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Best Private Credit Platforms

Private credit can be one of the clearest ways to pursue alternative-income, but only if you understand what sits behind the yield: collateral, seniority, borrower quality, duration, and loss assumptions.

By AlternativeInvesting Research Desk

Updated April 2026. Our editorial process compares access, fees, liquidity, downside, and investor fit before any outbound platform link appears on the page.

  • Groundfloor works for smaller investors who want direct exposure to shorter-duration real-estate debt and can accept note-level risk.
  • Yieldstreet and EquityMultiple can offer stronger accredited menus, but the wider opportunity set means more underwriting work, not less.
  • Percent is a specialist tool for investors who already know they want private-credit yield and are comfortable reading beyond the headline rate.
Best PlatformsFind Your Fit

Private credit platforms to compare

See all comparisons

Mixed access

Yieldstreet

Research pick

Editorial score

3.4 / 5

Private-markets platform spanning credit, real estate, and specialty alternatives for investors willing to evaluate deals and lockups more carefully.

Return caseYieldstreet is a yield-and-diversification play where returns depend on underwriting, deal selection, and whether private cash flows justify the lockup.

Minimum
$10,000
Liquidity
Usually multi-year holds with limited liquidity
Fees
Varies by offering, with platform and deal-level economics to review closely
Return focus
Income
Risk level
High
Hold period
2 to 5+ years
private credit exposurehigher-yield alternativesmulti-asset access
Review YieldstreetCompare
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Non-accredited access

Groundfloor

Research pick

Editorial score

3.9 / 5

Shorter-duration real-estate debt investing with lower minimums and a more loan-by-loan decision flow.

Return caseGroundfloor can make money through private real-estate debt yield, but that return depends on borrower performance and loan underwriting rather than property appreciation alone.

Minimum
$10
Liquidity
Typically tied to loan duration with limited liquidity before maturity
Fees
Loan returns are net of servicing and platform economics that vary by note
Return focus
Income
Risk level
High
Hold period
6 months to 2 years
shorter-duration private creditsmall minimumshands-on note selection
Review GroundfloorCompare
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Accredited access

Percent

Editorial score

2.9 / 5

Private credit access focused on income-seeking investors evaluating short-duration and specialty lending opportunities.

Return casePercent is an income-first private-credit platform where the payoff comes from loan yield and repayment discipline rather than long-term appreciation.

Minimum
$500
Liquidity
Typically locked until the underlying note or deal matures
Fees
Varies by offering and structure
Return focus
Income
Risk level
High
Hold period
6 months to 3 years
private credit specialistsyield-focused investorsshorter-duration alternatives
Review PercentCompare
Visit official site

Accredited access

EquityMultiple

Research pick

Editorial score

3.1 / 5

Accredited private-markets platform offering multiple real-estate and credit structures instead of a single one-size-fits-all fund.

Return caseEquityMultiple is built for investors who want more targeted private real-estate and credit exposure where underwriting and structure selection drive the outcome.

Minimum
$5,000
Liquidity
Illiquid with deal-specific or fund-specific hold periods
Fees
Deal economics differ by offering and should be compared carefully
Return focus
Balanced
Risk level
High
Hold period
1 to 7+ years
accredited real-estate investorstargeted deal selectionincome plus appreciation
Review EquityMultipleCompare
Visit official site

Accredited access

Willow Wealth

Research pick

Editorial score

2.9 / 5

Accredited-focused private market access with curated alternative offerings and advisor-style positioning.

Return caseWillow is aimed at investors who want access to higher-minimum private credit and real-asset deals where yield and manager selection drive returns.

Minimum
$50,000
Liquidity
Often multi-year hold periods
Fees
Varies by deal and fund structure
Return focus
Income
Risk level
High
Hold period
3 to 7+ years
accredited investorsprivate credithigher-touch access
Review Willow WealthCompare
Visit official site

Investor worksheet

Download the alternative investment decision matrix.

Use the same worksheet we use to compare access, fees, liquidity windows, and how each structure is supposed to make money before you click out to any platform.

One weekly note with new platform reviews, fee changes, and access updates.

Download the worksheet now

Featured platforms

Platforms worth reviewing next

Use these picks to compare structure, access, fee load, and liquidity terms before moving to any official offering page.

Featured platform

Yieldstreet

Best fit for private credit exposure and higher-yield alternatives.

Private-markets platform spanning credit, real estate, and specialty alternatives for investors willing to evaluate deals and lockups more carefully.

Yieldstreet is a yield-and-diversification play where returns depend on underwriting, deal selection, and whether private cash flows justify the lockup.

private credit exposurehigher-yield alternativesmulti-asset access
Visit Yieldstreet

Featured platform

Groundfloor

Best fit for shorter-duration private credit and small minimums.

Shorter-duration real-estate debt investing with lower minimums and a more loan-by-loan decision flow.

Groundfloor can make money through private real-estate debt yield, but that return depends on borrower performance and loan underwriting rather than property appreciation alone.

shorter-duration private creditsmall minimumshands-on note selection
Visit Groundfloor

Featured platform

EquityMultiple

Best fit for accredited real-estate investors and targeted deal selection.

Accredited private-markets platform offering multiple real-estate and credit structures instead of a single one-size-fits-all fund.

EquityMultiple is built for investors who want more targeted private real-estate and credit exposure where underwriting and structure selection drive the outcome.

accredited real-estate investorstargeted deal selectionincome plus appreciation
Visit EquityMultiple

What a serious private-credit comparison should include

Compare seniority, collateral, borrower quality, duration, fee drag, and how defaults are handled. That is the real engine of a private-credit return. The stated yield is only the output.

Shorter duration can reduce the time your capital is tied up, but it does not protect you from bad underwriting. A six-month note can still be a poor investment if the collateral is weak or the borrower fails.

Featured platform

Yieldstreet

Best fit for private credit exposure and higher-yield alternatives.

Private-markets platform spanning credit, real estate, and specialty alternatives for investors willing to evaluate deals and lockups more carefully.

Yieldstreet is a yield-and-diversification play where returns depend on underwriting, deal selection, and whether private cash flows justify the lockup.

private credit exposurehigher-yield alternativesmulti-asset access

Weekly briefing

Get new platform comparisons first.

Weekly plain-English notes on new platform reviews, fee structures, liquidity mechanics, and access changes.

Weekly educational updates on platforms, fees, liquidity, and access.

How to use this page

Read the structure before the story

Start with eligibility

Check whether the platform matches your access level and minimum before spending time on the return story.

Treat liquidity as a first-order risk

Redemption terms, gates, and hold periods often matter more in practice than the headline category.

Read disclosures

Related reading

How Private Credit Investing Works

A guide to yield, underwriting, seniority, defaults, and why private-credit returns need more scrutiny than headline coupons.

Alternative Investments With Monthly Income

An income-focused guide to alternative investments that may pay monthly or near-monthly cash flow, and the risks that matter more than the payout calendar itself.

Fees in Alternative Investing Explained

A practical guide to the fees investors encounter in alternative investments, including management fees, incentive fees, deal expenses, servicing costs, and why net return matters more than the headline yield.

FAQs

How should I evaluate fees?

Look for management fees, servicing fees, performance fees, deal-level expenses, and exit-related economics. The right benchmark is net return after all fees, not headline yield alone.

What are the main risks?

Key risks include illiquidity, valuation opacity, leverage, manager execution risk, concentration, and tax complexity. The category matters, but structure and manager quality matter just as much.

Are alternative investments liquid?

Usually not in the same way as public stocks or ETFs. Many alternatives have quarterly redemption windows, secondary market limits, or multi-year lockups.