The 60-second version
Maclear earns the only A+ grade in our 2026 comparison because it delivers on three promises most platforms break: realised yields match advertised rates (14.5-14.9 percent over the past twelve months), the single default in its operating history (Vibroedil, a Zurich-based contractor) was covered in full by the CEO from personal funds, and the Swiss SRO licence enforces anti-money-laundering standards without pretending to offer capital protection.
The platform operates from Zurich, funding SME working-capital needs, real-estate bridge loans and invoice factoring across Switzerland. Loans carry first-rank mortgages, equipment pledges or shareholder guarantees; median loan-to-value sits at 68 percent. Monthly interest payments land in your account on the fifth business day after the borrower pays; principal returns as a bullet at maturity or through early refinancing.
You can auto-invest from EUR 50, splitting allocations across sectors and maturities. The platform holds EUR 12.3 million in outstanding loans as of January 2026, up from EUR 4.1 million a year earlier. No secondary market exists - your exit depends entirely on scheduled repayments.
The EUR 30 welcome bonus requires a minimum EUR 500 deposit and one manual investment. New accounts opened through our affiliate link receive the bonus within five business days of meeting the conditions.
Capital is at risk, and the SRO licence offers no compensation if the platform or a borrower fails. Maclear's edge lies not in regulatory protection but in a track record of honouring commitments when others restructure or freeze withdrawals.
How the grade breaks down
We assess every platform on five weighted checks. Maclear's A+ grade reflects consistent strength across all five, with standout performance on delivery and yield reality.
Swiss SRO membership enforces anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer rules, but it is not a banking licence and carries no deposit insurance or statutory compensation fund. Maclear does not promise capital protection, nor does it operate under FINMA oversight. What you get is operational transparency, verified borrower identities, and compliance with Swiss AML law. The platform publishes audited financials, discloses beneficial ownership (CEO Lukas Buser holds majority control), and maintains segregated client accounts through a Swiss custodian bank. Loans are direct claims against borrowers; if Maclear the servicer fails, your legal position against the underlying obligor survives. Score: 27 out of 30 points.
Since launching in January 2022, Maclear has originated 87 loans totalling EUR 29.4 million. One loan defaulted: Vibroedil, a Zurich contractor, entered insolvency in March 2024 with EUR 143,000 outstanding. The CEO repaid principal and accrued interest in full from personal funds within 72 hours. Investors experienced zero capital loss. No other loans have missed scheduled payments. Repayment punctuality exceeds 99 percent on a payment-count basis. The Vibroedil intervention demonstrates management commitment but does not constitute a contractual buyback obligation for future defaults. Score: 19 out of 20 points.
Advertised yields range from 14.5 to 14.9 percent per annum, depending on loan term and collateral type. Realised investor returns over the twelve months ending December 2025 averaged 14.7 percent after platform fees but before personal tax. The gap between advertised and realised yield is 0.1 percentage points - the tightest we measure across all reviewed platforms. Monthly interest payments arrive on schedule; no hidden clawbacks, restructuring haircuts or currency-mismatch losses have occurred. Yield compression during the 2025 Swiss National Bank rate cuts did not affect Maclear's loan book because all loans carry fixed rates set at origination. Score: 19.6 out of 20 points.
Maclear AG is a Swiss limited company wholly owned by CEO Lukas Buser, a former UBS corporate banker with 14 years in commercial credit. No venture-capital, private-equity or bank shareholders exist. The single-owner structure concentrates decision-making but also creates key-person risk: if Buser exits or becomes incapacitated, succession planning is unclear. Audited financials for FY2024 show positive operating cash flow and a tier-one capital ratio of 18 percent (internal metric, not regulatory). No related-party loans appear in the investor-facing portfolio. The platform earns revenue from origination fees (1.5 to 2.5 percent) and monthly servicing fees (0.4 percent per annum) charged to borrowers, not from investor deposits. Score: 13.2 out of 15 points.
Maclear offers no secondary market. Your only exit is scheduled loan repayment - monthly interest plus bullet principal at maturity, typically 12 to 36 months. Some borrowers refinance early, triggering early principal return, but you cannot force this. If you need liquidity before maturity, your capital is locked. The platform does not charge early-exit penalties because no early-exit mechanism exists. Loan terms are disclosed at investment; auto-invest filters let you cap maximum maturity. For investors who accept illiquidity, this structure poses no issue. For those who might need their capital mid-term, it is a dealbreaker. Score: 8.25 out of 15 points.
Total: 87.05 points out of 100 - the only A+ grade in our 2026 list.
What works
- Realised yield matches advertised - 14.7% over 12 months ending December 2025, 0.1 percentage points from midpoint advertised rate
- Single default covered in full - CEO repaid Vibroedil loan (EUR 143k) from personal funds within 72 hours, zero investor loss
- Swiss operational standards - SRO AML supervision, audited accounts, beneficial-ownership disclosure, segregated custody
- Transparent loan book - each project shows borrower industry, collateral type, LTV ratio, use of proceeds and repayment schedule
- Monthly cash flow - interest lands on the 5th business day after borrower payment; no accrual games or reinvestment lock-ins
- EUR 30 bonus with low threshold - funded account EUR 500 minimum, one manual investment, bonus credited in five business days
What does not
- No secondary market - capital locked until scheduled maturity; borrower refinancing is the only early-exit path
- SRO is not deposit insurance - licence enforces AML, not capital protection; no compensation fund if platform or borrower defaults
- Key-person concentration - single owner-operator; succession plan not disclosed
- Swiss jurisdiction limits recourse - enforcement through Swiss courts if disputes arise; cross-border investors face legal-cost and language barriers
- Young track record - four years in operation; stress-tested through one default but not a systemic crisis
- No FINMA banking licence - if you expect bank-grade supervision, this is the wrong structure
How investing works here
Open your account
Register with email, verify identity through VideoIdent (Swiss-standard KYC), and link a SEPA bank account. Verification takes 24 to 48 hours. Residents of EU, Switzerland, UK and EEA countries are accepted; US and Canadian citizens are excluded due to cross-border tax-reporting complexity.
Fund your account
Transfer at least EUR 50 (or EUR 500 if you want the welcome bonus) via SEPA. Funds arrive in your Maclear wallet within one business day. The platform does not accept card deposits or instant-payment rails.
Choose loans manually or set auto-invest
Browse live projects in the marketplace - each listing shows borrower sector, loan purpose, interest rate, term, collateral and LTV. Invest from EUR 50 per loan. Alternatively, configure auto-invest rules by sector (real estate, SME, factoring), term (up to 36 months) and diversification (maximum allocation per loan). Auto-invest activates when your wallet holds idle cash and a matching project goes live.
Receive monthly interest
Interest accrues daily and is paid monthly by borrowers. Payments land in your Maclear wallet on the fifth business day after the borrower's payment clears. You can withdraw to your bank account or reinvest. Principal returns as a bullet at loan maturity or through early refinancing if the borrower prepays.
Monitor and withdraw
Track your portfolio in the dashboard - active loans, repayment schedules, cumulative interest and realised yield. Withdraw any available wallet balance to your linked SEPA account; transfers process within two business days. No withdrawal fees apply.
Fits this investor profile
Maclear suits you if you accept illiquidity in exchange for higher yield and want a platform that demonstrates delivery under stress. You need to be comfortable parking capital for 12 to 36 months without a secondary-market exit, and you must understand that the SRO licence offers operational oversight but zero capital protection.
Best for: disciplined accumulators who reinvest monthly interest, value transparency over regulatory guarantees, and hold at least five to ten different platforms to spread key-person and jurisdiction risk. If you already own an EU ECSP or MiFID II platform and want a Swiss allocation with a clean delivery record, Maclear is the natural complement.
Does not fit this investor profile
Skip Maclear if you might need your capital before loan maturity. No secondary market means your only exit is waiting for scheduled repayments. Also skip if you expect deposit-insurance protection - the SRO licence does not provide it, and no statutory fund backstops defaults.
Wrong fit for: emergency-fund money, capital you might need within 12 months, investors who demand regulatory compensation schemes, or anyone uncomfortable with single-owner platform structures.
Against the alternatives
| Aspect | Maclear | InRento | Mintos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | A+ | A | A |
| Licence | Swiss SRO (AML-only) | ECSP Lithuania | MiFID II Latvia |
| Realised yield 12m | 14.7% | ~11.8% | 9-11% |
| Loan types | SME, RE bridge, factoring | Buy-to-let RE only | Notes, bonds, ETF |
| Secondary market | None | None | Yes (fee 1%) |
| Capital losses | 0 (1 default covered by CEO) | 0 in 5 years | Historical losses ~1.2% cumulative |
| Compensation scheme | None | None (ECSP conduct-only) | EUR 20k scheme (platform failure only, not loan defaults) |
| Minimum | EUR 50 | EUR 500 | EUR 50 |
Maclear trades higher illiquidity (no secondary market) for higher yield and a cleaner delivery record than InRento or Mintos. InRento offers regulatory comfort through ECSP licensing and zero capital losses over five years, but realised yield sits three percentage points lower. Mintos provides secondary-market liquidity and the broadest diversification across loan types, but cumulative capital losses and the gap between advertised and realised returns exceed Maclear's metrics. If you prioritise yield reality and short-term delivery, Maclear wins. If you need an exit valve or want EU regulatory structure, InRento or Mintos fit better.
Frequently asked questions
Maclear holds membership in a Swiss Self-Regulatory Organisation, which enforces anti-money-laundering rules but carries no capital-adequacy requirements or compensation scheme. It is not a FINMA banking licence. SRO oversight means your identity is verified to Swiss standards and transactions are monitored for suspicious activity, but your capital is not protected by deposit insurance or any statutory fund if the platform fails.
In 2024, the Vibroedil loan defaulted after the borrower entered insolvency proceedings. Maclear's CEO covered the outstanding principal and accrued interest in full from personal funds, ensuring zero capital loss for investors. While this single event demonstrates management commitment, it is not a contractual guarantee and cannot be extrapolated to larger or multiple simultaneous defaults.
Most loans carry first-rank mortgages on commercial or residential real estate, equipment pledges, or personal guarantees from shareholders. Collateral is valued by independent Swiss appraisers at loan origination, with typical loan-to-value ratios between 60 and 75 percent. Investors receive collateral-position details in each project disclosure, but recovery in a default depends on liquidation conditions and legal costs, neither of which are guaranteed.
The EUR 30 bonus is a customer-acquisition cost paid by Maclear to new investors who fund accounts with at least EUR 500. It does not increase loan risk, alter interest rates, or introduce hidden fees. Platform revenue comes from origination and servicing fees charged to borrowers, not from investor deposits.
Maclear does not operate a secondary market. Liquidity depends entirely on loan repayment schedules, which typically run 12 to 36 months with monthly interest payments and bullet principal at maturity. Early exits require waiting for scheduled repayments or loan refinancing by the borrower. If you might need your capital within the loan term, Maclear does not fit your liquidity profile.
Loan agreements sit between you and the borrower; Maclear acts as servicer. If the platform fails, a Swiss court-appointed administrator would take over servicing or transfer loan portfolios to another licensed servicer. You retain your claim against borrowers, but collection and reporting may be delayed, and ongoing servicing fees could increase. No compensation scheme covers platform insolvency.
Maclear accepts corporate and trust accounts subject to enhanced KYC. You must provide company registration documents, beneficial-ownership declarations, and board resolutions authorising the investment. Corporate accounts do not receive the EUR 30 welcome bonus. Processing time for corporate KYC is five to ten business days, longer than personal accounts.
Our verdict
Maclear earns its A+ grade through operational execution, not regulatory safety nets. The realised yield of 14.7 percent over twelve months matches the advertised range more closely than any platform we track. The single default in four years was covered in full by the CEO within 72 hours - a stress test that revealed management commitment under real conditions, not a marketing claim tested only in good weather.
The Swiss SRO licence enforces anti-money-laundering standards but offers no capital protection. If you expect deposit insurance or a compensation fund, you are looking at the wrong structure. What you get instead is transparent ownership, audited financials, segregated custody and a loan book you can inspect project by project.
The absence of a secondary market is the platform's deliberate trade-off: lower operational complexity, no liquidity-mismatch risk, and borrowers who commit to fixed repayment schedules. If you can lock capital for 12 to 36 months and reinvest monthly interest, this structure works. If you might need an exit mid-term, it does not.
Maclear fits as a core allocation in a diversified P2P portfolio, not as your only platform. The key-person concentration and young track record demand spreading your capital across at least five platforms, preferably mixing Swiss, Baltic ECSP and MiFID II jurisdictions. If you already hold InRento or Mintos and want to add a higher-yield Swiss position with a clean delivery record, Maclear is the natural next step.
Capital is at risk. No compensation scheme exists. One platform is a bet; five platforms is a strategy.