HEI Comparison — Compare All Providers
The Bottom Line
- Term length, state availability, credit score, and funding size are the biggest differentiators. See Feature Comparison below for the full breakdown across all 5 providers.
- There's no universal best fit. Which providers you qualify for depends on your own credit score, home value, mortgage balance, and state.
- Cost is the next filter once you've narrowed by eligibility. Cost can shift significantly depending on how long you hold the agreement — see Cost Comparison below.
Feature Comparison
| Point | Hometap | Unison | Unlock | Splitero | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | 27 + D.C. | 21 | 24 + D.C. | 26 | 14 |
| Residency | Primary, second home, investment | Primary, second home, investment | Primary only (some exceptions may exist — confirm directly) | Primary, second home, investment | Primary, second home, investment |
| Min credit score | 500 | 585 | 620 | 500 | 500 |
| Min home value | $155,000 | $60,000 | No stated minimum | $175,000 | $200,000 |
| Max Senior LTV | 80% | 75% | 70% | 75% (unconfirmed) | 70% |
| Max CLTV | 80% | 82.5% | 90% (unconfirmed) | 85% (unconfirmed) | 75% |
| Funding range | $30,000–$600,000 | $15,000–$600,000 | $30,000–$500,000 | $15,000–$500,000 | $50,000–$500,000 |
| Max Proceeds | 25% | 27% | 15% | No stated cap | 25% |
| Max term | 30 years | 10 years | 30 years | 10 years | 10–30 years, tied to your mortgage's remaining term |
| Existing liens | Reverse mortgages, existing HEI/HEA not allowed | Reverse mortgages, IO loans, existing HEI/HEA not allowed | Reverse mortgages, IO loans, existing HEI/HEA not allowed | Reverse mortgages, neg-am loans, existing HEI/HEA not allowed | Reverse mortgages, existing HEI/HEA not allowed |
| Origination fee | 3.9% ($2,000 min) | 4.5% (capped at $20,000) | 3.9% | 4.9% | 4.99% |
| Renovation adjustment | Not offered | Offered | Offered | Offered | Not offered |
| Manufactured homes | Not eligible | Eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| LLC / trust ownership | Not permitted | Not permitted | Not permitted | LLC not permitted; trust unconfirmed | Permitted |
| Hard credit pull | Yes | Unsure | No | No | Yes |
| Repayment on death | Not triggered | Not triggered | Triggered (180-day grace) | Triggered (180-day grace) | Not triggered |
| Get Quote → | Get Quote → | Get Quote → | Get Quote → | Get Quote → |
This table is a reference, not a guarantee of eligibility. To get an estimate of how much you may qualify for and see how costs compare across providers, use the cost calculator, or check out the full details on each provider's own review page: Point, Hometap, Unison, Unlock, Splitero.
See What Each Provider Would Actually Cost You
Enter your home details once to see eligibility and an estimated cost from all 5 providers side by side, using your own numbers instead of the representative scenario below.
Cost Comparison
HEIs don't have an interest rate, so the clearest way to compare cost is the actual dollar amount you'd owe at settlement. The table below shows all 5 providers' estimated payoffs under the exact same scenario, so the numbers are directly comparable. These are estimates based on each provider's published formulas, not guaranteed payoff amounts.
Scenario assumptions
- $500K home
- 700 credit score
- $50K requested
- 10% LTV
- 3.5% annual home price growth
| Exit Year | Home Value | Point | Hometap | Unison | Unlock | Splitero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $517,500 | $59,781 | $60,076 | $60,000 | $59,950 | $59,775 |
| Year 3 | $554,359 | $85,457 | $86,729 | $81,744 | $86,184 | $85,432 |
| Year 5 | $593,843 | $122,161 | $97,984 | $97,537 | $106,892 | $118,769 |
| Year 7 | $636,140 | $137,307 | $114,505 | $114,456 | $114,505 | $127,228 |
| Year 10 | $705,299 | $159,576 | $126,954 | $142,120 | $126,954 | $141,060 |
| Year 20 | $994,894 | $252,826 | 10-yr max term | $257,958 | 10-yr max term | $198,979 |
| Year 30 | $1,403,397 | $384,364 | 10-yr max term | $421,359 | 10-yr max term | $280,679 |
There's no single cheapest provider across the board. The ranking shifts by holding period: Unison and Hometap are essentially tied at year 5, Hometap and Unlock are tied for cheapest at year 10, and Splitero is cheapest at year 30. Of the three providers still eligible at year 20 and year 30, Unison is consistently the most expensive. Your own home value, credit score, and requested amount will produce different numbers, so run your own scenario before assuming any one provider is cheaper for you.
Term Length Comparison
Term length is usually the most important decision when choosing a provider. Unless you make other plans, you may have to sell your home to repay your HEI before the end of its term. See Choosing a Term Length for the full decision framework. Here's how the HEI providers compare:
30-Year Term
- Point and Unison
- No fixed deadline for decades — good if you don't have a clear sale, refinance, or payoff date in mind
10-Year Term
- Hometap and Unlock
- A shorter commitment — good if you already plan to sell, refinance, or buy out the agreement within 10 years
Mortgage-Linked Term (10–30 Years)
- Splitero's term runs to match however many years are left on your primary mortgage, so it matures right around the time your mortgage is paid off, when your equity position, and ability to refinance, are typically strongest.
Best Fit by Situation
A quick reference for the most common deciding factors. See each provider's own review for the full picture before deciding.
| Lowest credit score (500 min.) | Point or Unlock — see Point, Unlock |
|---|---|
| Longest term (30 years) | Point or Unison — see Point vs. Unison |
| Smallest request ($15,000 min.) | Hometap or Unlock — see Hometap vs. Unlock |
| Manufactured home | Hometap — the only provider that accepts them |
| Keep your renovation's added value | Hometap, Unison, or Unlock — see Renovation Adjustments |
| Avoid a hard credit inquiry | Unison or Unlock — see Unison vs. Unlock |
| LLC or trust ownership | Splitero — the only provider that permits LLC ownership |
| Term tied to your mortgage payoff | Splitero — see Splitero |
| Widest state availability | Point — 27 states + D.C. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which HEI providers have the lowest credit score requirement?
Point and Unlock both accept credit scores as low as 500 — the most permissive of the 5 providers we track. Splitero also accepts 500, but its funding minimum ($50,000) is higher.
Which HEI providers accept manufactured homes?
Only Hometap. The other 4 providers — Point, Unison, Unlock, and Splitero — all exclude manufactured and mobile homes.
Which HEI provider is cheapest?
There's no single cheapest provider. It depends heavily on how long you hold the agreement. In the representative scenario above (3.5% annual home price growth), Unison and Hometap are essentially tied at year 5, Hometap and Unlock are tied for cheapest at year 10, and Splitero is cheapest at year 30. Run your own numbers for an exact comparison, since your credit score, home value, and requested amount can change the ranking.
Which HEI providers have the longest term?
Point and Unison both offer a 30-year term with no fixed deadline. Splitero's term can also run up to 30 years, but it's tied to your mortgage's remaining term rather than fixed at 30.
Which HEI providers don't require a hard credit pull?
Unison and Unlock both use a soft credit pull only, so applying won't affect your credit score. Point and Splitero both require a hard pull; Hometap's policy is unconfirmed.
Which HEI providers allow LLC or trust ownership?
Splitero is the only provider that explicitly permits LLC ownership. Trust ownership is disallowed by Point, Hometap, and Unison; Unlock has indicated trust ownership may be allowed in some cases, but this isn't confirmed — check directly with Unlock if this applies to you.
Which HEI providers offer a renovation adjustment?
Hometap, Unison, and Unlock all exclude eligible renovation value from what you'd owe at settlement. Point and Splitero don't offer this — the full appreciated value, including gains from your own renovations, counts toward what you owe. See Renovation Adjustments for how it works and each provider's qualifying rules.
Which HEI provider covers the most states?
Point, available in 27 states plus Washington, D.C. — the broadest footprint of the 5 providers we track. Splitero has the narrowest, at 14 states.
Get Real Offers From the Providers That Fit You
Your actual numbers depend on your home's appraised value and your own details. Once you've narrowed it down, the surest way to compare is a real offer from each provider that fits.
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