Best Joint Personal Loans in April 2026
Applying with a co-borrower can help you unlock lower rates and more money
- Joint personal loans let two people apply together and share full repayment responsibility.
- Applying with a strong co-borrower can lower rates or help you qualify.
- Both borrowers’ credit is affected if payments are missed.
- Some lenders offer joint loans, others only allow cosigners, which carry different risks.
- Clear communication is essential before sharing a loan with someone else.
Joint personal loan rates
Read more about how we made our picks of the best joint personal loans.
What is a joint loan?
A joint personal loan is a loan you apply for together with someone else, known as a co-borrower. Both you and your co-borrower have equal right to the loan money and equal responsibility for repaying the loan.
A co-borrower with excellent credit can improve your chances of getting a loan. It can also help you get lower rates — lower rates mean cheaper loans.
Pros and cons of joint loans
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Potentially lower rates
If your co-borrower has a higher credit score than you do, you could get lower rates (and a cheaper loan) by applying jointly. -
Better approval odds
Applying with another person is an easy way to boost your approval odds if you have fair or bad credit. -
More money
If you need to borrow a lot of money but you have poor credit, adding a co-borrower can help you qualify for the amount you need.
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Both people are responsible
You and your co-borrower are equally responsible for paying back the loan. If you or your co-borrower stop making payments as agreed, both of your scores will drop. -
Borrowers have equal access to the money
If you’re looking to boost your approval odds without allowing the other person to have access to the funds, consider getting a personal loan with a cosigner. -
Hard credit checks on both applicants
When the lender checks your credit, they’ll also run your co-borrower’s credit. This can cause your scores to drop by a small amount temporarily. -
Can take longer to get
Since the lender will check the credit of two borrowers instead of one, it may take longer for them to approve you and send you the money when you apply for a joint loan.
How to apply for a joint personal loan
Applying for a joint personal loan is similar to applying for a regular loan. Here’s how it works.
- Complete a form (or several). This is the prequalification stage, where you can check your rates without affecting your credit. Lenders may ask for co-borrower info upfront. With LendingTree, you’ll enter only your details to start.
- Review and compare your offers. The lender(s) will send you offers with potential interest rates and loan terms. Comparing several offers can help you save thousands on your loan, so apply directly with several lenders or use the LendingTree marketplace for convenience.
- Submit an application. Choose an offer and submit a formal application with your co-borrower. The lender will do a hard credit pull on both of you. If approved, the lender will send you your money, typically via direct deposit and within one to five business days.
Don’t wait to discuss repaying your loan until your first payment is due (typically 30 days after signing your paperwork) with your co-borrower. Get ahead of any potential disagreements by talking about how you plan to split payments before you sign the loan agreement.
Why use LendingTree?
$3.2B in funding
In 2025 alone, LendingTree helped find $3.2 billion in funding for people seeking personal loans.
$1,659 in savings
LendingTree users save $1,659 on average just by shopping and comparing rates.
360,000+ loans
In 2025, LendingTree helped find funding for over 360,000 personal loans.
When banks compete, you win
You’d shop around for flights. Why not your loan? LendingTree makes it easy. Fill out one form and get lenders from the country’s largest network to compete for your business.
Tell us what you need
Take two minutes to tell us who you are and how much money you need. It’s free, simple and secure.
Shop your offers
LendingTree users get 11 personal loan offers on average. Compare your offers side by side to get the best deal.
Get your money
Pick a lender and sign your loan paperwork. You could see money in your account in as soon as 24 hours.
Co-borrowers vs. cosigners
Co-borrowers and cosigners sound the same, but the terms mean different things. A co-borrower has equal access to the money and shares responsibility for paying back the loan.
A cosigner doesn’t have equal right to the money and is only responsible for paying back the loan if you, the primary borrower, stop making payments.
How we chose the best joint personal loans
We reviewed more than 40 lenders and loan marketplaces to determine the overall best five joint personal loans. To make our list, lenders must offer joint loans with competitive APRs.
From there, we assessed each lender or marketplace across four categories: eligibility and access; cost to borrow; loan terms and options; repayment support and tools.
According to our standardized rating and review process, the best joint personal loans come from , , , and .
Our categories
We assess how easy it is for people to qualify and apply. This includes state availability, soft-credit prequalification, membership requirements, funding speed and whether borrowers with less-than-excellent credit can get a loan.
We evaluate how affordable the loans are based on minimum and maximum APRs, loan fees and rate discounts. Lenders with unclear or potentially predatory costs receive lower scores.
We consider repayment term flexibility, loan amount ranges and whether options like secured loans, joint loans or direct-to-creditor payments are offered — plus whether the lender clearly communicates these options.
We evaluate borrower experience after funding: customer service access, hardship or forbearance programs, payment flexibility and digital tools like mobile apps or credit monitoring.
Our process
We gather data directly from companies through their websites, disclosures and direct communication with company representatives. Our editorial team verifies and updates information regularly. We value transparency and award less favorable scores when lenders obscure or omit details.
Our editorial team applies the same scoring model and standards to every lender. Lenders cannot pay to influence our ratings. Read more about our editorial guidelines.
Why trust our methodology?
Our writers and editors dig through the facts, contact lenders directly and even go through the application process ourselves if it helps better explain what you can expect. As a Certified Financial Education Instructor℠, I’m committed to breaking down complex financial details so people can make confident, informed decisions with their money.
Jessica’s experience in editing and financial education helps shape LendingTree articles that are clear, accurate and truly useful to readers. Her certification means our recommendations are built on a foundation of consumer-first financial knowledge — not just numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Many reputable personal loan lenders — including the lenders on this page — allow you to apply for a joint loan with another person.
Yes. There are two ways to apply for a loan with another person. You can apply for a joint loan with a co-borrower who is equally responsible for paying back the loan, or you can apply with a cosigner who’s only responsible for paying back the loan if you stop making payments.
Joint personal loans come with pros and cons. Applying for a joint loan with someone who has excellent credit can help you get lower rates — or qualify for a loan in the first place. But the other person will be responsible for repaying the loan, so have a frank conversation about money before mixing finances with family or friends.