Mintos vs Esketit — Which Is Better in 2026?

If you’re comparing Mintos and Esketit, you’re looking at two platforms in very different stages of their evolution. Mintos is the established market leader — 700,000+ investors, EUR 12 billion funded, MiFID II regulated, and pursuing a banking license. Esketit is a younger platform that’s going through a significant transition after losing its parent company backing in 2025.

I’ve invested on both. Over EUR 150,000 on Mintos since 2017, and a smaller allocation on Esketit since its early days. Esketit impressed me initially — the AvaFin (Creamfinance) backing gave it credibility, the platform was well-designed, and returns were solid. But the landscape shifted in 2025, and the comparison looks different today than it would have a year ago.

The short version: Mintos is the safer, more diversified choice by a wide margin. Esketit is an interesting platform with an ECSP license and competitive returns, but it’s in a transitional period that adds uncertainty. The question isn’t which is better overall — it’s whether Esketit’s higher potential returns justify the additional risk compared to Mintos.

Quick Comparison: Mintos vs Esketit

Returns and Performance

On paper, Esketit’s returns look more attractive. The platform advertises 10-14% annually, depending on loan type and risk level. Mintos advertises ~12%. Both numbers are in a similar ballpark, but the reality underneath them is quite different.

My personal net return on Mintos over 9 years has been around 9%. That’s after originator defaults, the COVID disruption, and the Russian originator crisis in 2022. It’s the real number — not the marketing number. The platform currently carries around EUR 130 million in unresolved defaults from past originator failures. But the sheer scale of diversification across 60+ originators means no single failure has been catastrophic for my portfolio. My total losses from originator defaults were around EUR 600, modest relative to total profits.

Esketit’s return data is harder to benchmark over time because the platform is younger (founded 2020) and has gone through structural changes. The advertised range of 10-14% is achievable on shorter-term, higher-risk loans. But the platform’s total portfolio actually declined from EUR 48 million to EUR 45 million in 2025 — the first annual decline — following AvaFin’s departure and the loss of MFF as a loan originator.

The returns question really comes down to track record and stability. Mintos has 9 years of data across market cycles. Esketit has 5 years and is currently rebuilding its originator base. Higher advertised returns don’t mean much if the platform’s loan supply is shrinking.

Regulation and Safety

Both platforms are regulated, which already puts them ahead of many competitors in the European P2P space. But they hold different types of licenses, and the distinction matters.

Mintos operates under MiFID II — the gold standard for investment firm regulation in Europe. This comes with an EUR 20,000 investor protection scheme, structured Notes as regulated financial instruments, and oversight by the Latvian financial regulator. Mintos is also pursuing a full banking license in Latvia, which would add deposit protection and banking services to its offering.

Esketit holds an ECSP (European Crowdfunding Service Provider) license. This is legitimate regulation — it requires compliance with EU crowdfunding rules, investor protections, and transparency requirements. But ECSP is a lighter regulatory framework than MiFID II. There’s no equivalent investor compensation scheme, and the compliance requirements are less extensive.

Here’s the bigger safety question: platform stability. Mintos is profitable, employs over 160 people across four offices, and has 700,000+ investors. Its financial position is strong and independently verifiable.

Esketit’s situation is more nuanced. AvaFin (formerly Creamfinance) — the profitable lending group that founded Esketit — withdrew from P2P operations in 2025. This was a meaningful event. The “startup backed by a profitable parent company” narrative that originally attracted investors no longer applies. Esketit now operates independently, under new CEO Ieva Grigalune, and is actively adding new loan originators like Jet Finance (launched February 2026 with vehicle-backed loans from Central Asia).

Is Esketit’s independence a red flag or a sign of maturation? Honestly, it’s both. Losing your parent company’s backing is concerning. But if Esketit can successfully build a diversified originator base under its ECSP license, it could emerge as a stronger, more independent platform. The question is whether that transition succeeds — and that’s an open question right now.

Diversification

This is where Mintos has an overwhelming advantage. Over 60 loan originators across 33+ countries, covering mortgage loans, car loans, business loans, consumer loans, agricultural loans, BNPL, and more. Beyond loans, Mintos also offers fractional bonds, ETFs, and real estate. It’s the most diversified P2P platform in Europe, and it’s not particularly close.

Esketit’s diversification has taken a hit. With AvaFin’s departure and MFF’s exit from P2P, the platform lost significant loan originator capacity. The addition of Jet Finance in February 2026 helps, bringing vehicle-backed loans from Central Asia, but the platform is still in the process of rebuilding its originator network.

The loan types on Esketit include consumer loans, auto loans, and now vehicle-backed loans. That’s a reasonable range, but it doesn’t compare to Mintos’s breadth across loan categories, geographies, and asset classes.

For investors who prioritize diversification — and in P2P lending, you should — Mintos is in a different league. Esketit is building toward better diversification, but it’s not there yet.

Ease of Use and Features

I’ll give Esketit credit here — the platform is clean, well-designed, and easy to use. The interface is modern, loan information is detailed (borrower credit scores, loan purposes, repayment histories), and the auto-invest feature works smoothly. For a newer platform, the user experience is polished.

Mintos is more feature-rich but also more complex. The Custom Strategy builder has dozens of parameters to configure, and optimizing your portfolio across 60+ originators takes time and research. However, Mintos’s Core Loans product offers a simplified auto-invest experience that handles diversification automatically — comparable in simplicity to Esketit’s auto-invest.

Both platforms have secondary markets, which is important for liquidity. Mintos charges 0.85% per transaction; Esketit’s secondary market is available but less battle-tested given the platform’s smaller scale.

Both support auto-invest. Mintos gives you more granular control if you want it. Esketit keeps things simpler. For most investors, the auto-invest on either platform will get the job done.

Customer support on both platforms has been responsive in my experience. Esketit offers email, phone, and live chat. Mintos provides email, phone, and online chat with a larger support team.

Fees

Esketit charges zero fees. No investment fees, no withdrawal fees, no secondary market fees. New investors also get a 0.5% cashback bonus for the first 90 days after registration, which is a nice touch.

Mintos has introduced fees in recent years. Custom Loan Portfolios carry a 0.29% annual fee, the High-Yield Bonds Portfolio has a 0.39% management fee, and the secondary market charges 0.85% per transaction. These are reasonable, but they’re there.

On pure cost, Esketit wins. But as with any fee comparison, you need to look at net returns after fees. Even with Mintos’s 0.29% annual fee, the platform’s scale, diversification, and regulatory advantages may deliver better risk-adjusted returns than a fee-free platform with a smaller, less diversified loan base.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Mintos if you:

• Want maximum diversification across 60+ originators and 33+ countries
• Prioritize MiFID II regulation and formal investor protection
• Need a proven secondary market for liquidity on larger portfolios
• Want access to bonds, ETFs, and real estate alongside P2P loans
• Prefer a platform with a 9-year track record through multiple market cycles
• Are investing EUR 10,000+ and want to spread risk as widely as possible

Choose Esketit if you:

• Want zero fees and a clean, modern interface
• Are comfortable with the platform’s transitional phase and believe in its independence
• Value the ECSP license as a regulatory floor
• Want to allocate a smaller amount to a higher-return platform as part of a diversified strategy
• Like the 0.5% cashback bonus for new investors

Use both if: You keep your core P2P allocation on Mintos for safety and diversification, with a smaller satellite position on Esketit for additional platform diversification and potentially higher returns on specific loan types. That’s how I approach it — Mintos gets the bulk, Esketit gets a smaller allocation that I monitor more closely given the platform’s evolving situation.

Verdict

Mintos is the stronger platform in 2026, and it’s not a difficult call. The MiFID II regulation, secondary market, unmatched diversification, 9-year track record, and multi-asset capabilities put it clearly ahead. If you’re choosing one P2P platform, it should be Mintos.

Esketit isn’t a bad platform — the ECSP license, zero fees, and competitive returns are genuine advantages. But the AvaFin departure, declining portfolio size, and ongoing transition create uncertainty that didn’t exist a year ago. I’m watching closely to see how the new leadership navigates this period. If they successfully build a diversified, independent originator network, Esketit could re-emerge as a strong second-tier platform.

For deeper analysis of each platform, read my full Mintos review and Esketit review. For a broader overview, see my best European P2P lending platforms page and my guide to P2P lending. If you’re also considering PeerBerry, check out my PeerBerry vs Esketit comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mintos safer than Esketit?

Yes, from a regulatory and structural perspective. Mintos operates under MiFID II with an EUR 20,000 investor protection scheme, is profitable, employs 160+ people, and has a 9-year track record. Esketit has an ECSP license (legitimate but lighter regulation) and is currently in a transitional period after its parent company AvaFin withdrew from P2P operations in 2025.

What happened with AvaFin and Esketit?

AvaFin (formerly Creamfinance), the lending group that founded Esketit, withdrew from P2P lending operations in 2025. This means Esketit no longer benefits from parent company backing and now operates independently with new loan originators. The platform added Jet Finance in February 2026 to expand its originator base.

Which platform has better returns — Mintos or Esketit?

Esketit advertises 10-14% returns; Mintos advertises ~12%. In practice, long-term net returns on Mintos average around 9% after accounting for originator defaults and market disruptions. Esketit’s returns may look higher on paper, but the platform is younger, smaller, and in transition, making long-term returns harder to benchmark.

Does Esketit charge fees?

No. Esketit charges zero fees for investing, withdrawals, or secondary market transactions. New investors receive a 0.5% cashback bonus for the first 90 days. By comparison, Mintos charges a 0.29% annual fee on Custom Loan Portfolios and 0.85% on secondary market sales.

Should I be concerned about Esketit’s independence from AvaFin?

It warrants attention but isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker. The platform has an ECSP license, a 5-year operating history, and is actively adding new loan originators. However, the loss of AvaFin backing changed the platform’s risk profile. The total portfolio declined from EUR 48 million to EUR 45 million in 2025. Investors should monitor how the transition unfolds and size their positions accordingly.

Can I use both Mintos and Esketit?

Yes. Many P2P investors use Mintos as their core platform for diversification and safety, with smaller allocations to platforms like Esketit for additional platform diversification. The two platforms have different regulatory frameworks (MiFID II vs ECSP) and different originator bases, so they complement each other well as part of a broader P2P strategy.

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