Funding Circle vs Haydock Finance: Which UK Business Loan Provider in 2026?
Funding Circle edges this matchup in our 2026 UK review, scoring 4.3 of 5 against Haydock Finance on 4.2. Funding Circle runs a term loan at 6.9% to 26.9% APR with decisions in 1 to 3 business days; Haydock Finance runs a asset finance (hire purchase and lease) at Quoted at offer. That said, the headline rating is not the whole answer: Haydock Finance beats Funding Circle for hard-asset hp and lease. Read the side-by-side, then jump to the "when X wins" sections for the buyer-fit logic.
Director, BestBusinessLoans
Oliver leads BestBusinessLoans's editorial reviews and methodology. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees lender research, rate verification and review independence.
Last reviewed: 8 May 2026
Side-by-side
| Funding Circle | Haydock Finance | |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Term loan | Asset finance (hire purchase and lease) |
| Founded | 2010 | 1980 |
| Ticket range | £10k to £500k | £5k to £500k |
| Typical rate | 6.9% to 26.9% APR | Quoted at offer |
| Decision time | 1 to 3 business days | 24 to 72 hours |
| Soft search at quote | Yes | No (hard search) |
| Limited companies only | No | No |
| FCA regulated | Yes | Yes |
| Companies House | 07123069 | 01526882 |
| Best for | Established Ltd companies; Working capital £25k-£250k; Borrowers wanting decision speed | Hard-asset HP and lease; Asset refinance for cash release; Sub-prime to prime asset deals |
| Overall rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-04-26 | 2026-05-08 |
When Funding Circle wins
- Soft-search application; no credit-file footprint at quote stage.
- Eligibility criteria published up front, not hidden behind a quote.
- Decisions in 1-3 days; fast even by UK SME standards.
- Established brand, FCA regulated, public market-listed.
Best for
Established Ltd companies, Working capital £25k-£250k, Borrowers wanting decision speed.
Watch outs
- Headline rate (6.9%) only available to top-tier applicants; typical offer is higher.
- Personal guarantee almost always required for limited-company borrowers.
- Less competitive on the £100k+ ticket band than specialist lenders.
When Haydock Finance wins
- Forty-plus years in asset finance; deep underwriting bench.
- Strong on hard assets: HGV, plant, manufacturing, agriculture.
- Refinance product unlocks equity in owned assets.
- Excellent Trustpilot track record for the asset finance category.
Best for
Hard-asset HP and lease, Asset refinance for cash release, Sub-prime to prime asset deals.
Watch outs
- No published rates; broker-distributed pricing.
- No retail unsecured business loans.
- Direct applicants typically routed to broker channel.
FAQ
Funding Circle or Haydock Finance: which is the better UK business loan in 2026?
Funding Circle scores higher overall in our 2026 review at 4.3 of 5 versus 4.2 for Haydock Finance. That said, the right answer depends on what you trade and what you need. Funding Circle is the stronger pick for established ltd companies, while Haydock Finance is the stronger pick for hard-asset hp and lease. If your business sits inside one of those use cases, ignore the headline rating and pick for fit.
What rates and ticket bands do Funding Circle and Haydock Finance offer?
Funding Circle runs a term loan with tickets of £10k to £500k at 6.9% to 26.9% APR. Haydock Finance runs a asset finance (hire purchase and lease) with tickets of £5k to £500k at Quoted at offer. Decision time on Funding Circle is 1 to 3 business days; on Haydock Finance it is 24 to 72 hours. Headline rates rarely match the offered rate, so verify on the lender site before committing, and assume bespoke pricing above £100k where the data allows it.
Eligibility: Funding Circle vs Haydock Finance, who qualifies?
Funding Circle is soft-search at quote stage (no credit-file footprint) and accepts sole traders and partnerships as well as Ltd companies. Haydock Finance is hard-search at quote and accepts sole traders and partnerships as well as Ltd companies. Funding Circle is FCA regulated; Haydock Finance is FCA regulated.
Which is the wrong answer for what?
Funding Circle is the wrong answer for sub-2-year trading. Haydock Finance is the wrong answer for pure unsecured working capital. If either of those describes your business, look at the side-by-side table for the alternative, or get a quote from our UK lender panel and we will surface the right shortlist.
Can BestBusinessLoans help me choose between Funding Circle and Haydock Finance?
Yes. Our reviews are editorial; we run a UK lender panel via our /get-quotes/ form that includes both. Tell us monthly turnover, sector and what you need the money for. We match you against the lenders most likely to approve and beat your current cost, then route the application without affecting your credit file at quote stage.
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Get quotes →Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-08. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).