# Kiva - Lend for Good — user reviews > 118 indexed App Store user reviews of Kiva by Kiva, rated 4.90/5 from 2,420 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kiva-lend-for-good/id1453093374/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kiva-lend-for-good/id1453093374.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 2,279 · 4★ 97 · 3★ 22 · 2★ 6 · 1★ 16 ## What do users think of Kiva? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 💡 Great idea! - 👍 Changing lives around the world - 👍 Practical help to others - 👍 Easy to use - 👍 Awesome way to help others - 👍 Helping People! - 👍 Personal joy - 👍 Great Initiative - 👍 Great way to make a difference - 👍 Developers fixed problems - 👍 Awesome way to help others - 👍 Easy to Help - 👍 Love this app - 👍 That one thing - 👍 Awesome! - 👍 Finding ways to do good! - 👍 Great service - 👍 Easy to use and for a good cause - 👍 Kiva let's me bless others easily - 👍 Cool Sharing - 👍 An excellent giving app - 👍 Accessible Micro-lending to Help Globally - 👍 A great way to give - 👍 Must-Try App - 👍 I love being able to change peoples lives one person at a time - 👍 Convenient - 👍 Doing the right thing has never been easier - 👍 Fantastic organization! - 👍 Love the app and the concept - 👍 Love the work of Kiva. - 👍 Gratitude - 👍 Make a change - 👍 Fantastic way to give and get back - 👍 So great! - 👍 Love micro lending - 👍 Easy to give - 👍 Fun, easy and secure way to give - 👍 A challenge everyone wins - 👍 Ton of information in a simple platform - 👍 Love the App, Love Kiva! - 👍 Great app for a great cause! - 👍 Easy way to help **Cons** - 🐛 Withdrawing your money is difficult - 💰 Each loan is $25 which is great but then they force you to pay an additional $5 for Kiva to pocket. That's 20% they pocket! - 🐛 Software bug - 💰 Risk for you. No risk for them - 🐛 Frustrating. - 🐛 Needs link to team activity **Commonly reported bugs** - Withdrawing your money is difficult - Software bug - Unable to add loan to basket **Most requested features** - More loans that about to end & more loans that are in range of $25 to $100 that need closing - Link to team activity - Ability to see a loans ending soon sort for loans already identified for support by others in my team - Saved searches - Access to all menus and options (without having to scroll around on the main page) - Documentation of previously completed loans ## Newest reviews (17 of 118) ### 5/5 — Helping People! *2025-03-13, version 6.7.1* This app has inspired my daughter (7) to use her money from chores to help people all over the world. It feels so good to share our resources to help people better their lives. Easy to use. ### 5/5 — Practical help to others *2025-03-01, version 6.7.1* A great way to lend real help to people who need it ### 3/5 — Withdrawing your money is difficult *2025-01-21, version 6.7.1* In order to withdraw money from your account, you always have to wait on a verification email. For me, at least, it takes hours for this email to arrive. By that time I’ve already moved on to something else and forgotten about it. ### 5/5 — Neat concept *2025-01-08, version 6.7.1* Hope this makes a difference ### 5/5 — Change a life *2025-01-02, version 6.7.1* For the price of lunch you can change someone’s life, so cool to have such a meaningful app at your fingertips! ### 5/5 — Love this app *2024-12-06, version 6.7.1* Love their work and how easy Kiva makes it to help entrepreneurs around the world. ### 5/5 — Personal joy *2024-11-21, version 6.7.1* This organization is amazing and helps make this world seem smaller. ### 5/5 — This matters *2024-11-12, version 6.7.1* Check out Solenium SAS for solar power loans! ### 5/5 — Great Initiative *2024-09-27, version 6.7.1* Easy to find causes I align with, grounded in human stories. Learning a lot through this app. ### 5/5 — Great way to make a difference *2024-09-05, version 6.7.1* Kiva makes me feel connected to others in the world. If we each do a small thing in someone else’s life we can change the world. ### 5/5 — Your $ Help Many Time as Over *2024-08-23, version 6.7.1* I can not believe how many times my original donation has been paid back only to be able to loan it out again to someone else It makes my heart feel so good to be able to be a part of KIVA. I highly recommend It helps people get on their feet either personally or with their business. You can choose what country you want your donation to go as well as get to know the person needing the assistance Thank you KIVA for giving me this wonderful opportunity ### 5/5 — Make a Differemce *2024-06-06, version 6.7.1* Have been donating to Kiva for over 10 years. It is an easy way to make a significant change in someone else’s life. Many of us want to help others but don’t know where to start. We also worry that we don’t know where our money is going or if it is actually going to the people and not charity management. With Kiva, you can actually choose and see who you are helping. There’s a face, a story, a need. Also, these are loans and not free money. People need to pay the money back which shows how hard working they are. It also allows you to loan the repaid money, over and over again. You can start with as little as $25 (maybe even less) to change someone’s life. Try it. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that you helped another person or group of people from all over the world. Kiva has given all of us the opportunity to make a difference in this world, please take advantage of it. You’ll be glad you did. ### 5/5 — Developers fixed problems *2024-04-30, version 6.7.1* Had browsing issues but reached out to support and they were actually fixed. Great app ### 5/5 — Kiva is fantastic. *2024-04-30, version 6.7.1* I am not wealthy but Kiva gives me platform to helps as best I can. By pairing up with others my small donation grows alongside donations to help real people. It makes me really happy. I have been with Kiva for over 20 years. One simple man has helped hundreds of families pull themselves into a better life. ### 5/5 — I’d like to see *2024-04-25, version 6.7.1* More loans that about to end & more loans that are in range of $25 to $100 that need closing. That would help close more loans that almost funded. ### 5/5 — Awesome way to help others *2024-03-02, version 6.7.1* I love how easy this app makes it to help others on the other side of the world, in a way that I believe is dignified. Giving someone a loan recognizes their talents and is an awesome way to invest into them as a person and their talents as an entrepreneur. ### 4/5 — Overall, Good app but a few points *2023-12-06, version 6.7.1* -you shouldn’t expect to make a profit with loans on this app. Even in cases where there’s interest, inflation and delinquent loans will offset any gains you hope to get -it’d be nice if Kiva disclosed the interest rates on loans that have those -I had multiple delinquent loans to the Philippines and had difficulty filtering that country out for future loans. Have had good experiences with most other locations -$25 minimum for loans is inconvenient when you get fairly small repayments each month. I’ve got $9 sitting in my account that has to wait for the next repayment to pledge to another loan. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Why? *2026-08-20, version 7.1.3* Kiva attempts to course you to donate five dollars with every single person you help on their platform, by defaulting to a five dollar donation per each individual you put in your basket. In addition when you personally get paid back their settings, have it defaulted as to where they get the money if you do not sign in in aceta amount of time. I really like to help the individuals who are seeking help however, it is not my job to be badgered for money every time I help someone around the world. Originally this was a great platform, however, when you review all of the ways that they get money, how they treat everyone, the fact you don’t get the interest that the end person is paying, you are the one who takes all the risk and the fact that they force every person on the platform to pay use Kiva to Microfinance their loans, it is apparent Kiva is only in existence for to make someone in the developed world rich. Even if it is a “nonprofit”. ### 1/5 — garbage *2025-09-03, version 7.0.0* garbage ### 1/5 — Gone down hill *2025-02-04, version 6.7.1* Each loan is $25 which is great but then they force you to pay an additional $5 for Kiva to pocket. That’s 20% they pocket! Four years ago it was ideal, with the option to pay to kiva additional money if you wanted. I’ve used this for many years but will not continue. ### 1/5 — Scam alert !!!!!!!!!!!! *2023-08-13, version 6.7.1* This a a scam !!!!!!!!!!! Beware !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Scam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t be stupid use a more legit source like go fund me instead!!!!!!!!! ### 1/5 — Not a great company *2023-06-13, version 6.7.1* The CEO makes $800,000 a year. They’re considered a nonprofit. I’ll donate to other causes where more of the money is invested in the cause than the executives. ### 1/5 — Scammy *2022-02-04, version 6.0.0* This seems like a great app. Until your account won’t let you log in, customer service won’t respond, and you lose all the money you’ve loaned out. I’ve reached out numerous times and while I’ve been responded to TWICE, they fail to resolve the issue and stop responding. Basically I have money that has been paid back to me, but I’m unable to withdraw it or loan to someone else because I’m unable to access my account - online or on the app. ### 1/5 — The steal your money *2021-11-08* I signed up around 10 years ago and did a few loans also signed up for the auto withdraw to add funds slowly over time. I forgot about the account and now in need of my funds. They will only return my funds that have been used for lending, all my unused/unlent funds they are keeping unless I lend it. DO NOT give Kiva your cash, find somewhere else to donate. I first off never agreed to lend funds when I signed up years ago, they have way too much fine print now. Now they have even added some sneaky tactics about auto donations to kiva as well as things like keeping deactivated accounts funds?? These should be a red flag to any investors/donators, the Organization is clearly have some problems and basically resorting to stealing. They will reply here that there are ways to turn off some of these new I’ll call them scams like the auto donate function. I tried disable it but the website won’t save the option(I tried multiple times)…something’s fishy. Again dont give them your money! **Developer response:** Hi, please read our Terms of Use for questions related to your withdrawal: https://www.kiva.org/legal/terms ### 1/5 — Risk for you. No risk for them *2020-10-08, version 2.1.0* This app is brilliant for the creators. They get you to “invest” in small businesses and then collect around 30% interest charges. What does this mean for you? They put the risk in your pocket disguised as doing good for others. They do not pay you any interest whatsoever. If the loan is defaulted you lose the money and they don’t. It’s a win win for them. No financial risk and can collect interest on your money while you receive absolutely nothing but a “good feeling for doing it”. ### 1/5 — Frustrating. *2020-04-11, version 1.1.0* May be good for new users, but for established lenders, it is hard to navigate to history and there is seemingly no ability to pay via PayPal, and set lending filters etc. are not carried over from existing profiles. Disappointing. ### 2/5 — Helping others with little effort *2023-05-08, version 6.7.1* Helping others with little efforts will bring back joy, and Kiva helps make this possible by helping people around the world with a simple click ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Rewarding to help others *2026-06-27, version 7.0.0* Over the last five years, I have loaned nearly $700 in small, $25 micro loans to hundreds of people across the globe. The repayment rate is somewhere around 97%. Knowing I am making a tangible difference in the lives of the poorest people around the world by providing them with the capital to invest in themselves and their families is the most rewarding feeling in the world. I absolutely love Kiva. ### 5/5 — Kiva lending made easy *2026-06-03, version 7.0.0* Kiva’s app is easy to use, providing prompts on loans that fit my portfolio and allowing search by country and lending themes (types of ventures). It’s inspiring to read about the farmers and micro-entrepreneurs —and the risk rating is helpful too. ### 5/5 — So easy to help business that hires others *2026-05-08, version 7.0.0* I loaned $25 dollars 15 years ago and as it is payed back I just reinvest in someone else. Imagine! The same $25 helping over and over again. ### 5/5 — Just do it! *2026-02-01, version 7.0.0* There are so many hardworking people around the world that need your help and this makes it easy! ### 5/5 — Gambling For Good *2025-12-26, version 7.0.0* One of my favorite things to do was gamble. Then one day a friend said, why not use your gambles for good. They showed me Kiva. Now, I take my gambles out of the casino and around the world to help others build their dream life. ### 5/5 — Great idea! *2025-11-03, version 7.0.0* Love the idea! Great way to help others! ### 5/5 — Think about it *2025-09-02, version 7.0.0* Well, our bank gives us three cents of interest per month on about $10,000. Really what’s the point of keeping money in a bank when you could lend that same money out not make any interest least help someone’s life get better significantly? Or I suppose you could help the banks get richer. ### 5/5 — Changing lives around the world *2025-08-19, version 7.0.0* To be able to provide much needed assistance to people all around the world to help elevate their lives is a wonderful thing. To be able to do it while sitting on your couch or on your lunch break doesn’t get any easier to champion someone else and help them fulfill their goals and dreams. This is a wonderful app. With a phenomenal world changing vision. ### 5/5 — Check it out *2025-08-16, version 7.0.0* Esteem able acts build self esteem ### 5/5 — What a blessing! *2025-07-17, version 7.0.0* I first started making Kiva loans after seeing the TED talk about Kiva about 12 years ago. By investing $25 a month, which is an amount that I can easily afford, I have helped to impact the lives of literally thousands of people all over the world! I have been able to help women buy sewing machines, small farmers, get good quality seed and support, help people in rural areas get solar power, and so much more. At first, it was slow only one loan a month. Over the years, most of the people have repaid their loans in full so now I have made over 800 loans. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-05.*