Alternatives to SME Invoice Finance
4 UK invoice finance alternatives to SME Invoice Finance, compared on advance rate, setup speed, transparency, minimum turnover and best-fit.
The leading UK invoice finance alternatives to SME Invoice Finance are Ultimate Finance, Time Finance, IGF (Independent Growth Finance) and Bibby Financial Services, compared here on advance rate, setup speed, minimum turnover and rating. More detail + scope
Summary
SME Invoice Finance is benchmarked against 4 UK invoice finance alternatives: Ultimate Finance, Time Finance, IGF (Independent Growth Finance) and Bibby Financial Services. Each is compared on product type, minimum turnover, advance rate, typical rate, setup speed and overall rating, so you can see which fits your turnover and how fast you need funding. MarketInvoice then matches you to the best-fit provider.
This page covers
UK invoice finance alternatives to SME Invoice Finance, compared on product type, minimum turnover, advance rate, typical rate, setup speed and rating
Not covered here
In-depth single-provider reviews (see /providers/), head-to-head comparisons (see /vs/), general invoice finance education (see /guides/)
SME Invoice Finance vs the 4 alternatives
| SME Invoice Finance | Ultimate Finance | Time Finance | IGF (Independent Growth Finance) | Bibby Financial Services | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Invoice finance (factoring, CID) | Invoice finance (factoring, CID), bridging, asset finance | Invoice finance, asset finance, vehicle finance | Invoice finance (ABL, CID), asset-based lending | Invoice finance (factoring, CID, ABL) |
| Cluster | independent | independent | independent | independent | independent |
| Min turnover | £50k | £100k | £250k | £500k | £100k |
| Advance rate | Up to 90% | Up to 90% | Up to 90% | Up to 90% receivables + stock + plant | Up to 90% |
| Typical rate | Negotiated service charge plus discount margin | 1.5% to 3.5% service charge | 1.5% to 3% service charge | Bespoke pricing | 0.5% to 3% service charge plus discount margin |
| Setup speed | 5 to 10 working days | 3 working days | 7 working days | 10 working days | 5 working days |
| Rating | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
Ultimate Finance
3 working days · Up to 90%The fastest-setup mainstream UK invoice finance lender, 3 working days typical. Owned by Tavistock Group. Strong on SME accessibility, flexible underwriting, and broader product set (also asset finance + bridging). Servi
Time Finance
7 working days · Up to 90%AIM-listed UK independent specialist lender, £150m funded annually. Multi-product (IF + asset + loans). Mid-market SME focus. Mid-cost mid-speed mainstream choice. Strong panel for B2B service businesses, light industria
IGF (Independent Growth Finance)
10 working days · Up to 90% receivables + stock + plantABL specialist combining invoice finance with stock and plant lending under one facility. Strong on complex mid-market deals up to £25m. Slower setup but more flexible structure than monoline IF lenders. Backed by Norwic
Bibby Financial Services
5 working days · Up to 90%The largest UK independent invoice finance provider by volume, family-owned, 40+ years in market. Strong on sector breadth (construction, recruitment, manufacturing, wholesale) and SME accessibility. Setup typically 5 wo
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Oliver leads Market Invoice's editorial and comparison research. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees provider analysis, rate verification, and industry reporting across all verticals.
Last reviewed: 27 May 2026