Splitero vs. Unison
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Quick Verdict
Choose Splitero if your credit score is on the lower end or repayment ability is a concern — its term is designed to come due right when you're most equipped to handle it. Choose Unison if you need less than $50,000 or you'd rather avoid a hard credit pull.
Splitero's term is mortgage-linked — it matches your remaining mortgage, with a 10-year floor and a 30-year cap. Unison offers a fixed 30-year term instead, so it can run just as long as Splitero's or longer, depending on your own mortgage payoff schedule. If you're still working out what term structure fits you, see Choosing a Term Length.
See Your Own Numbers for Both
Enter your home details to see what Splitero and Unison would each actually cost you — plus Point, Hometap, and Unlock — side by side.
Side-by-Side Specs
| Splitero | Unison | |
|---|---|---|
| Contract term | 10–30 yrs (variable) | 30 yrs |
| Min Funding | $50,000 | $30,000 |
| Max Funding | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Max Proceeds | 25% | 15% |
| Min credit score | 500 | 620 |
| Max Senior LTV | 70% | 70% |
| Max CLTV | 75% | 90% (unconf.) |
| Origination fee | 4.99% | 3.9% |
| Renovation adjustment | Not offered | Offered |
| Manufactured homes | Not eligible | Not eligible |
| LLC / trust ownership | Permitted | Not permitted |
| Hard credit pull | Yes | No |
| Repayment on death | Not triggered | Triggered |
| State availability | 14 states | 24 states + D.C. |
Term Structure: Mortgage-Linked vs. Fixed 30 Years
Splitero's term lasts as long as your remaining senior mortgage, with a 10-year floor and a 30-year cap. Unison's term is a fixed 30 years for every borrower instead — so Splitero's term could match Unison's 30 years exactly, or run shorter, depending on your own mortgage payoff schedule. If you're still working out what term length or structure fits you, see Choosing a Term Length.
Splitero's Mortgage-Linked Term Fits If
- You want your agreement to come due right when you have the least mortgage debt and the most equity in your home — not an arbitrary calendar date
- You like the idea of your HEI settling alongside a financial milestone you're already planning for, rather than a separate deadline to track
Unison's Fixed 30-Year Term Fits If
- You want the longest possible time to repay no matter what your mortgage payoff schedule looks like
Editor's take: We think Splitero's term structure — 10 to 30 years, linked to your mortgage's own payoff, with a 10-year floor — is one of the more thoughtful designs in this space. In our view, the biggest risk with any HEI or HEA is being forced to sell your home before you're ready, at the end of a fixed term that has nothing to do with your actual financial position. Splitero's structure makes that scenario far less likely. Your term ends right around when your mortgage is paid off, leaving you with lower debt, higher equity, and higher cash flow. That's generally the easiest moment to refinance or otherwise settle up instead of selling. Worth noting: this is probably as much smart business design (a forced-sale story is a real risk to this whole industry) as it is generosity toward borrowers — but the incentives line up well either way.
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 both providers' payoffs under the exact same scenario, so the numbers are directly comparable. Both 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 | Splitero's Share | Unison's Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $517,500 | $59,775 | $60,000 |
| Year 3 | $554,359 | $85,432 | $81,744 |
| Year 5 | $593,843 | $118,769 | $97,537 |
| Year 7 | $636,140 | $127,228 | $114,456 |
| Year 10 | $705,299 | $141,060 | $142,120 |
| Year 20 | $994,894 | $198,979 | $257,958 |
| Year 30 | $1,403,397 | $280,679 | $421,359 |
Observations
- Unison is meaningfully cheaper from year 3 through year 7, with its edge reaching over $21,000 around year 5.
- The two land close together at years 1 and 10.
- Splitero pulls sharply ahead from year 20 on, where the gap widens past $140,000 by year 30.
Where Each One Leads
Where Splitero Leads
- Lower credit score requirement. 500 minimum vs. Unison's 620.
- Access more of your home's value. You can get up to 25% of your home's value in cash with Splitero, well above Unison's 15% cap.
- Open to investment and second homes. Unison's eligibility is limited to primary residences, with limited exceptions it hasn't fully detailed.
- No loss-sharing restrictions. Unison restricts loss sharing for the first 36 months and never shares losses if you exit through a buyout — Splitero doesn't have either restriction.
- Trust and LLC ownership allowed. Splitero is the only provider we track that permits both. Unison allows neither.
- Matures alongside your mortgage. Settlement lands when your mortgage debt is lowest and your equity and cash flow are highest, instead of a fixed calendar date — see Term Structure above.
Where Unison Leads
- Lower minimum request. $30,000 with Unison, vs. Splitero's $50,000.
- No hard credit pull. Applying doesn't affect your credit score; Splitero requires a hard pull.
- Renovation adjustment. Eligible home improvement value is excluded from Unison's appreciation share; Splitero has no equivalent.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Splitero If
- Your credit score is below 620
- Your property is an investment property or second home
- You own the property through an LLC or trust
- You want your agreement to mature whenever your mortgage pays off, when your debt is lowest and your equity and cash flow are highest
Choose Unison If
- You're requesting less than $50,000
- You'd rather avoid any hard credit pull during the application process
- You're planning eligible home improvements you'd rather not share appreciation on
In addition to the factors above, cost matters — see the cost comparison above, or run your own numbers to see what each would actually cost you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Splitero or Unison better?
Neither is categorically better — Splitero's term is tied to your own mortgage payoff (10 to 30 years), while Unison offers a fixed 30-year term. Splitero accepts lower credit scores, offers a higher proceeds percentage, is open to investment and second homes, and is the only provider we track that permits LLC or trust ownership. Unison uses a soft credit pull only and offers a renovation adjustment, but restricts loss sharing and requires repayment within 180 days of your death. In our scenario, Unison was meaningfully cheaper from year 3 through year 7, the two landed close together at years 1 and 10, and Splitero pulled sharply ahead from year 20 on — run your own numbers to see how it lands for you.
Which has a lower credit score requirement, Splitero or Unison?
Splitero's minimum is 500; Unison's is 620. Splitero is more accessible for borrowers with lower credit scores.
Does either Splitero or Unison require a hard credit pull?
Splitero requires a hard pull. Unison uses a soft pull only, so applying doesn't affect your credit score.
Can I use either Splitero or Unison for a home renovation?
Splitero doesn't offer an adjustment at all; the full appreciated value, including any gain from your own renovations, counts toward Splitero's share. Only Unison offers a renovation adjustment — eligible improvement value is excluded from its appreciation share — though it isn't available until three years into the agreement, and requires advance notice, licensed contractors, and documentation to qualify.
What happens to my Splitero or Unison agreement if I pass away?
With Splitero, your heirs aren't forced to settle early — they can hold the agreement until it would normally come due. With Unison, your death triggers the agreement, and your heirs have 180 days to settle it.
Does Splitero or Unison cost less?
It depends on how long you hold the agreement. In the representative scenario illustrated above, Unison is meaningfully cheaper from year 3 through year 7, the two land close together at years 1 and 10, but Splitero pulls sharply ahead from year 20 on. Run your own numbers for an exact comparison.
Get Real Offers From Both
Your actual numbers depend on your home's appraised value and your own details. The surest way to compare is a real offer from each.
Or compare all 5 in the cost calculator →