TL;DR
Bluevine is a strong choice if you're an LLC or corporation with a year of history and you need a revolving line of credit you can draw against for short-term cash flow gaps. They're not a strong choice if you're a sole proprietor, if you need a real term loan, if you want a true SBA loan (theirs runs through Fundera/NerdWallet, not Bluevine), or if you need invoice financing (they sold that arm to FundThrough). Frank covers all of it through traditional bank relationships at bank rates — and matches Bluevine's speed.
Side by side
Monthly (bank terms)
Weekly or monthly
$0 Fees. Always
Frank charges you nothing. We're paid by the bank when your loan closes. Bluevine charges fees on certain product types — and the term loans they route you to via partners have their own fee structures Bluevine doesn't control.
Bluevine, founded in 2013, has delivered over $16 billion in financing to hundreds of thousands of businesses. Their LOC product is focused, and where it fits, it works.
The line of credit is fast and clean. Bluevine's flagship is a revolving line of credit up to $250,000, issued through Celtic Bank. Decisions in five minutes. Funds in your account in as little as 24 hours. For an operator with a recurring cash flow gap — payroll the week before invoices clear, inventory cycles, supplier deposits — that's genuinely useful.
The eligibility bar is reasonable. A 625 FICO, 12 months in business, $120K annual revenue, and good standing with your Secretary of State gets you in.
Revolving credit is a real advantage for the right use case. You only pay interest on what you draw. As you pay down, the available credit replenishes. For operators with recurring working capital gaps, that flexibility beats a fixed term loan.
The banking platform is solid. Bluevine offers a business checking account, bill pay, payment processing, and an LOC all in one dashboard. NerdWallet rated their checking account "Best Online Business Checking Account Overall" in 2026.
A+ BBB rating, strong customer service ratings. Reviews are consistently positive on responsiveness and ease of use.
Bluevine's positioning is narrower than the marketing implies.
Term loans are not Bluevine. When Bluevine advertises "term loans up to $500,000," they mean their partners offer those — Bluevine itself only directly issues lines of credit. Once you accept a term loan offer, you're managing the loan with the third-party lender, not Bluevine. Their underwriting, their rates, their service.
SBA loans are not Bluevine. Same story. Bluevine's "SBA 7(a) up to $350,000" is delivered through Fundera by NerdWallet — a separate marketplace. You're filling out a Bluevine application and getting routed into a third-party SBA process. Frank works directly with SBA preferred lenders for the full SBA 7(a) and SBA 504 product line.
Invoice financing is not offered at all. Bluevine sold their invoice factoring arm to FundThrough years ago. If you need invoice financing — a critical product for many trade businesses with B2B/B2G customers and 30-90 day payment terms — Bluevine has nothing for you. Frank brokers invoice financing from 1% per period.
Sole proprietors are locked out. Bluevine requires you to be an LLC or corporation. If you're operating as a sole proprietor — common in trades like landscaping, mobile mechanics, junk removal, and many one-truck startups — you don't qualify for the Bluevine LOC at all.
Geographic restrictions. Bluevine doesn't lend in Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, or US territories. Frank covers all 50 states.
Industry restrictions are broad. Cannabis, hemp, marijuana paraphernalia, gambling, financial services, insurance, cryptocurrency, and several other industries are excluded.
Weekly repayments on the LOC. Default repayment is weekly, not monthly. Bank LOCs through Frank typically run on monthly cycles aligned with how operators actually budget.
When Frank is the better fit
Frank covers the territory Bluevine doesn't, at bank rates, with comparable speed.
You need invoice financing. Bluevine sold this product. Frank brokers invoice financing through banks at rates from 1% per period — significantly cheaper than the 1-5% per period rates most factoring companies charge. For trade businesses with B2B/B2G customers — commercial GCs, electrical contractors, plumbing companies serving property managers — invoice financing is often the cheapest, fastest source of working capital.
You need a real term loan or equipment financing. If you're buying equipment, financing a buildout, acquiring a competitor, purchasing your shop or yard, or funding a major capital project, you need a term loan with a fixed rate, fixed term, and monthly payments. Frank gets you to traditional bank term loans from 6% APR and equipment financing from 6% APR — Bluevine's term product is delivered through partners with significantly higher rates.
You're a sole proprietor. Most banks Frank works with will lend to sole proprietors with the right financials. Bluevine won't even let you apply.
You want a real SBA loan. SBA 7(a) loans go up to $5 million from 9.75% APR. SBA 504 loans for owner-occupied real estate (the "buy your shop" wealth move) go up to $5.5 million from 5% APR. Bluevine caps their referred SBA at $350K, and you're going through Fundera. Frank works directly with SBA preferred lenders for the full SBA product line.
You want monthly payments. Bank loans run on monthly cycles, aligned with how operators actually budget. Bluevine's LOC defaults to weekly repayments.
You're a trade or services operator. Frank's underwriting is built for HVAC, GC, landscaping, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and the rest of the trades and services economy. We surface the metrics banks care about for your industry.
How to decide
Do you need a revolving line of credit up to $250K for short-term cash flow gaps, and you're an LLC/corp with $120K+ revenue? → Bluevine is genuinely a strong fit for this exact use case.
Do you need a term loan, equipment financing, SBA loan, real estate financing, or invoice financing? → Frank.
Are you a sole proprietor, or do you want monthly payments instead of weekly? → Frank.
Do you want both — a bank LOC AND a bank term loan? → Frank works with banks that offer both. One relationship, multiple products.
FAQ
Is Bluevine a bank? No. Bluevine is a financial technology company. Their line of credit is issued by Celtic Bank (a Utah-chartered industrial bank), and their term loans and SBA loans are delivered through third-party partners.
Why are Bluevine's APRs so high? Bluevine's LOC APRs range from 14% to 95%. The wide range reflects credit risk, strong borrowers see the lower end, weaker borrowers see much higher rates. Bank LOCs through Frank start at 7.20% APR for similar borrowers.
Can I have both a Bluevine LOC and a Frank-brokered bank loan? Yes. Many operators do exactly this — Bluevine for fast revolving credit, a bank term loan for larger capital needs. The products complement each other.
Does Bluevine offer invoice financing? No, not anymore. Bluevine sold their invoice factoring arm to FundThrough. If you need invoice-based financing, you'll need to look elsewhere — Frank brokers it through banks from 1% per period.
Is Bluevine's SBA loan really an SBA loan? Technically yes — but it's delivered through Fundera by NerdWallet, a marketplace, not by Bluevine directly. The SBA still has to approve it. Going to a true SBA preferred lender (which Frank does) is usually faster and cleaner.
What if I'm a sole proprietor in a trade business? Talk to Frank. Many banks we work with will lend to sole proprietors with proper documentation, especially in trades where sole-proprietor structures are common. Bluevine's LLC/corp requirement excludes you entirely.
Bluevine for revolving credit. Frank for everything else, at bank rates, in 72 hours.
Most operators need more than a line of credit at some point, equipment financing, an acquisition loan, an SBA 504 to buy the shop, invoice financing, a working capital term loan. Frank covers all of it through traditional bank relationships, at bank rates from 6% APR, packaged properly. $0 fees.
Let's talk