LendingTree Personal Loans Review: Is It Legit and Worth It?
If you’re in need of some fast cash — and lots of it — you may have considered getting a personal loan. They can help you pay for large expenses like home renovations, unexpected medical bills or even weddings. But narrowing down where to borrow from can get overwhelming. A variety of financial institutions offer personal loans and with different terms. A tool that can make your search easier is an online loan marketplace. One of your options is LendingTree. We put together a LendingTree Personal Loans review so you have the details on how it works, the pros and cons and who it’s best for.
What Is LendingTree? (A Marketplace, Not a Lender)
LendingTree helps people who are looking for loans compare their options. You submit the form, it does a soft pull on your credit history and matches you with lenders. It’s been around since 1996 and is one of the biggest online loan marketplaces in the country. It’s important to note that it is not the lender. It doesn’t give you money and it can’t guarantee approvals. It does, however, connect borrowers like you with lenders like banks and credit unions.
LendingTree aims to make research into your personal loan options less overwhelming by comparing loans from top lenders. LendingTree can help you find debt consolidation loans and loans for bad credit. And in addition to personal loans, its marketplace has information on auto loans, mortgages, home equity lines of credit, business loans and more.
How LendingTree Works, Step by Step
LendingTree can connect you with multiple loan offers. Here are the general steps you’ll follow:
- Fill out a form that shows what you’re looking for.
- LendingTree will do a soft credit pull to find good loan matches for you (a soft credit pull does not affect your credit).
- Lenders will reach out to you directly with offers you’re prequalified for. These lenders will be getting your information, so keep that in mind. As LendingTree puts it, they “will call to compete for your business.”
- You can then compare your options and choose what’s best for you, though you’re not obligated to pick one. You can say no to all of them if they aren’t what you’re looking for. (If/when you apply for a loan, that will generate a hard inquiry and affect your credit.)
- If you do choose one of the offers, you’ll work with the lender directly at that point. That’s when you’ll work out the final terms.
Although this ultimately saves you time, be prepared to field calls from those who are essentially sales people.
The rates, terms and fees will depend on the lender and your own credit history. But personal loan amounts typically range from $5,000 to $100,000 with APRs as low as 6% and as high as around 36%. Term lengths are usually between one year and seven years. Again, your terms will be based on your own credit profile.
LendingTree won’t charge any fees and its credit inquiry won’t negatively impact your score because it’s a soft inquiry. Once you work with individual lenders and apply for a loan, then you may run into origination fees and a hard inquiry that will impact your credit.
Pros and Cons of LendingTree
Pros
- One form connects you with multiple lenders.
- You’ll be able to compare a variety of loan amounts and terms from a large lender network.
- Rate ranges are transparent and visible upfront.
- Doesn’t charge fees.
Cons
- Expect multiple calls or emails from lenders.
- Loan terms and borrower experience vary by lender.
- Your rates depend a lot on your credit score.
- There are complaints about aggressive marketing practices.
- Loan amount typically caps out around $100,000.
The Catch: Lender Calls and Your Data
Users have both positive and negative experiences with LendingTree. Positive reviews say it’s a quick and easy process and took some of the hassle out of finding a loan.
Most of the negative reviews are related to people getting excessive calls from lenders. Users say they received more calls than they anticipated and some did not receive loan options they were happy with.
It’s important to only use this marketplace if you’re OK with getting potentially a high volume of calls, emails and texts. You may consider putting down secondary phone numbers and emails or put yourself on its do-not-call list.
Is LendingTree Legit?
LendingTree is a legitimate online marketplace that’s been in business for more than 30 years. As of July 2026, it has a 4.5/5 star rating on TrustPilot and an A+ rating from the BBB (but also an average user rating of one star on the BBB). It is not a lender but rather a company that connects you with lenders who want your business. Positive reviews say it makes that process of finding a personal loan easy and quick. You can shop loan options with term lengths from 12-84 months, no minimum credit score and amounts up to $100,000.
However, your information will be shared with these companies so they can generate offers and reach out to you to discuss them. Just be aware of the risks that you may get more calls, emails and texts than you want. Although this is certainly annoying, it isn’t a scam.
LendingTree Alternatives
Seeing different loan options in one place is definitely a benefit. LendingTree cuts down on your research time and connects you with various lenders offering loans. That means LendingTree is best for those who want to shop multiple options at a time without filling out a bunch of applications. Here are other options that offer something similar.
All terms are subject to individual credit history
| Marketplace | Loan Amounts | APR Range | Term Lengths | TrustPilot Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LendingTree |
$1,000-$100,000 |
5.99%-35.99% |
1-7 years |
4.5/5 |
Credible |
$1,000-$250,000 |
5.74%-35.99% |
1-10 years |
4.8/5 |
Happen Bank (LendingClub) |
$1,000-$60,000 |
6.53%-35.99% |
2-7 years |
4.7/5 |
If you don’t want lenders calling you, you could shop around on your own. Or, if you already have a specific lender in mind that has decent terms, you could go without using a market place.
FAQs About LendingTree
Yes. LendingTree is a legitimate, long-established online loan marketplace that’s been operating since the 1990s and carries an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. The frustration you’ll see in some reviews isn’t about fraud — it’s about the volume of lender calls, texts and emails people get after submitting the form. LendingTree shares your information with multiple lenders so they can compete for your business. It’s a real company doing what it says. Just go in knowing about the contact.
That’s how the marketplace works: when you submit a loan request, LendingTree shares your contact details with lenders in its network so they can reach out with offers. Many users report a heavy volume of calls, texts, and emails, sometimes within minutes. You can cut it down by using LendingTree’s opt-out / do-not-call option on its Contact Us page, and some people use a secondary email and phone number when filling out the form.
Getting matched and seeing prequalified offers uses a soft credit inquiry, which doesn’t affect your score. A hard inquiry — which can cause a small, temporary dip — only happens later, when you formally apply with the lender you choose. So comparing offers through LendingTree itself shouldn’t hurt your credit.
No. LendingTree is a marketplace, not a lender. It doesn’t issue loans or make approval decisions. It matches you with partner lenders who set their own rates, terms and requirements. Any loan you take out comes from one of those lenders, and you finish the application on that lender’s website.
LendingTree will share your information with lenders who are competing for your business. That is typically how marketplaces work, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into.
