Funding Circle vs Time Finance: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
Funding Circle edges this matchup in our 2026 UK panel review, scoring 4.3 of 5 against Time Finance on 4.0. Funding Circle runs term loan at £10k to £500k on 6.9% to 26.9% apr; Time Finance runs asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance at £10k to £2m on bespoke. That said, the right answer depends on ticket size, trading history and sector. Time Finance beats Funding Circle for mid-ticket ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender. Read the side-by-side, then jump to the "when X wins" sections for the buyer-fit logic.
Side-by-side
| Funding Circle | Time Finance | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Term loan | Asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance |
| Ticket range | £10k to £500k | £10k to £2m |
| Typical rate | 6.9% to 26.9% APR | Bespoke |
| Decision time | 1 to 3 business days | 2 to 5 business days |
| Soft search at quote | Yes | Yes |
| Ltd-only? | No | No |
| FCA regulated | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Established Ltds with 2+ years trading and clean credit; Working-capital term loans between £25k and £250k; Applicants who want a recognised brand and a fast soft-search quote | Mid-ticket Ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender; Transport, manufacturing and hospitality SIC codes; £25k to £500k asset-backed Ltds wanting a faster route than Aldermore |
| Overall rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-10 | 2026-05-10 |
When Funding Circle wins
- Soft search at quote, so the matcher can run a Funding Circle indicative offer without a credit-file footprint.
- Eligibility criteria are published, which lets us pre-screen turnover, trading time and sector before we send the file.
- Decision in 1 to 3 business days, fast enough that we rarely need to route to a slower bank for a clean case.
- Established brand and FCA-regulated, useful when applicants want a name they recognise.
Best for
Established Ltds with 2+ years trading and clean credit, Working-capital term loans between £25k and £250k, Applicants who want a recognised brand and a fast soft-search quote.
Watch outs
- Headline 6.9% rate is for top-tier files only, so we set applicant expectation higher in the matcher result.
- Personal guarantee is almost always required, which we flag at matcher stage to head off late drop-off.
- Less competitive on £100k+ tickets than Allica or OakNorth, so we route bigger asks accordingly.
When Time Finance wins
- Multiple complementary product lines under one roof, so we can route a single file across asset, invoice and vehicle without re-introducing.
- Sector specialism in transport, manufacturing and hospitality, which the matcher uses on SIC-led routing.
- AIM-listed transparency on filings, useful for applicants who want a public-market institutional view.
- Faster than Aldermore or Shawbrook on bespoke asset deals, often inside 5 business days.
Best for
Mid-ticket Ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender, Transport, manufacturing and hospitality SIC codes, £25k to £500k asset-backed Ltds wanting a faster route than Aldermore.
Watch outs
- Broker-distributed for most product flow, so the FundBiz introduction is the route rather than self-serve.
- Pricing varies materially by deal, so the matcher cannot quote a tight rate before the conversation.
- Smaller brand presence than Aldermore or Shawbrook, applicants who want the bigger name route there.
FAQ
Funding Circle or Time Finance: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
Funding Circle scores higher overall in our 2026 UK panel review at 4.3 of 5 versus 4.0 for Time Finance. That said, the right answer depends on what your file looks like. Funding Circle is the stronger pick for established ltds with 2+ years trading and clean credit, while Time Finance is the stronger pick for mid-ticket ltds combining asset finance, invoice finance and vehicle under one lender. If your file sits in one of those buckets, ignore the headline rating and pick the right fit.
What does each product look like, Funding Circle vs Time Finance?
Funding Circle offers term loan between £10k to £500k at 6.9% to 26.9% apr, with a 1 to 3 business days decision window. Time Finance offers asset finance, invoice finance, vehicle finance between £10k to £2m at bespoke, with a 2 to 5 business days decision window. Funding Circle uses a soft search at quote. Time Finance uses a soft search at quote. Verify live commercials before signing because lender pricing moves and bespoke rates are common above £100k tickets.
Which is weakest for what?
Funding Circle is the wrong answer for sub-12-month trading, route to iwoca or start up loans company. Time Finance is the wrong answer for sub-£10k self-serve tickets, route to iwoca or capify. 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 Funding Circle and Time Finance?
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 Funding Circle and Time Finance 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 Funding Circle or Time Finance:
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).