Groundfloor vs Fundrise 2023

As people continue to move their money into real estate investments more and more new real estate investing platforms come to market.

These new platforms are primarily driven through crowdfunding. Platforms such as Groundfloor and Fundrise now give individual investors easy access to private residential and commercial real estate investments.

Groundfloor is Better for:Fundrise is Better for:
Residential single family homes, multi-family homes, townhomes, and condosCommercial Real Estate (CRE), REITs
No FeesInvestors seeking an inexpensive way to get started in real estate investing
Not limited to accredited investorsFlexible investment options
Short Term InvestingLong term investment

Here are some comparisons between Groundfloor and Fundrise, two of the most popular real estate platforms.

Let’s look at some comparisons:

Groundfloor Fundrise
Minimum Investment $10 $10 (Starter Portfolio), $1,000 (Basic Plan). Up to $100,000 (Premium Account Level)
Available Assets Debt investment for Fix and Flip projects Debt, Equity and Preferred Equity
Returns Over 10% annually on average 10.1% (Average returns)
Fees None 1% Total
Current Promotion More Info More Info
Modest Money Overall Rating
4.5 rating based on 5 ratings
4.5 rating based on 5 ratings

Groundfloor Vs. Fundrise: Determining Factors?

There’s no doubt Groundfloor is one of Fundrise’s biggest competitors. It’s hard to split them but, there are three main factors to consider when comparing apples with apples.

Here’s how Groundfloor vs Fundrise compare below.

Factor 1: Investment Options

Fundrise Investment Style Is Preferable To Groundfloor If You Like

  • Flexible investment options
  • Long Term Investing
  • Less Risk

Groundfloor Investing Options

Groundfloor is a real estate crowdfunding platform that provides short-term residential real estate debt investment opportunities. These are usually for properties that banks do not typically finance.

Investors can get started with Groundfloor and start buying and selling properties for a profit in a short amount of time.

These include single family homes, townhouses, multi-family homes, and condos.

Groundfloor bases each high-interest rate loan on the potential of each property. Each real estate loan will be ranked based on risk using its A-G risk scale.

The lower risk loans will be ranked A, while the riskiest loans will be ranked G.

You can read the full review on Groundfloor finance here.

Fundrise Investing Options

Fundrise investment choices range from single-family properties to commercial real estate via REITs (real estate investment trusts).

They typically offer long-term, illiquid investments. This means there is a higher chance of strong returns.

There are different types of investments available to invest in, including conservatively-managed ones and aggressive ones. With regular updates, you won’t need to add any extra money for investing.

It is possible to start an investment for as low as $10.

All you need to do is choose your desired portfolio management approach. After that, the Fundrise team will manage your investment portfolio.

That’s it, you’re done.

Sit back and let Fundrise continue to look for and buy new assets for your diversi­fied portfolios.

You can read an in-depth review of Fundrise here.

Factor 2: Cost

Groundfloor Doesn’t Charge Any Fees

Groundfloor doesn’t charge you any fees. Instead, you will pay interest on the loan principal.

Groundfloor Costs

Groundfloor doesn’t charge any upfront costs for its loans. Borrowers don’t need to worry about paying any additional charges.

You are required to pay interest fees on the loan principal.

Fundrise Costs

With Fundrise, you pay a yearly fee of 1%. There are no additional hidden costs and there is no frontload fee with Fundrise.

Factor 3: Performance

Looking at a platform’s return history can be a great way of choosing which to go for.

But, no platform can guarantee fixed returns and past results never guarantee future earnings.

It really varies depending on the industry and the volatility of the markets. Here’s an overview of their historical performance.

Groundfloor Performance

According to Groundfloor, investors averaged a 10% annualized return in a 6-18 month time span.

Currently, Groundfloor has an average annualized return on its portfolio of 9.98%.
Learn More About Groundfloor

Fundrise Performance

There is no guarantee of returns from Fundrise, but their past performance shows Fundrise is legit.

For a better understanding of expected returns with Fundrise, here is the average annualized return over the past few years.

    • 2021: 22.99%
    • 2020: 7.31%
    • 2019: 9.16%
    • 2018: 8.81%
    • 2017: 10.63%

Learn More About Fundrise

Groundfloor vs. Fundrise: The Bottom Line

Both Groundfloor and Fundrise are great for accredited and non-accredited investors looking to build a real estate portfolio.

Those who are comfortable with alternative investments and willing to take on higher risks will benefit from using Groundfloor.

For beginners, the low barrier to entry is a good stepping stone into the real estate market.

If you are someone looking for an alternative to REITs, you will enjoy what Groundfloor has to offer.

The low minimum investment amount with Fundrise will open new opportunities for those who do not want to spend a lot of money investing in real estate.

Fundrise is convenient for all, especially those with a long-term investment horizon.

If you like a little more control over your investments, go with Fundrise.

Jeremy Biberdorf

About the Author:

Jeremy Biberdorf is the founder of Modest Money. After working many years in the website marketing industry, he decided to take on blogging full time and also get his finances headed in the right direction. Also check out his contributions to Equities.com and Benzinga.