The specs
OnDeckBluevine
Product typeMulti-productLOC
Amount range$5K – $400K (term); $6K – $200K (LOC)$10K – $250K
Cost (factor / APR)Term APR 27%+; LOC APR 30%+APR 6.2% – 27% (LOC)
Speed to fundSame-day for approved files1 – 3 business days
Min time in business12 months12 months
Min monthly revenue$8,000$10,000
Min credit score600+625+
Products
- Term loan
- LOC
- Line of credit
- Invoice factoring
Verdicts by use case
- Largest lump-sum term loan ($200K – $400K) — Winner: OnDeck. OnDeck term loans go to $400K with fixed amortization over 24 – 36 months — the structurally right option in this 3-way set for established merchants needing lump-sum capital for equipment, location buildout, or inventory expansion. Bluevine LOC caps at $250K (revolving, not amortizing); Fundbox LOC caps at $150K. For $200K+ lump-sum needs OnDeck is the structural winner.
- Cheapest cost of capital for qualifying clean-file merchant with revolving need — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine LOC at 6.2 – 27% APR materially undercuts OnDeck term (27%+ APR) and OnDeck LOC (30%+ APR) for qualifying borrowers. Fundbox effective APR (30 – 60%) is the highest in this 3-way set. For merchants who clear the Bluevine 12+ months TIB and 625+ FICO bar and have a revolving capital need, Bluevine is the structural cost winner across the 3-way.
- Lowest qualification bar (revenue / TIB / FICO) — Winner: Tie. Fundbox accepts $8K/mo revenue, 6+ months TIB, 600+ FICO — the lowest qualification floor in this 3-way set. Both OnDeck (12+ months TIB, 600+ FICO, $8K/mo) and Bluevine (12+ months TIB, 625+ FICO, $10K/mo) are gated out on TIB for merchants under 12 months operating. For newer or smaller merchants Fundbox is the only structural option; for established merchants both OnDeck and Bluevine qualify with different product structures.
- Fastest funding on approved file — Winner: OnDeck. OnDeck offers same-day funding on approved + verified files. Bluevine takes 1 – 3 business days; Fundbox typically 24 hours after approval. For genuinely same-day capital needs on a clean-file established merchant OnDeck is the structural winner — but only on files that clear OnDeck's 12+ months TIB and 600+ FICO underwriting bar.
- Recurring or fluctuating capital need — Winner: Bluevine. Bluevine LOC structure fits revolving capital needs better than OnDeck term loan (which is amortizing lump-sum) or Fundbox LOC (which caps at $150K with weekly-fee structure that compounds on small balances). For SMBs with seasonal cash flow or fluctuating operating capital needs Bluevine is the structural fit; the cheaper APR vs Fundbox makes Bluevine the structural winner for any merchant who qualifies for both.
The honest takeaway
OnDeck and Bluevine solve overlapping but distinct problems. The right choice depends on three things you already know about your business: how fast you need the money, how long you've been operating, and whether the capital need is one-time or recurring.
Frequently asked questions
- How does Fundbox fit into this 3-way comparison — when does Fundbox actually win over OnDeck and Bluevine?
- Fundbox wins for newer or smaller merchants who are gated out of both OnDeck and Bluevine on TIB or revenue. Fundbox accepts $8K/mo revenue, 6+ months TIB, and 600+ FICO — the lowest qualification floor in this 3-way set. For an SMB at $12K/mo revenue with 8 months TIB and 610 FICO Fundbox is the only structural option (OnDeck and Bluevine both require 12+ months TIB). Fundbox also wins for embedded distribution through vertical SaaS platforms — the API-first LOC structure fits embedded-finance use cases better than OnDeck or Bluevine's direct-merchant distribution. As of 2026-06-28 the realistic 3-way playbook: Fundbox for sub-12-month-TIB or sub-$15K/mo merchants who can't qualify for either alternative, Bluevine for clean-file 12+ months TIB and 625+ FICO merchants with revolving capital needs up to $250K, OnDeck for established merchants needing $200K+ lump-sum term capital or same-day funding on the cleanest files. For an SMB at $30K/mo revenue with 18 months TIB and 670 FICO the right structural option depends on capital structure: revolving (Bluevine), lump-sum amortizing $200K+ (OnDeck), small embedded SaaS distribution (Fundbox).
- Can I have OnDeck plus Bluevine plus Fundbox simultaneously?
- Technically possible but operationally complex and structurally risky. Bluevine LOC covenants typically restrict adding outside debt without notice; OnDeck term loans typically include anti-stacking and material-adverse-change clauses that can trigger default if you add additional revolving debt; Fundbox is the most permissive on stacking but reports to commercial bureaus and signals cash-flow stress when carried alongside other revolving facilities. Carrying all three means three independent debit streams (OnDeck weekly amortization, Bluevine LOC monthly interest, Fundbox weekly fee payments), which materially tightens operating cash management. The realistic playbook: pick one primary product based on your structural need, use the others only as planned future alternatives. Common stacking pattern that works: OnDeck term loan for a specific capital event (equipment, expansion) plus Bluevine LOC for ongoing revolving working capital — but coordinate the timing and notify both lenders to avoid covenant violations.
- Which one is right for a $25K/mo trucking company with 18 months TIB and 660 FICO?
- Bluevine LOC is typically the right structural primary option for this file. The merchant clears Bluevine's qualification bar (12+ months TIB, 625+ FICO, $10K+/mo revenue) and the LOC structure fits trucking's fluctuating cash flow (fuel costs, equipment maintenance, driver payroll). Expected Bluevine pricing for this file: $50K – $150K LOC at 14 – 22% APR depending on credit utilization and bank cash flow patterns. OnDeck would also approve this file but at materially higher cost (term APR 27%+ or LOC APR 30%+) and the term-loan amortization structure is less fit for trucking's variable cash flow than a revolving LOC. Fundbox would approve but at the highest pricing (effective APR 35 – 55%) and only up to $150K draw. The realistic playbook for this trucking SMB: take Bluevine LOC as primary revolving capital, layer in OnDeck term loan only if a specific lump-sum capital event (truck purchase, fleet expansion) needs $200K+ amortizing structure that doesn't fit the LOC, avoid Fundbox unless Bluevine declines or the embedded-SaaS distribution channel becomes the structural fit.