Personal loans
Personal loan vs. credit card calculator
See what a loan or credit card could cost for the same purchase. Set one payoff date, then compare the full cost and monthly bill.
The lower APR costs less in this model. The payment still has to fit.
- Use your actual APRs if you have them. The optional credit groups show dated examples, not the rates you will get.
- Loan APR includes certain fees. This estimate does not add those fees a second time.
Compare the same purchase
Start with the amount you need to finance after any cash you can use. Both paths pay it off in the same number of months.
Check what could change the answer
A card may cost no interest if you have a grace period and pay the full balance by the due date. A loan may take a fee before it sends the cash. Check that the loan leaves enough to pay for the purchase.
The card payment above is a target to clear this purchase on time. Paying only the minimum can take longer. A card’s rate may also change.
For a 0% offer, enter zero only when that rate lasts through the full payoff time. This tool does not model a promo ending or deferred interest. Add any card annual fee outside the estimate when you compare the full cost.
Choose only if the full cost and payment both work. If neither payment fits, check a smaller purchase, a delay, or the seller’s payment plan before adding a new bill.
What the credit groups show
These spans join two published benchmarks. They are not the lowest and highest APR you might receive. The loan and card groups have different score cutoffs, so choose each starting point on its own.
Personal loans · Q4 2025
| Credit label | Source score bin | APR benchmarks |
|---|---|---|
| Poor | under 580 | 29.05%–30.25% |
| Good | 670–739 | 20.61%–23.27% |
| Excellent | 800 and above | 12.15%–15.75% |
Source: LendingTree marketplace offer data. These are conditional offers, not funded loans. The source covers $5,000–$54,999 and 36–83 months.
Credit cards · January–June 2023
| Credit label | Source score bin | APR benchmarks |
|---|---|---|
| Poor | 619 or less | 20.62%–28.49% |
| Good | 620–719 | 18.15%–28.20% |
| Excellent (source: Great) | 720 and above | 15.24%–22.99% |
Source: CFPB credit card survey analysis. These are historical card benchmarks, not current offers.
The shortcuts omit fair and very-good loan tiers. They cannot assign a rate from your score. Enter an actual APR when you have one.
How this estimate works
The math spreads one amount over equal monthly payments. It uses APR divided by 12 as a monthly cost rate. For a loan, this estimates the cash flow implied by APR; it does not recreate a lender’s interest rate and fee schedule. Use the loan cost calculator when you have the fixed interest rate and fee terms.
Total paid is the unrounded monthly payment times the number of months. Cost to borrow is total paid minus the purchase amount. At 0% APR, payment is amount divided by months. Results round to cents. Daily card interest and payment timing can change the actual bill.
No entries are saved or sent by this calculator. It does not check your credit or predict approval.
- CFPB: interest rate and APR
- CFPB: credit card grace periods
- Research appendix and downloadable source record
- Cite these benchmarks and the model
Sources checked September 9, 2026. Independent review is pending. The source dates above remain part of each benchmark.
Educational APR-based estimate. Actual offers, fees, timing, and card terms can change the result.
Have a loan offer in hand?
Check its interest rate, fee, and cash after fees before you sign.