Comparison
Avant and SoFi both land on Depends.
Avant is a legitimate online lender worth checking if you have fair credit and have been declined elsewhere, but its FTC settlement history and unresolved-fraud complaints justify comparing credit unions and rivals first.
Buy if you are a consumer who wants fee-free banking, loans, and investing bundled in one app.
| Compare | Avant | SoFi |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Fair-credit borrowers declined elsewhere | Fee-free everyday banking |
| Who it's not for | Good-credit borrowers hunting the lowest APR | Teams buying software . this is a consumer bank, not SaaS |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. | Mixed: runs a HackerOne bug bounty, but a 2026 US breach hit 38,049 people and a Hong Kong subsidiary was breached via a third-party vendor. |
| Support quality | Fraud complaint unresolved; BBB complaints listed | Loan funding and service complaints recur |
| Public sentiment | Reviews are split: WSJ rates Avant 4/5, but borrower forums and complaint boards flag trust and service problems.² | Generally positive (4/5 on Trustpilot) . users like the fee-free all-in-one app, but loan funding delays and breach concerns recur.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | Cardholder says fraud claim stalled with no resolution for months⁷ | Recurring direct deposit required to unlock top account perks |
