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//// Personal Finance · Borrowing

Loan Comparison Calculator

Paste in up to 3 loan offers — amount, rate, term, and origination fee — and see monthly payment, total interest, true total cost, and effective APR side by side. A winner badge and savings callout tell you exactly which deal to take.

Loan 1
$
% /yr
mo
% of loan
Loan 2Best Deal
$
% /yr
mo
% of loan
Loan 3
$
% /yr
mo
% of loan

Side-by-Side Comparison

Loan 1
Loan 2
Loan 3
Monthly Payment$489.15$601.56$413.14
Total Interest$4,349$3,875$4,746
Origination Fee$250$0$500
Total Cost$29,599$28,875$30,246
Effective APR6.92%7.25%6.61%

Total Cost Comparison

Loan 1$29,599
Loan 2Lowest$28,875
Loan 3$30,246

Best Deal

Loan 2 has the lowest total cost at $28,875, saving you $1,371 vs the most expensive option. Its effective APR is 7.25% after accounting for origination fees.

How Effective APR is Calculated

Effective APR accounts for origination fees by treating the net disbursement (loan amount minus fees) as the actual cash received, then solving for the internal rate of return over the payment schedule. This gives a true apples-to-apples comparison — a 0% fee loan at 7.25% can beat a 5.9% loan with a 2% origination fee depending on the term.