Bondora Review 2026: is Bondora a Safe Platform?
My Experience After 6+ Years of Investing in Bondora
Quick Verdict
Bondora is one of Europe's largest and most established P2P lending platforms with over 11 years of successful operation. With a conservative investment approach focusing on A and B-rated loans, investors can achieve stable returns around 10-13% annually. The platform offers three investment options to suit different risk profiles.
Try BondoraWhat is Bondora?
Bondora is a Peer-to-Peer lending platform based in Estonia, and one of the largest platform in Europe. According to their website, they processed more than 250 million worth of loans since they opened in 2009. That's an impressive track record for a Peer-to-Peer lending company with more than 11 years of successful operation.
The platform is accessible to most investors based in Europe, and they are currently serving loans in Estonia, Finland and Spain. Like many other platforms in Europe, they have no fees for investors on the primary market. The only fees you would have to pay is when you invest in the secondary market (buying shares in loans other people already invested in).
I actually had the opportunity to visit Bondora at their offices in Tallinn and it was awesome! Here is a picture from the visit:
What Returns Can You Expect?
Real returns based on my investing experience
The returns on Bondora completely depend on which of their predefined plans you will use on their platform. Currently, there are three of them:
- Go & Grow, which is the plan that they recommend for investors that want to keep their money safe and be able to withdraw money at any time. Currently, this yields around 6.75%.
- Portfolio Manager, which is their default plan and has variable returns depending on what strategy you are using. Currently, this plan has a yield between 10 and 18% depending on the selected strategy.
- Portfolio Pro, which is for more advanced users that want to select exactly in which loans they invest in. The returns on this one completely depend on which loans you are investing in, which range from 6% to around 20%.
I've personally used the portfolio manager at the start, before switching over to portfolio pro with a quite conservative approach. Currently, my returns are just above 13% with this strategy.
Three Investment Approaches
Bondora offers three distinct investment strategies to match different investor profiles and risk appetites.
Go & Grow
Fixed 6.75% returns with complete liquidity. Withdraw your money at any time without penalties. Perfect for conservative investors.
Portfolio Manager
Automated investing with variable returns between 10-18%. Choose your risk level and let Bondora handle the rest.
Portfolio Pro
Full control over loan selection with returns from 6-20%. Define all parameters including loan ratings, duration, and countries.
I personally use Portfolio Pro with a conservative approach, investing only in A and B-rated loans with durations under one year. This strategy has delivered stable 10-13% annual returns.
Is Bondora Safe?
Key safety features and regulatory compliance
EFSA Regulation
Regulated by the Estonian Financial Supervisory Authority, ensuring oversight and compliance with financial sector standards.
EU Compliance
Full compliance with EU regulations including GDPR and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2).
Industry Membership
Member of the Estonian Association of Credit Providers, a self-regulatory organization for the credit industry.
Diversification Options
Ability to diversify across multiple countries and hundreds of loans to reduce portfolio risk.
🔍 The Bondora Platform
Compared to other platforms, loans on Bondora don't come with a buyback guarantee. This is actually not a problem if you have the correct approach. I know that many users of Bondora complained during the past years that they had bad returns or even lost money with the platform. However, when I actually looked at the details of their investments, I saw that they invested in many high-returns (but therefore also high-risk) loans on the platform, and many of those defaulted, which resulted in bad results for those persons.
That's why I recommend a very conservative approach to Bondora. I recommend to either choose Go & Grow if you want complete peace of mind or portfolio manager with the most conservative setting. If you are at a more advanced level, you can also try portfolio pro, but here again, I recommend only investing in the safest loans on the platform (rated A or B).
As for all platforms, also diversify as much as possible on the platforms by investing in as many loans as possible. This will further reduce the level of risk on your portfolio.
⚖️ Bondora & Regulations
As a financial services company, Bondora is regulated by the Estonian Financial Supervisory Authority (EFSA). The EFSA is responsible for overseeing and regulating the financial sector in Estonia, including financial market participants such as Bondora.
Bondora is also required to comply with all relevant European Union (EU) regulations, including the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2). In addition to regulatory oversight from the EFSA and EU, Bondora is also a member of the Estonian Association of Credit Providers, which is a self-regulatory organization for the Estonian credit industry.
👔 The Team Running Bondora
The company is led by CEO and co-founder Pärtel Tomberg, who has over 15 years of experience in the financial industry.
During my visit at the company offices, I also met a lot of really motivated people with a strong focus on helping the customers and make them succeed in their investments on the platform. Overall, I can definitely say the company is in really good hands.
Getting Started on Bondora
Create Your Account
Sign up on Bondora in less than 5 minutes. The registration process is straightforward and user-friendly.
Deposit Funds
Make a bank transfer to the account provided by Bondora. Funds typically arrive within 2 business days.
Choose Investment Strategy
Select from Go & Grow (safest, 6.75% returns), Portfolio Manager (10-18% variable returns), or Portfolio Pro (full control, 6-20% returns).
Start Investing
Configure your investment parameters and let the platform automatically invest in loans matching your criteria. For best results, use a conservative approach focusing on A and B-rated loans.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓One of the largest and oldest P2P platforms in Europe with 11+ years track record
- ✓Three investment strategies to suit different risk profiles
- ✓No fees on primary market investments
- ✓Go & Grow option offers liquidity with ability to withdraw anytime
- ✓Regulated by Estonian Financial Supervisory Authority (EFSA)
- ✓Complies with EU regulations including GDPR and PSD2
- ✓Professional team with experienced leadership
- ✓Diversification across Estonia, Finland, and Spain
Cons
- ✗No buyback guarantee on loans
- ✗Higher risk loans have shown increased default rates
- ✗Fees apply on secondary market investments
- ✗Requires conservative approach for stable returns
- ✗Past investors with aggressive strategies experienced losses
My Results After 6+ Years
After more than 6 years of investing on Bondora, I switched from the normal portfolio manager to Portfolio Pro with a very conservative approach. As the number of loan defaults increased on the platform, especially with higher interest loans, I decided to only invest in the best loans (A and B rated). As a result, my annual returns have stabilised around 10-13%, which I am very happy with.