Head to head
Close Brothers vs iwoca: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
Side by side: what each lender offers UK limited companies and LLPs, and what each one publishes.
Free · 2 mins
Start here · What do you need?
What Close Brothers offers: asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans. Ticket range: asset-based lending £1m to £65m; commercial mortgages £500k to £5m (its own figures); hire purchase and leasing ranges not published. Rate: bespoke, quoted at offer. What iwoca offers: flexi-loan / line of credit. Ticket range: £1k to £1m (its own figure). Rate: from 1.5% per 30 days. Close Brothers suits established SMEs needing asset or invoice finance. iwoca suits working capital and cash-flow-gap files needing flexible draw-down. The table below compares ticket range and typical rate.
Source: FundBiz methodology. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
Close Brothers, at a glance
- Product
- Asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans
- FundBiz editorial view
- Best for established SMEs needing asset or invoice finance
iwoca, at a glance
- Product
- Flexi-loan / line of credit
- FundBiz editorial view
- Best for working capital and cash-flow-gap files needing flexible draw-down
Side-by-side
Full profiles: Close Brothers · iwoca
| Compared on | Close Brothers | iwoca |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans | Flexi-loan / line of credit |
| Ticket range | Asset-based lending £1m to £65m; commercial mortgages £500k to £5m (its own figures); hire purchase and leasing ranges not published | £1k to £1m (its own figure) |
| Typical rate | Bespoke, quoted at offer | From 1.5% per 30 days |
| Decision time | Not published | Decision within 24 hours in almost all cases (its own figure) |
| Lender's own soft search at quote | Not published | Yes, says the lender |
Sources: Close Brothers's own site · iwoca's own site. Figures change; confirm with the lender before you rely on one.
FundBiz enquiries are for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners. Some lenders on this page also accept other business types; we do not arrange those and do not recommend a lender on that basis.
When Close Brothers may fit
- Part of a banking group founded in 1878.
- Multiple product lines under one underwriter (asset, invoice, commercial loans).
- A PRA-authorised bank.
Best for
Established SMEs needing asset or invoice finance, Intermediary-introduced deals.
Watch outs
- Distributed through intermediaries, not self-serve.
- Headline rates not published; quoted at offer.
- No published decision time, and no online application.
Lender figures and criteria: Close Brothers's own site; full notes in our Close Brothers review.
When iwoca may fit
- iwoca says almost all applicants get a decision within 24 hours.
- Flexi-loan structure means the applicant only pays interest on what they draw, useful for cash-flow-gap files.
- iwoca says it only runs soft credit checks when you apply, so applying does not affect your credit score.
- Lends to businesses trading under a year, up to £10,000, per iwoca.
Best for
Working capital and cash-flow-gap files needing flexible draw-down, Newer Ltd companies trading 12 to 24 months, Borrowers who want a lender soft search and a decision within 24 hours.
Watch outs
- A per-30-day rate looks low but adds up (iwoca's own example shows 3.33% per 30 days as 49% APR representative), so compare the APR before borrowing.
- iwoca says you can borrow up to 20% of turnover, so a larger loan may need a different lender.
- Personal guarantee required.
Lender figures and criteria: iwoca's own site; full notes in our iwoca review.
FAQ
Close Brothers or iwoca: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
Neither is better for every business. The 'When Close Brothers may fit' and 'When iwoca may fit' sections above say who each one suits, and the side-by-side table shows what each lender publishes. Check each lender's own criteria before you apply.
Which is weakest for what?
Close Brothers is a poor fit for invoice finance for firms turning over under £750k. iwoca is a poor fit for fixed-term project finance, consider Funding Circle or Allica. If either of those describes your business, look at the side-by-side table for the alternative, or read our other lender reviews.
Can FundBiz help with Close Brothers or iwoca?
FundBiz is not a lender and is independent of both. This comparison and our lender reviews are editorial research to help you decide which to approach. FundBiz doesn't pass your enquiry to either lender. If you send an enquiry through FundBiz, we pass it to one of the finance partners we work with, who will contact you about your options.
Who can send an enquiry through FundBiz?
The FundBiz enquiry form is for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners. Eligibility for Close Brothers and iwoca is set by each lender, and trading history requirements vary, so check each lender's own criteria.
How we ranked these lenders
Every lender is scored on the same four FundBiz criteria: pricing transparency, eligibility clarity, decision speed and treatment of declined applicants. Scores are our own desk-research assessment built from the FCA Register, Companies House filings and each lender's published product sheets, not customer reviews and not hands-on product testing. Each comparison shows the date it was last updated. Inclusion is never paid for, and FundBiz receives no commission from lenders. FundBiz is paid a fixed fee by one of the finance partners we work with for each enquiry we pass on. See our full methodology.
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