Smava review

Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

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.

Key facts

Best for
German borrowers comparing several loan types and mortgage rates in one place, with no arrangement fee.
APR
-0.4% to 19.9% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan amount
€1,000 to €120,000 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Term
6 to 120 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Arrangement fee
0 EUR (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit check
Soft prequal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Funding time
Within a few working days; with digital account check and video ident some banks disburse the same day (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Representative example
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 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rate type
Fixed (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Marketplace (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free early repayment
No (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Eligibility
At least 18 years old, main residence in Germany, current account at a German bank, regular income, sufficient creditworthiness (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Loan types
Personal, Car, Debt-consolidation, Business (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Credit needed
Fair (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Use cases
Home-improvement (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
smava GmbH (HRB 97913, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Germany (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2007 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pricing model
Fixed rate
Features
Same-day funding
Official website
smava.de

Mortgages

Initial rate
3.2% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
APRC
3.2% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Fixed period
10 years (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Maximum loan to value
110% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Product fee
€0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Purpose
Purchase, Remortgage (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Lender type
Marketplace (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
smava GmbH (HRB 97913, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Germany (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
2007 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
WikidataLinkedInTrustpilotXekomi.de

Pros and cons

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
  • same day funding is listed for personal loans, and the origination fee is 0 EUR

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
Smava

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Scored 8.9 / 10 by BorrowCue.

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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

Safety and regulation

Smava does not lend itself: it works as a marketplace, so your application goes to partner banks and the contract you sign is with them. It holds a credit brokerage permit from the Bezirksamt Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg von Berlin, Ordnungs- und Gewerbeamt, and an insurance intermediary permit from the IHK Industrie- und Handelskammer zu Berlin, listed as D-RH9Y-BZXC2-29. The representative example shows an instalment loan from Vereinigte Volksbank Raiffeisenbank eG, so pricing depends on the bank you are matched with.

Who runs it

Smava is operated by smava GmbH (HRB 97913, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg), based in Germany, and has traded since 2007. It compares offers rather than lending its own, so the bank that pays you is named in the contract, not Smava. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, and the same company also holds an insurance intermediary permit, listed as D-RH9Y-BZXC2-29.

How Smava compares

Where Smava is available

Available
Germany
Licence in Germany
Bezirksamt Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg von Berlin, Ordnungs- und Gewerbeamt (credit brokerage permit under Section 34c (1) No. 2 GewO), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in Germany
IHK Industrie- und Handelskammer zu Berlin (insurance intermediary permit under Section 34d (1) GewO) (D-RH9Y-BZXC2-29), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

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.

How long does it take to get the money?+

Funding takes within a few working days, and with a digital account check and video ident some partner banks disburse the same day. Smava lists same day funding among its loan features, and the exact speed depends on the bank that approves you.

Does applying affect my credit score?+

Smava uses a soft prequalification check, listed as soft prequal, so you can see indicative rates without a full credit file search. The stronger assessment comes later, when the partner bank formally reviews your application.

Is Smava a lender or a broker?+

Smava is a marketplace, not the company that funds you. The contract is with the partner bank, which is why the rate you see is indicative and the final offer is set once that bank has checked you.

What credit history do I need?+

The stated requirement is fair creditworthiness, alongside regular income, a main residence in Germany and a current account at a German bank. Applicants must be adults, and a current account at a German bank is a firm condition rather than a preference.

What can I use the money for?+

The listed loan types are personal, car and debt consolidation, and home improvement is the named use case. Home finance is separate, with an initial rate of 3.2%, an APRC of 3.2% and a fixed period of 10.

Can I repay a Smava loan early without a charge?+

Free early repayment: no. Smava states that early repayment is not free, so if you expect to clear the balance ahead of schedule, factor that cost into the total before you take the loan.

Sources

  • smava.de checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Lender type, APR, Credit check, Pricing model, Product fee, Rate type, Representative example, Term

    “Ratenkredit Konditionen Uebersicht Zinssaetze: Min. -0,40 % bis Max. 19,90 % effektiver Jahreszins (APR)”

  • smava.de/baufinanzierung checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: APRC, Fixed period, Initial rate, Purpose

    “10 years fixed period - effective annual interest (Effektiver Jahreszins) from approx. 3.20 %”

  • smava.de/baufinanzierung/haus-kaufen-ohne-eigenkapital checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Maximum loan to value

  • smava.de/impressum checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Support channels, Licences

    “smava GmbH, Palisadenstrasse 90, 10243 Berlin”

  • smava.de/kredit checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Loan amount, Credit needed, Eligibility, Features, Free early repayment, Funding time, Loan types, Arrangement fee, Use cases

    “Verwendungszwecke: Freie Verwendung, Autokredit, Modernisierung, Baufinanzierung / Immobilienkredit, Umschuldung, Gewerbekredit”

  • smava.de/partnerprogramm checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Founded

    “Kreditexperten seit 2007”

Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Smava

Smava

German borrowers comparing several loan types and mortgage rates in one place, with no arrangement fee.

8.9/10Visit

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