ING

Below is the shortlist I’d use if you’re borrowing in Australia and want lenders that are either widely used, broker-used, or repeatedly show up in value/customer-satisfaction awards. Rates move quickly, so treat this as a brand/product shortlist, then compare live rates and fees before applying.

Best overall shortlist

The lenders I’d actually compare first

1. Macquarie Bank — best all-round non–Big Four option

Macquarie is probably the first lender I’d check if you want a strong app, broker support, offset options and competitive pricing without going fully “no-frills”. It is Australia’s fifth-largest ADI home lender by loan book, behind CBA, Westpac, NAB and ANZ, and has been growing much faster than the majors. Canstar/APRA figures for March 2026 showed Macquarie at about 7% of ADI household mortgages, while the big four together held about 73%. (canstar.com.au)

Product to compare: Macquarie Offset Home Loan or Macquarie Basic Home Loan. Macquarie’s own materials say the Offset Home Loan lets borrowers open up to 10 offset accounts, while the Basic Home Loan has no ongoing fee. (macquarie.com.au)

2. CommBank / Unloan — best “big, safe, easy” option

CommBank is the biggest mortgage lender in Australia; Canstar/APRA data puts it ahead of Westpac, NAB and ANZ for owner-occupier home loans. (canstar.com.au) CommBank is particularly worth comparing if you’re a first-home buyer, want branches/mobile lenders, or need government-scheme support. Canstar named CommBank Bank of the Year – First Home Buyers 2026, citing its Digi and Simple variable home loans, offset/redraw/flexible repayment features and first-home-buyer support. (canstar.com.au)

Products to compare: CommBank Digi Home Loan, Simple Home Loan, and Unloan. Unloan is a CommBank-built/owned digital home loan, so it can be a good low-cost option for straightforward borrowers who don’t need branch support. (unloan.com.au)

3. Westpac — often competitive among the majors

Westpac is the second-largest Australian home lender by ADI mortgage book and is worth checking if you want a major bank but still want a sharp variable-rate offer. (canstar.com.au) In Canstar’s 2026 Home Loan Awards, Westpac also appeared as an Outstanding Value – Investment Variable Home Lender winner. (canstar.com.au)

Product to compare: Westpac Flexi First Option Home Loan or packaged/offset variants, depending on whether you want a basic rate or more features.

4. NAB — good mainstream choice, especially if you want offsets/splits

NAB is a sensible comparison point if you want a big bank with offset accounts, branch/app support and a fairly standard approval process. NAB’s Tailored variable loan with offset allows up to 10 offset accounts, split loans and extra repayments on variable loans. (nab.com.au)

Product to compare: NAB Tailored Home Loan – variable with offset.

5. ANZ — compare if policy/serviceability suits your case

ANZ is still one of the big four and may suit certain borrowers depending on income type, property type, LVR and broker policy fit. It’s not always the sharpest on headline pricing, but it’s worth including in a big-bank comparison.

Product to compare: ANZ Simplicity PLUS, its basic variable home loan, which offers extra repayments and no ANZ set-up or ongoing fees according to ANZ’s product page. (anz.com.au)

Best value / challenger lenders to include

6. ING — strong satisfaction, good simple banking

ING is a strong non-major shortlist option, especially for borrowers who like online banking and simple products. Roy Morgan’s home-loan satisfaction data had ING at 83.3% in the six months to December 2024, behind Bendigo Bank and ahead of Macquarie. (roymorgan.com)

Products to compare: ING Mortgage Simplifier and ING Orange Advantage.

7. Bendigo Bank / Up — best service-oriented alternative

If customer experience matters, Bendigo should be on the list. Roy Morgan reported Bendigo Bank had the highest home-loan customer satisfaction among the top banks at 87.7% for the six months to December 2024. (roymorgan.com) Up is also worth checking if you like app-based banking; its Up Home product won Finder 2026 awards for first-home buyers and variable home loan with offset, according to Up. (up.com.au)

Products to compare: Bendigo Complete Home Loan, Bendigo Express, Up Home Variable Rate.

8. Tiimely Home — strong low-cost digital pick

Mozo named Tiimely Home its Australia’s Best Home Lender 2025, noting Tiimely Own loans won across low-cost, fixed-rate, offset and first-home-buyer categories. Mozo’s awards assessed 444 home loan products from 97 lenders. (mozo.com.au)

Product to compare: Tiimely Own Variable Home Loan or Tiimely Own Fixed Home Loan.

9. Unloan — no-frills digital rate chaser

Unloan is best for straightforward owner-occupier or refinance borrowers who mainly want a competitive rate and are comfortable with a digital-only style. It’s built and fully owned by CommBank. (unloan.com.au)

Product to compare: Unloan Variable Home Loan.

10. Bank Australia — best green/ethical niche

If you’re building or renovating to a high energy standard, Bank Australia’s Clean Energy Home Loan is genuinely worth checking. Its September 2026 rate sheet showed specific Clean Energy Home Loan pricing for eligible new builds and renovations, plus offset and redraw features. (bankaust.com.au)

Product to compare: Bank Australia Clean Energy Home Loan.

If you’re a first-home buyer

Check the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme first. From 1 October 2025, the scheme allows eligible first-home buyers to buy with a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance, but you must apply through a participating lender, not directly through Housing Australia. (firsthomebuyers.gov.au) Housing Australia says there are over 30 participating lenders nationally. (firsthomebuyers.gov.au)

For first-home buyers, I’d compare:

1. CommBank — strong scheme support and Canstar 2026 First Home Buyer award winner.
2. NAB / Westpac / ANZ — major-bank options, broker-friendly and widely used.
3. Bendigo / Bank Australia / Great Southern / People First / Beyond Bank / Unity Bank — often competitive mutual or customer-owned options, depending on your state and scheme eligibility.
4. Up / Tiimely / Unloan — only if your situation is straightforward and the lender supports your loan type, LVR and property.

My practical ranking

If I had to make a simple comparison list for a typical Australian owner-occupier borrower, I’d start with:

1. Macquarie Offset Home Loan
2. CommBank Digi/Simple or Unloan
3. Westpac Flexi First Option
4. NAB Tailored Home Loan with offset
5. ING Mortgage Simplifier / Orange Advantage
6. Up Home
7. Bendigo Complete Home Loan
8. Tiimely Own
9. Bank Australia Clean Energy Home Loan — if eligible
10. A competitive customer-owned bank such as People First, Newcastle Permanent, Unity Bank or Queensland Country Bank

Quick rule of thumb

• Want lowest rate? Compare Unloan, Up, Tiimely, ING, Macquarie, Homestar/Loans.com.au.
• Want a strong all-rounder? Start with Macquarie.
• Want big-bank support? Compare CommBank, Westpac, NAB, ANZ — but negotiate.
• Want first-home-buyer help? Check CommBank + participating 5% Deposit Scheme lenders.
• Want best service? Look at Bendigo, ING, Macquarie.
• Want ethical/green? Check Bank Australia.

Before applying, compare the comparison rate, annual/package fees, offset fees, discharge fees, cashback conditions, LVR tier, and whether the lender’s valuation/policy suits your property.

Best Mortgage Lenders in Australia (2026)

Here's a breakdown of who's actually winning business and awards right now, split by category since "best" really depends on what you need.

🏆 The Big 4 Banks (most people still use these)

Despite fintech competition, the majors remain the default for many Aussies due to branch access and trust:

• CommBank – remains Australia's mortgage giant, particularly strong for first-home buyers and tech-savvy borrowers. Their Digi Home Loan is a popular online option.
• Westpac – Currently has one of the sharpest Big 4 rates with its Flexi First Option, advertised online at 5.99% p.a. with a 6.00% comparison rate.
• NAB – Records the fastest median approval times among the Big Four at approximately 4 days, with flexible self-employed lending policy.
• ANZ – Solid all-rounder, though not currently the cheapest on rate.

⭐ Award-Winning / Highly Rated Right Now

According to Finder's 2026 Home Loan Awards: Unloan won three awards, including best value home loan, refinance variable home loan and owner occupier principal & interest variable home loan.

Other standout winners:

• Up won the best home loan for first home buyers as well as the variable home loan with offset award — popular with younger/digital-first borrowers.
• Macquarie Bank won the overall Provider of the Year for home loans and for investor home loans specifically, while ING was the strongest provider for owner occupier loans across the board.
• ING is consistently the highest-rated major lender, with strong digital service and competitive ongoing rates, and ranks highly for customer satisfaction across 2024-2026.

💰 Where to Find the Sharpest Rates (online/non-bank lenders)

If you're comfortable with a digital-only experience, these consistently top the rate tables:

• Unloan (CommBank-owned) – Variable Home Loan with a Finder score of 9.7, interest rate around 5.89%, $0 application and ongoing fees.
• Loans.com.au – One of the most consistently competitive non-bank lenders on rate comparisons.
• Homestar Finance, BCU Bank, Community First Bank – all frequently feature in the under-6% rate bracket.
• Macquarie Bank – Offset Home Loan combines competitive pricing with features suited to portfolio investors, and is frequently mentioned positively by borrowers for competitive rates, service for the self-employed, and app.

🧩 Lenders for Specific Situations

• Self-employed / complex income → NAB or Liberty Financial (alt-doc specialists)
• Investors → Macquarie Bank
• Credit-impaired / rebuilding finances → Pepper Money
• Low deposit first home buyers → CBA (95% LVR options) or Bendigo Bank, which participates in all government guarantee schemes
• Customer-owned/credit union option → Easy Street, recognised as the best customer-owned home lender and for the investor principal & interest variable home loan

🤝 Should you use a mortgage broker?

Worth noting — broker market share refers to the proportion of new residential home loans in Australia that are originated through mortgage brokers rather than directly through banks, and it's now the majority channel for new loans. A good broker (e.g. top-ranked firms like Simplicity Loans and Advisory, or Aussie/Loan Market franchises) can shop your deal across 30+ lenders at once, often getting better rates than going direct — and it typically costs you nothing since brokers are paid by the lender.

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My practical take:

With the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) holding the cash rate at 4.35%, navigating the home loan market is a lot different than it was a few years ago. Because of APRA’s strict 3% serviceability buffer (which tests whether you can afford repayments at your interest rate plus 3%), maximizing your borrowing capacity and locking down a sharp interest rate are essential.

While the "Big Four" banks still hold the majority of Australian mortgages, savvy borrowers are increasingly looking to agile mid-tier banks and digital disrupters to avoid paying a "loyalty tax".

If you are currently looking to buy or refinance in Australia, these are the best-performing and most popular mortgage lenders on the market, categorized by why people actually use them.

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1. Best for Speed, Usability & Broker Favorites: Macquarie Bank

If you are buying in a hot property market where you need to move fast, or if you value brilliant technology, Macquarie is arguably the gold standard in Australian banking right now.

• Why people use them: Macquarie is the absolute darling of the mortgage broker network, consistently taking out #1 in the Brokers on Banks awards. They are famous for lightning-fast turnaround times—often approving simple loans in under 2 business days (compared to weeks at some major banks).
• Standout Product: Macquarie Offset Home Loan Package.
• Key Features:
  • Allows you to open up to 10 fee-free offset accounts linked to your home loan (fantastic for "bucket" budgeting).
  • One of the best mobile banking apps in Australia.
  • Highly competitive variable and fixed rates that rival the digital-only lenders.
• Best for: Upgraders, investors, and anyone who wants an ultra-efficient application process with a premium offset product.

2. Best for Low Rates & Direct Refinancers: Unloan & Athena

If you don't mind a digital-only experience and want to bypass brokers and physical branches to get the absolute lowest rate, these two online lenders are dominating the refinance space.

Unloan (Backed by CommBank)

Unloan is a digital home loan provider powered by Australia’s largest bank, CBA.

• Why people use them: They offer some of the cheapest variable rates on the market (frequently hovering under 5.90% p.a.) with no application, ongoing, or annual fees.
• The Hook: They offer a 0.01% p.a. loyalty discount that increases every year you stay with them (up to 30 years).
• The Catch: You need a minimum of 20% equity (LVR < 80%). They do not offer a traditional offset account—only a redraw facility.
• Best for: Straightforward refinancers looking for a set-and-forget low rate.

Athena Home Loans

Athena is an independent digital pioneer funded by major super funds like AustralianSuper and Hostplus.

• Why people use them: Athena’s famous battle cry is "No Loyalty Tax." If they drop rates for new customers, they automatically drop them for existing customers on the same loan type.
• The Hook: They feature "AcceleRATES." As you pay down your mortgage and your Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) drops into lower tiers (e.g., from 70% down to 60%), Athena automatically lowers your interest rate.
• Standout Product: Power Up Variable. Unlike Unloan, this option includes a genuine, fee-free 100% offset account with split loan capabilities.
• Best for: Borrowers who want a low-rate digital lender but still require a functional offset account.

3. Best for Customer Satisfaction & All-Round Value: ING

ING has spent years building a reputation as Australia's favorite non-major retail bank, and its home loan department is no exception.

• Why people use them: ING regularly wins the Roy Morgan and Finder awards for highest customer satisfaction in the home loan space. They offer an excellent middle ground: more personalized service than a digital-only fintech, but much more competitive pricing than the Big Four.
• Standout Product: Mortgage Simplifier (basic variable) or the Orange Everyday Home Loan (packaged with an offset account).
• Key Features:
  • Highly competitive variable rates.
  • If you link your loan to their popular Orange Everyday account, you can access great rebate benefits on utility bills and ATM fees.
  • Very flexible lending criteria compared to digital fintechs.
• Best for: Everyday Australians who want a trusted household name with great customer service and a reliable banking app.

4. When Should You Use "The Big Four" (CBA, Westpac, ANZ, NAB)?

While online and mid-tier lenders offer better rates, millions of Australians still use the Big Four—and in certain scenarios, you actually should too.

• Commonwealth Bank (CBA): Use them if you value industry-leading tech. The CommBank app is the best in the country, making managing split loans, offsets, and repayments incredibly easy.
• Westpac & ANZ: Great for investors looking for interest-only options or those who require complex structures (e.g., buying through a trust or company).
• NAB: Historically excellent for first-home buyers and people with complex income structures (like being self-employed) because of their manual, flexible underwriting policies.

Go with a Big Four bank if:

1. You have a low deposit: They are major participants in government schemes (like the Home Guarantee Scheme allowing you to buy with a 5% deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance).
2. You are building: Online digital lenders generally hate construction loans. The Big Four have specialized teams to handle progress payments to builders.
3. You have a complex financial situation: If you are self-employed, have multiple income streams, or want a guarantor loan, a broker will almost certainly direct you to a major bank because online lenders will auto-decline you.

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Pro-Tips for Aussies Comparing Home Loans right now:

• Look at the "Comparison Rate": The advertised interest rate is just the bait. The comparison rate folds in upfront and ongoing fees (like annual package fees), showing you the actual annual cost of the loan.
• Offset vs. Redraw: If you want a place to park your savings to reduce your mortgage interest while keeping the cash highly accessible for everyday spending, make sure you get a loan with an offset account. If you just want to make extra repayments and don't mind manually transferring money back out occasionally, a basic loan with a redraw facility (which is usually cheaper) will do.
• Use a Mortgage Broker: Around 70% of Australian home loans are written through brokers. Unless you are highly confident refinancing directly to a digital lender like Unloan or Athena, a broker can compare dozens of banks to find the one that will actually approve you based on your specific borrowing capacity.

If you want the lenders and brands Australians actually use, the safest picks are the Big Four banks plus a short list of large non-bank and online lenders that routinely show up in comparison sites, awards, and broker networks.

The best practical shortlist is:

• Commonwealth Bank (CommBank) — the largest owner-occupier home lender in Australia among the big banks, so it is one of the most-used mortgage brands.
• Westpac — one of the biggest mainstream lenders and regularly appears in big-bank rate comparisons.
• NAB — another major bank that is widely used and commonly compared alongside the other big four.
• ANZ — the fourth major bank, also widely used for standard owner-occupier and investor loans.
• Macquarie Bank — frequently rated strongly by brokers and was listed as the top bank in a broker survey.
• Bankwest — also rated highly in the same broker survey and is a common alternative to the big four.
• UBank — one of the online lenders Finder highlights as competitive on rates.
• loans.com.au — another online lender Finder flags as a competitive option.
• Tiimely Home — stood out in Mozo’s 2025 awards, winning in multiple categories including low-cost, fixed rate, offset, and first-home-buyer loans.
• Aussie Home Loans — widely used in Australia as both a broker brand and a lender/broker network.

If you want the best brands by type, this is the most useful way to think about it:

If your goal is to get a good mortgage in Australia today, the best “real-world” starting points are usually:

• CommBank or Westpac if you want a big-bank relationship and a widely used product.
• Macquarie or Bankwest if you want a lender that brokers often rate well.
• Tiimely Home, UBank, or loans.com.au if you want a more competitive online-style loan.
• A broker through Aussie or Mortgage Choice if you want someone to compare 30+ lenders for you and you do not want to do the shopping yourself.

A couple of useful context points:

• Competitive variable rates in the market are around the mid-5% range in the comparison sources you provided, while the average variable owner-occupier rate is higher.
• Brokers in Australia are free to use for borrowers and are legally required to act in the borrower’s best interests.

If you want, I can narrow this down further to the best lenders for first-home buyers, refinancing, low-deposit borrowers, or investors in Australia.

G’day — there’s no single “best” mortgage lender in Australia. The best loan depends on your deposit/LVR, income type, whether you want an offset, fixed vs variable, and how much you value app/branch service. That said, here’s a practical shortlist of lenders and products Australians actually use.

General info only — rates and fees change daily. Check live rates and T&Cs before deciding.

Top brands/products people actually use

If you just want a shortlist

• Best big bank overall: CommBank for app/branches, or NAB for service — but always ask for a rate discount.
• Best overall value/refinance: Macquarie Offset Home Loan.
• Best digital/low-rate: Unloan, Athena Celebrate, Tic:Toc, ubank Neat.
• Best no-frills low rate: Reduce Home Loans, Well Home Loans, Homestar, loans.com.au Essentials.
• Best mutual/customer-owned: Great Southern Bank Flexible, Bendigo Complete, Bank Australia.
• Best broker brands: Aussie, Lendi, Mortgage Choice, Loan Market.
• Best specialist: Liberty, Pepper Money, Resimac.

What to compare

• Interest rate vs comparison rate — the comparison rate includes most fees.
• Fees: application, ongoing, package (often ~$395/year), valuation, settlement, discharge.
• Features: offset, redraw, extra repayments, split loan, fixed vs variable, interest-only.
• LVR/LMI: over 80% LVR usually means LMI. First Home Guarantee can avoid it if eligible.
• Fixed-rate break costs — can be expensive if you refinance or sell.
• Credit policy: self-employed, bonus/commission income, rental income, HECS, credit card limits.
• Service: app, branch, call centre, broker support.

How to find your best loan

1. Work out your borrowing power and deposit.
2. Get a pre-approval.
3. Compare at least 5–6 lenders — use a broker and also check Canstar, RateCity, Mozo, Finder.
4. Ask for a rate discount or package waiver.
5. If you’re a first home buyer, check First Home Guarantee panel lenders and state grants.
6. Read the T&Cs and target market determination.
7. Reassess every 2–3 years or when rates change.

Bottom line: Most Australians use the Big 4 or their subsidiaries, but the best value often comes from Macquarie, ING, digital lenders like Unloan/Athena/Tic:Toc/ubank, and customer-owned banks. If you want one shortlist: Macquarie, ING, Unloan, Athena, Tic:Toc, ubank, Great Southern Bank, Bendigo, and a good broker via Aussie/Lendi/Mortgage Choice. Verify live rates and your personal eligibility.

The biggest mortgage lenders in Australia by market share are the "Big Four" banks—Commonwealth Bank (CBA/CommBank), Westpac, NAB, and ANZ—which together hold around 73% of the residential mortgage market. CBA leads with roughly 25%, followed by Westpac (~21%), NAB (~14%), and ANZ (~13%). These are the brands most Aussies already have relationships with and use for convenience, branches (where available), packaged loans with offsets/redraw, and features like the First Home Buyer Guarantee or 5% deposit schemes.

Macquarie Bank has been growing strongly (now ~7% share) and is popular, especially via brokers, for competitive packages and offsets.

Brokers handle the majority of new loans (a record 81.6% in the June 2026 quarter), so many people end up with products from a wide range of lenders through that channel rather than walking into a branch.

Top for Customer Satisfaction

Recent Roy Morgan data (May 2026, home loan customers) highlights these standouts:

• ING — Tops the list at 92.1% satisfaction. Often praised for competitive rates, low fees, and service. Strong digital offering.
• Suncorp Bank — 87.1%, noted for offset accounts and service (now part of ANZ Group).
• Bendigo Bank — 84.1%, frequently highlighted for good rates on smaller loans and customer focus.
• Macquarie — 79.7%, valued for ease of application and multiple offsets.

The Big Four trail but have improved: NAB leads them at 78.8%, followed by CBA (78.7%), ANZ (75.6%), and Westpac (74.2%). Overall average across top lenders is around 78%.

Competitive Rates and Award-Winners People Are Using

Advertised variable rates for owner-occupiers (principal & interest, lower LVR) are currently in the mid-5% to low-6% range as of early October 2026, with the sharpest advertised around 5.7–5.93% from smaller or specialist lenders. Big Four advertised rates are typically higher (e.g., Westpac and CommBank around 6.3%+ for their lowest variable options post recent RBA moves), though they often negotiate better for new or switching customers.

Standout competitive or award-winning options include:

• Unloan (digital, CommBank-backed) — Frequently wins awards for value, refinance, and owner-occupier P&I variable loans. Low fees, reducing rate over time.
• Macquarie — Strong across Finder awards (Provider of the Year in some categories) and popular for offsets/investors.
• ING — Consistent high satisfaction and competitive digital products.
• Smaller/digital/mutuals often lead on raw rates: e.g., Bank of China (lowest in some indexes ~5.93%), South West Slopes Credit Union (~5.70%), People First Bank, Horizon Bank, or credit unions like Police Bank for fixed options.
• Other mentions: Up (good for first home buyers and offsets), ubank, and various customer-owned banks or non-banks via brokers.

Canstar and Finder awards highlight mutuals/banks like Australian Mutual Bank, BankVic, Easy Street, and others for outstanding value in specific categories (variable, fixed, investment, etc.).

Practical Recommendations

• For most people (convenience + service): Start with CommBank, Westpac, NAB, or ANZ, or ING/Macquarie/Bendigo. Many refinance to these or challengers for better deals.
• For lowest rates/features: Use a broker or comparison sites (Finder, Canstar, RateCity, Mozo, Your Mortgage) to access 80–100+ lenders. Smaller lenders, credit unions, and digital players like Unloan often beat the majors on headline rates, though check comparison rates, fees, LVR limits, and features (e.g., offsets are popular).
• Fixed vs variable: Fixed rates are available (some under 6% for shorter terms), but variables dominate. Shop around as rates move with RBA decisions.
• Key tips: Compare the comparison rate (includes fees), factor in your LVR/deposit, loan size, and needs (e.g., construction, investor, green loans). Switching has been popular, with big refinancing volumes. Always verify current rates directly as they change daily.

Rates and rankings shift, so check live comparisons or speak to a broker/mortgage adviser for personalised options based on your situation. If you're refinancing or buying, the gap between average and best rates can save hundreds per month on a typical loan.