How we make money
The short version: comparing rates is free, no lender can pay to rank higher, and the table is sorted by comparison rate so the genuinely cheapest loans sit at the top. Here is exactly how the service is funded, and why that keeps the rankings honest.
We do not list every lender on the market, but the 85+ we cover are the ones a typical borrower can realistically apply to and switch to.
No comparison site is perfectly complete, but our rates are refreshed daily and ranked purely by comparison rate, with no paid placement deciding the order.
We make money only after a loan settles, but we earn the same whichever lender you pick, so we have no reason to nudge you toward a more expensive loan.
Comparing rates is free
There is no charge to use Ratesniffers, no sign-up wall and no email gate. The full rate table, the guides and every one of the calculators run free in your browser. We never pull your credit file — only a lender does that, downstream, after you have given consent.
We don't take paid placement
Lenders cannot buy a higher position, a badge or a featured slot. Every qualifying lender in our index appears, and the order is a deterministic sort by comparison rate — the statutory measure that folds standard fees into the headline rate. The cheapest loan for your filters is always at the top, and you can see exactly how the order is produced on our how we rank rates page.
How the service is funded
If, after comparing, you choose to speak to a broker about applying for a loan, we connect you to a licensed Australian mortgage broker. When a loan settles, the lender pays the broker a commission for arranging it — the same commission the lender would pay on any mortgage. You pay nothing. Crucially, that commission is paid by the lender, not by you, and it does not change the order of the table: the figure is broadly the same across lenders, so it never decides which loan we put first.
Why this keeps our rankings honest
Because the ranking is a fixed comparison-rate sort with no paid placement and no commercial filtering, our funding does not depend on which lender you pick. We have no incentive to steer you toward a more expensive loan, because we earn the same whether you choose the lender at the top of the table or one further down — and nothing at all if you simply use the comparison and never get in touch. That independence is the whole product.
Frequently asked
Is Ratesniffers free to use?
Yes. Comparing rates, reading the guides and using all of the calculators is completely free, with no sign-up, no email gate and no credit check. You only ever speak to a broker if you choose to.
Does Ratesniffers take paid placement?
No. Lenders cannot pay to rank higher or to be featured. Every qualifying lender appears, and the table is sorted by comparison rate — the statutory true-cost figure — so the genuinely cheapest loans sit at the top regardless of any commercial relationship.
How does Ratesniffers make money?
When you choose to speak to a broker about applying, the lender pays the broker a commission for arranging the loan — the same commission it would pay on any mortgage. You pay nothing, and the figure is the same whichever lender you choose, so it never changes which loan sits at the top of the table.
Does the way you're funded change which loans you show me?
No, and that's the point. Because the ranking is a deterministic comparison-rate sort with no paid placement and no commercial filtering, our revenue doesn't depend on which lender you pick. You see the same lowest-first order whether or not you ever talk to a broker.
Credit assistance is provided by Xcel Pty Ltd, Credit Representative #568072. Comparison rates are based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years. This information is general and does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account.