a thin credit file, since the check is hard (hard) and the bar is good credit (good), so Vivus ES is worth checking for a softer route.
Upgrade
Who it suits
- US residents who want a fixed rate held across the whole term, as fixed shows
- Borrowers consolidating several balances into a single monthly payment
- Car buyers and home improvement planners, the two uses named in home improvement and personal, debt consolidation and secured
Who should look elsewhere
- Borrowers outside the US, since US is where the lender is based and licences are US only
- Anyone wanting a firm rate before a full application, given soft prequal is a soft prequal step
- People who want a fee paid after the fact, because the arrangement fee is taken from the amount borrowed
Current offers
Qonto ES
Current offer
Bonus
Welcome bonus (Bono de Bienvenida): 300 EUR
Open a Qonto business account; offer shown as valid only until 7/10; spend with your Qonto card to earn
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
Free Qonto months with first approved financing (Qonto x PragmaGO): 2 months of Qonto free, up to 1 year if requesting over 25,000 EUR
Approved financing request through the PragmaGO partner offer
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Qonto ES | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Bulgaria | Yes | No |
| Croatia | Yes | No |
| Cyprus | Yes | No |
| Czechia | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Yes | No |
| Estonia | Yes | No |
8 of 31 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Qonto ES
What rate do I pay on this business line?+
The listed rate is 19.5%, which sits above the 12% median across the site and up in the 24.92% band. Because the deal runs through a broker (broker), the partner lender's own pricing is what ends up on your offer, so treat the published figure as the number to test against other quotes.
Is the rate fixed, or can it change?+
It is fixed (fixed), and the pricing model is a fixed rate one (fixed rate). That is the commonest structure here, with 80.5% of the brands on the site pricing this way, so the rate you agree holds for the life of the drawn credit rather than resetting at renewal.
Upgrade
What rate will I pay on an Upgrade personal loan?+
Pricing runs across 7.74% to 35.99% and is set at a fixed rate, so the monthly amount does not move once the loan starts. The top of that range is well above the site median of 12%, so your credit profile decides where you land.
Is there a fee for taking out an Upgrade loan?+
Yes, an arrangement fee of 1.85% to 9.99% applies to the loan. It is taken from the loan proceeds rather than added to your opening payment, which means the amount that reaches your account is smaller than the amount approved.
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