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Business funding options, compared by real cost

The cheapest business funding is usually the slowest and hardest to get: SBA loans and bank credit cost the least, and merchant cash advances are the fastest and most expensive.

By Business Funders editorial teamUpdated Oct 20, 2026
Advertiser disclosure

Batch Capital and BatchOut are affiliated with Business Funders and appear on this site. We earn money when you get funded or sign up through them. How we make money

Seven options

Compare by product

Listed in the order we suggest checking them: the lowest-cost options you may qualify for first, the fastest and most expensive last.

Not sure which to read? Start from what the money is for.

  1. SBA loansGovernment-guaranteed loans with capped rates. The cheapest option, and the slowest.
    Amount
    Up to $5 million (7(a)); $500,000 (Express); $50,000 (microloan)
    Cost
    Prime + 3% to prime + 6.5%; 10.0% to 13.5% with prime at 7.00%
    Speed
    SBA review 2 to 10 business days, plus the lender's own time
    See the full cost breakdown
  2. Lines of creditDraw what you need, when you need it, and pay interest only on what you use.
    Amount
    Up to $500,000 at most lenders; SBA lines up to $5 million
    Cost
    10% to 99% APR, plus any draw or maintenance fees
    Speed
    As little as 1 business day after approval
    See the full cost breakdown
  3. Term loansA lump sum paid back on a fixed schedule, from banks, credit unions and online lenders.
    Amount
    $5,000 to $5 million
    Cost
    6% to 99% APR, plus any origination or closing fees
    Speed
    1 day to several weeks
    See the full cost breakdown
  4. Equipment financingA loan to buy equipment, secured by the equipment itself.
    Amount
    Up to 100% of the price at some lenders
    Cost
    About 4% to 45% APR; origination fees 0.5% to 4%
    Speed
    Same day to 2 business days at some online lenders
    See the full cost breakdown
  5. Invoice factoringSell unpaid invoices for cash now instead of waiting for customers to pay.
    Amount
    Up to 90% of the invoice value
    Cost
    1% to 5% of the invoice value per month, plus any extra fees
    Speed
    Not disclosed
    See the full cost breakdown
  6. Revenue-based financingCash now, paid back as a share of monthly revenue until a set cap is reached.
    Amount
    Not disclosed; sized to your revenue
    Cost
    Repayment cap of 1.2 to 3.0 times the amount
    Speed
    Not disclosed
    See the full cost breakdown
  7. Merchant cash advancesCash now for part of your future sales. Fast, and usually the most expensive option.
    Amount
    Up to $5 million at one large marketplace
    Cost
    Factor rate of 1.1 to 1.5; estimated APR 40% to 350%
    Speed
    As fast as 1 day
    See the full cost breakdown

General, dated ranges from published sources, not offers. Each product page shows its sources next to every figure.

Translate any offer into dollars and APR

Example numbers below. Replace them with the offer you have. Nothing is saved.

$

Like 1.35. Payback = amount x factor rate.

months
Your offer, translatedEstimate

Estimated APR

84%

Amount you receive
$40,000
Total you pay back
$54,000
Cost of the money
$14,000
Term
9 months
Payment
$286 a business day (189 payments)
Cost per $1 received
$0.35

For comparison: a bank small-business loan at 10.98% APR over the same 9 months would cost about $1,852, for owners who qualify.

An estimate, not an offer. It assumes equal payments at the pace you entered and no fees beyond the ones you included. Have two offers? Compare them side by side.

How to choose: match the product to the need, then compare total dollars

Then compare offers by the total you will pay back in dollars and the estimated APR, side by side. A factor rate, a daily rate or a monthly fee alone hides the real cost. The offer comparer does this for you.

Answers to common funding questions

Our own service, not a ranking

From the team behind Business Funders: Batch Capital

Batch Capital is the funding service affiliated with Business Funders. It is a commercial financing broker, not a lender. It works with third-party funders, and the company funding your deal is named in your agreement before you sign. We earn money when you are funded through Batch Capital.

It appears here because it is ours, not because it ranked first. We have not scored providers yet; when we do, Batch Capital is scored by the same published method as everyone else and shown separately unless it earns its place.

Your request goes only to Batch Capital. We never sell or share it without your OK for a specific funder. Legal name: Onyxx Media Group LLC d/b/a Batch Capital.

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