365 Business Finance vs OakNorth: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
OakNorth edges this matchup in our 2026 UK panel review, scoring 4.2 of 5 against 365 Business Finance on 4.1. OakNorth runs sme term loan + bridging at £500k to £50m+ on bespoke; 365 Business Finance runs merchant cash advance at £10k to £500k on factor rate 1.10 to 1.40. That said, the right answer depends on ticket size, trading history and sector. 365 Business Finance beats OakNorth for hospitality, retail and ecommerce ltds with £20k+ monthly card flow. Read the side-by-side, then jump to the "when X wins" sections for the buyer-fit logic.
Side-by-side
| 365 Business Finance | OakNorth | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Merchant cash advance | SME term loan + bridging |
| Ticket range | £10k to £500k | £500k to £50m+ |
| Typical rate | Factor rate 1.10 to 1.40 | Bespoke |
| Decision time | 24 to 48 hours | 7 to 14 business days |
| Soft search at quote | Yes | No (hard search) |
| Ltd-only? | No | Yes |
| FCA regulated | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Hospitality, retail and ecommerce Ltds with £20k+ monthly card flow; £25k+ MCA tickets where the applicant wants a direct lender; Ltd directors who refuse personal guarantees | £500k+ tickets backed by clear acquisition, growth or property story; Established Ltds with strong financials and time for a proper underwrite; Commercial real estate and acquisition finance deals |
| Overall rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-10 | 2026-05-10 |
When 365 Business Finance wins
- Direct lender, so the rate the applicant sees is the rate they get with no broker mark-up layered on top.
- PG-free options on some cases, which we use to unblock Ltd directors who refuse personal guarantees.
- Daily or weekly repayment cadence we can match to the applicant cash-flow profile.
- Case-by-case acceptance on missed payments and small CCJs where mainstream term lenders auto-decline.
Best for
Hospitality, retail and ecommerce Ltds with £20k+ monthly card flow, £25k+ MCA tickets where the applicant wants a direct lender, Ltd directors who refuse personal guarantees.
Watch outs
- Sub-£10k tickets are not entertained, so we route smaller asks to iwoca or Capify instead.
- MCA only with no term-loan alternative, so applicants who want fixed monthly payments go to Funding Circle, Allica or Aldermore.
- Factor-rate model means we have to translate to APR for the applicant in the matcher result.
When OakNorth wins
- PRA-regulated UK bank, useful when applicants want a deposit-taking institution behind the deal.
- Proprietary credit modelling means we can route some files OakNorth will engage with that mainstream banks would refuse.
- Significant facility size available, so £1m to £50m+ tickets stay on the panel rather than going off-panel.
- Strong record on commercial real estate and acquisition finance, which we lean on for property-backed and acquisition-led applicants.
Best for
£500k+ tickets backed by clear acquisition, growth or property story, Established Ltds with strong financials and time for a proper underwrite, Commercial real estate and acquisition finance deals.
Watch outs
- Not self-serve, so the matcher flags that a real banker has to engage and the applicant has to commit time.
- Headline rates not published, so the matcher cannot give an indicative rate before the conversation.
- Not interested below £500k, route smaller tickets to Allica, Aldermore or Funding Circle.
FAQ
365 Business Finance or OakNorth: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
OakNorth scores higher overall in our 2026 UK panel review at 4.2 of 5 versus 4.1 for 365 Business Finance. That said, the right answer depends on what your file looks like. 365 Business Finance is the stronger pick for hospitality, retail and ecommerce ltds with £20k+ monthly card flow, while OakNorth is the stronger pick for £500k+ tickets backed by clear acquisition, growth or property story. If your file sits in one of those buckets, ignore the headline rating and pick the right fit.
What does each product look like, 365 Business Finance vs OakNorth?
365 Business Finance offers merchant cash advance between £10k to £500k at factor rate 1.10 to 1.40, with a 24 to 48 hours decision window. OakNorth offers sme term loan + bridging between £500k to £50m+ at bespoke, with a 7 to 14 business days decision window. 365 Business Finance uses a soft search at quote. OakNorth runs a hard credit search at full application. Verify live commercials before signing because lender pricing moves and bespoke rates are common above £100k tickets.
Which is weakest for what?
365 Business Finance is the wrong answer for sub-£10k tickets, route to iwoca or capify. OakNorth is the wrong answer for sub-£500k tickets, route to allica, aldermore or funding circle. If either of those describes your file, look at the side-by-side table for the alternative route, or run the eligibility checker and the matcher will surface the right shortlist from the FundBiz specialty panel.
Can FundBiz help me choose between 365 Business Finance and OakNorth?
Yes. We are independent of either lender. The FundBiz specialty panel covers MCA, asset finance, commercial mortgage, bridging, VAT loan, R&D advance and post-decline routes. Tell us ticket size, trading history, sector and any prior declines. We match you against the panel lenders most likely to approve, and if your file needs a post-decline route we surface that explicitly rather than burning credit-file footprint with repeated mainstream applications.
Am I eligible to apply via FundBiz?
FundBiz works with limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4 or more partners. Sole traders and partnerships under 4 partners are out of scope and routed elsewhere. Both 365 Business Finance and OakNorth sit on our panel for the entity types we serve. Trading history requirements vary by lender, so the matcher pre-screens before sending the file across.
Related comparisons
Other UK specialty finance head-to-heads involving 365 Business Finance or OakNorth:
Check eligibility in two minutes
Tell us ticket size, trading history and sector. We match you against the FundBiz specialty panel: MCA, asset finance, commercial mortgage, bridging, VAT loan, R&D advance and post-decline routes. Limited companies, LLPs and partnerships of 4+.
Check eligibility →Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-10. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).