By BillCut
Last updated: 24 October 2026<\/p>\n
Small loan apps in India are front ends for loans that come from a bank or an NBFC. Before you borrow, check that the app appears in the Reserve Bank of India\u2019s directory of digital lending apps, note which lender it names, and compare offers by the APR in the Key Fact Statement, not by the advertised rate.<\/p>\n
A small loan app is a digital lending app (DLA). It collects your details, shows you an offer and handles the paperwork, but the money must come from a regulated entity such as a bank or an NBFC. Many apps are run by a separate company, called a lending service provider, which works for one or more lenders.<\/p>\n
The Reserve Bank of India\u2019s Digital Lending Directions, 2025<\/a> set rules that protect you whichever app you use:<\/p>\n Go to the Reserve Bank of India\u2019s website<\/a> and open the link \u201cDLA\u2019s deployed by Regulated Entities\u201d. The directory lists each app with the bank or NBFC that reported it, the owner of the app, where it is available and the grievance officer\u2019s details.<\/p>\n Treat the list as a first check, not a seal of approval. The RBI\u2019s press release on the directory<\/a> says it is built from data that lenders submit, shared without further validation by the RBI, and the Directions add that inclusion is not an endorsement. BillCut\u2019s guide on how to check the RBI list of legal loan apps<\/a> walks through the steps.<\/p>\n The table below covers nine widely searched app names. The order is alphabetical and is not a ranking, and inclusion is not a recommendation. Column two shows the regulated entity named in the RBI directory when we checked it on 24 October 2026. Column three shows only the product type stated on the app\u2019s own website. We have not compared rates, fees, limits or service.<\/p>\n Two other names often seen in app lists are not separate app entries in the directory. Krazybee Services Limited appears as an NBFC linked to KreditBee. EarlySalary Services Private Limited appears as an NBFC, and Fibe\u2019s website describes Fibe as formerly EarlySalary.<\/p>\n When one app lists several lenders, the lender for your loan is the one named in your sanction letter and KFS. Check that name against the directory before you accept.<\/p>\n A low interest rate can hide a high cost when a fee is deducted upfront, because you pay interest on money you never receive. The KFS shows the APR, which the RBI\u2019s KFS circular<\/a> says must include all charges levied by the lender. Lenders must give it before you sign, and cannot add charges missing from it without your explicit consent.<\/p>\n The figures below are illustrative only and do not reflect any app\u2019s pricing. Each offer is Rs 10,000 repaid in three monthly EMIs.<\/p>\n\n
How do you check if a small loan app is listed with the RBI?<\/h2>\n
Small loan apps in India: what the RBI directory shows<\/h2>\n
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\n App<\/th>\n Regulated entity named in the RBI directory<\/th>\n Product type stated on the app\u2019s website<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n CASHe<\/td>\n Bhanix Finance and Investment Ltd, and other NBFCs including Northern Arc Capital Limited<\/td>\n Personal loan; buy now pay later<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Dhani<\/td>\n Dhani Loans and Services Limited<\/td>\n Short-term loan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fibe<\/td>\n Several NBFCs, including EarlySalary Services Private Limited and HDB Financial Services Limited<\/td>\n Personal loan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n FlexSalary<\/td>\n Vivifi India Finance (P) Ltd<\/td>\n Personal loan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n KreditBee<\/td>\n Several NBFCs, including Krazybee Services Limited and Aditya Birla Capital Limited<\/td>\n Personal loan; a flexi personal loan described as a credit line<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n MoneyTap<\/td>\n Several NBFCs, including Tapstart Capital Private Limited and InCred Financial Services Limited<\/td>\n The MoneyTap website redirects to Freo, which describes a credit line and personal loans<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n mPokket<\/td>\n mPokket Financial Services Private Limited<\/td>\n Personal loan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Navi<\/td>\n Navi Finserv Limited; the directory also lists Navi Finserv under several other lenders<\/td>\n Cash loan (a personal loan)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n PaySense<\/td>\n PayU Finance India Private Limited and Kisetsu Saison Finance (India) Private Limited<\/td>\n Personal loan; credit line<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n How do you compare small loan offers using APR?<\/h2>\n