Updated September 28, 2026 · BorrowCue Editorial Team
Smava vs Sofkredit
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Smava |  Sofkredit |
|---|---|---|
| APR | -0.4% to 19.9%Lower | 10.74% to 18.06% |
| Loan amount | €1,000 to €120,000 | €12,000 to €300,000Higher |
| Term | 6 to 120 months | 6 to 240 monthsHigher |
| Arrangement fee | 0 EUR | 6% to 9% of the loan; on a 15,000 EUR mortgage-guaranteed loan the commission is 900 EUR minimum and 1,350 EUR maximum, charged by the collaborating lender; Sofkredit's own service costs the user nothing |
| Funding time | Within a few working days; with digital account check and video ident some banks disburse the same day | 15-20 days after approval; same day as the notary signing, about one week if documentation is sent quickly |
| 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 | a 15,000 EUR loan at 9% interest over 5 years returns a total of 21,750 EUR |
| Lender type | Marketplace | Broker |
| Eligibility | At least 18 years old, main residence in Germany, current account at a German bank, regular income, sufficient creditworthiness | Natural or legal persons of legal age (+18) with Spanish nationality or residence, holder of a bank account; for mortgage-guaranteed loans a property must be owned, free of charges or with at least 70% of the mortgage repaid |
| Loan types | Personal, Car, Debt consolidation, Business | Secured, Debt consolidation, Business |
| Credit needed | Fair | Poor |
| Rate type | Fixed | Not confirmed |
| Free early repayment | No | Not confirmed |
| Origination fee (%) | Not confirmed | 6% to 9% |
Same on both: Credit check (Soft prequal), Use cases (Home improvement).
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Key differences
- Smava scores higher overall: 8.9 vs 8.6.
- Sofkredit is licensed in 1 more country.
- Sofkredit is available in 2 more countries.
- APR is lower at Smava: -0.4% to 19.9% vs 10.74% to 18.06%.
- Loan amount is higher at Sofkredit: €12,000 to €300,000 vs €1,000 to €120,000.
- Term is higher at Sofkredit: 6 to 240 months vs 6 to 120 months.
- Loan types: only Smava offers Personal, Car.
- Loan types: only Sofkredit offers Secured.
Our verdict on each
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.
Sofkredit
Sofkredit suits Spanish borrowers who want property backed finance and can wait for a notary appointment. The headline cost is an arrangement fee of 6% to 9% of the loan, while Sofkredit's own service adds nothing beyond it.
Score breakdown
| Area | Smava | Sofkredit |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Higher | 8.5 |
| Offer | 9.1Amounts of €1,000 to €120,000, rates of -0.4% to 19.9%, no origination fee of 0 EUR and same day funding. | 9.3HigherRanges cover €12,000 to €300,000, 6 to 240 and 10.74% to 18.06%, with home equity and remortgage and home improvement on the same application. |
| Trust | 8.5Higher | 8.3 |
Ranges side by side
| Fact | Smava | Sofkredit |
|---|---|---|
| APR | -0.4% to 19.9% | 10.74% to 18.06% |
| Loan amount | €1,000 to €120,000 | €12,000 to €300,000 |
| Term | 6 to 120 months | 6 to 240 months |
Sources behind this comparison
Smava
- smava.de: 20 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Sofkredit
- sofkredit.com: 17 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Smava | Sofkredit |
|---|---|---|
| Loans for bad credit | 63 of 275 | 2 of 275 |
| Debt consolidation loans | 48 of 425 | 2 of 425 |
| Mortgages | 17 of 719 | 1 of 719 |
| Remortgage deals | 14 of 351 | 1 of 351 |
| Business loans | 19 of 435 | 1 of 435 |
| Home improvement loans | 56 of 562 | 2 of 562 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Smava | Sofkredit |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed rate | Not confirmed |
| Features | Same day funding | Same day funding |
| Legal entity | smava GmbH (HRB 97913, Amtsgericht Charlottenburg) | Kova Finance, S.L. |
| Headquarters | Germany | Spain |
| Founded | 2007 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Mortgages
| Fact | Smava | Sofkredit |
|---|---|---|
| Initial rate | 3.2%Lower | 8% to 14% |
| APRC | 3.2%Lower | 10.74% to 18.06% |
| Fixed period | 10 years | 0.5 to 20 yearsHigher |
| Maximum loan to value | 110%Higher | 30% |
| Product fee | €0Lower | €900 to €1,350 |
| Purpose | Purchase, Remortgage | Home equity, Remortgage |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Smava | Sofkredit | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | -0.4% to 19.9%lowest quarter | 10.74% to 18.06%above the median | 8.99 |
| Loan amount | €1,000 to €120,000highest quarter | €12,000 to €300,000highest quarter | €40,000 |
| Term | 6 to 120 monthshighest quarter | 6 to 240 monthshighest quarter | 60 |
| Origination fee (%) | Not confirmed | 6% to 9%highest quarter | 0.25 |
Median across 1005 listed lenders.
Pros and cons
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
Sofkredit
Pros
- Sofkredit's own service costs nothing, so the only charge to weigh is the lender's arrangement fee of 6% to 9%.
- The loan range €12,000 to €300,000 and the term range 6 to 240 suit both renovation projects and debt consolidation.
- Eligibility leans towards weaker files, with the credit needed listed as poor, and the credit check is soft prequal.
Cons
- The arrangement fee of 6% to 9% is a large share of the loan, and the product fee on a small mortgage guaranteed loan runs €900 to €1,350.
- Maximum loan to value is 30%, well below the 90% across listed lenders, so equity of your own is required.
- Sofkredit is a broker, so the contract sits with the collaborating lender rather than the site you apply through.
Who each suits
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
Sofkredit
Who it suits
- Spanish residents and nationals who own a property that is free of charges or has most of its mortgage repaid
- Borrowers consolidating several debts into one payment, since debt consolidation is among the secured, debt consolidation and business
- Homeowners funding renovation work, as home improvement is the main listed use case
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who needs money the same week without a notary appointment, against the stated funding time
- Borrowers who want to borrow more than a low share of their property's value, given the 30% cap
- Small lenders wanting a quick online application rather than the documentation and notary steps this route involves
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 | Smava | Sofkredit |
|---|---|---|
| France | No | Yes |
| Germany | Yes | No |
| Italy | No | Yes |
| Spain | No | Yes |
Questions about each
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.
Sofkredit
What does Sofkredit charge to arrange a loan?+
The arrangement fee runs 6% to 9% of the loan and is charged by the collaborating lender. On a small mortgage guaranteed loan the commission falls within €900 to €1,350. Sofkredit's own service costs the borrower nothing beyond that lender charge.
How much can I borrow and for how long?+
Loan amounts run €12,000 to €300,000 and terms run 6 to 240, so the range is wide enough for a renovation or a debt consolidation. Terms and amounts are set by the collaborating lender rather than by the site you apply through.
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