13 Best Fundrise Alternatives for Real Estate Investing

Investing in real estate is one of the most popular and proven ways to build wealth. However, price is often a barrier to entry for new investors. Most people don’t have the means to buy rental houses or other income-generating properties like office buildings.

Thankfully, crowdfunding platforms like Fundrise make commercial real estate a realistic investment for almost anyone.

Fundrise is a leading real estate crowdfunding platform with an excellent reputation. But if, for whatever reason, Fundrise doesn’t appeal to you, there are some tremendous Fundrise alternatives.

Here we’ll explore other platform options to help you make an informed investment decision.

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Fundrise currently offers a $10 bonus for new investors. Start with as little as $10 of your own money to qualify for the bonus. Learn more.

Fundrise Overview

Fundrise has been operating since 2012 and is available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents at least 18 years old. If you want to invest, you can open individual accounts, joint accounts, and IRAs.

Your Fundrise deposits are placed into diversified investments called eREITs and eFunds. These are professionally managed portfolios offering access to investments in commercial real estate properties, apartment buildings, single-family homes, and private equity funds.

However, what distinguishes Fundrise from many other platforms is that there are different account tiers.

• Starter: With just a $10 minimum investment, this option is attractive for those with limited investment funds.
• Basic: This is the minimum tier to invest in an IRA. You’ll need at least $1,000.
• Core: This level has a $5,000 minimum but provides access to portfolio strategies; Balanced Investing, Long-Term Growth, and Supplemental Income.
• Advanced: This tier has a $10,000 minimum investment and opens up “Plus Plans,” which applies a portion of your portfolio to evolving sophisticated real estate investment strategies.
• Premium: There’s a $100,000 minimum investment for this tier. It offers access to certain private equity funds with a higher risk but tremendous growth potential.

In addition, Fundrise returns have been very attractive to date. While the stock market has gone up and down over the past few years, Fundrise has avoided the downturns.

While we’re big fans of Fundrise as an alternative investment, no platform is suitable for everyone. If you’re looking into other options, you may want to consider the investment opportunities covered in this article.

For more details, see our Fundrise review.

Are You an Accredited Investor?

When researching commercial real estate investing platforms (and other alternative investments), you must know if you qualify as an accredited investor. Some platforms and investments are open only to accredited investors, while others, like Fundrise, are open to both accredited and non-accredited investors.

In the U.S., accredited investors need to meet at least one of the qualifying criteria:

• Individual income of at least $200,000 per year for the past two years or joint income with a spouse of $300,000+. There also needs to be a reasonable expectation that you will meet the same income level during the current year.
• Individual or joint net worth of $1 million or more at the time of investment. However, your net worth cannot include the value of your primary residence.
• Individuals who are “knowledgeable employees” of a private fund.
• Holders of specific certificates, credentials, or designations. For example, Series 7, Series 82, or Series 65 license holders.

However, it’s important to note that the burden of proving that you meet the accredited investor status does not directly fall on you. It’s actually the responsibility of the investment vehicle you’re looking to invest in.

A fund or company would need to determine that you qualify. This typically involves asking you to complete a questionnaire, but you may need to provide supporting documentation such as financial statements, W2s, and tax reports.

Fundrise Alternatives

Now, we’ll delve into the best Fundrise alternatives, but we’ll begin with platforms open to non-accredited investors.

1. RealtyMogul

• Similarities to Fundrise: RealtyMoguls REITs allow anyone to invest passively in a portfolio of income-generating properties.
• Major differences: The minimum investment for RealtyMogul is $5,000, compared to Fundrise’s $10 minimum.

Like Fundrise, RealtyMogul has been operating since 2012. Through the RealtyMogul platform, you can invest in various commercial properties nationwide. This includes commercial deals that can run into millions of dollars and would be out of the reach of the average real estate investor without access to crowdfunding.

RealtyMogul has facilitated investments in more than 350 properties with a value of over $2 billion, returning over $100 million to its investors.

While we’ve highlighted RealtyMogul as a non-accredited investor platform, they also have some investments that are only available to accredited investors.

Non-accredited investors can invest in RealtyMogul’s REITs, which feature a portfolio of properties. They offer a growth REIT and an income REIT. Accredited investors have the option to invest in individual properties as well.

The main feature of RealtyMogul is that it offers pre-vetted investments. Less than 10% of the deals first displayed on RealtyMogul make it through to the funding stage.

The platform’s comprehensive vetting process involves individual backgrounds, sponsor history, and track records to create the highest possible chance of a positive return.

RealtyMogul is a straightforward platform to use, where you can analyze the provided research, including pictures and videos. You can also ask questions before investing.

Although the minimum investment isn’t as low as the basic Fundrise tiers, you can access RealtyMogul REITs from $5,000.

RealtyMogul is possibly the top Fundrise alternative in terms of offering something very similar to Fundrise. Learn more in our Fundrise vs. RealtyMogul comparison.

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2. Arrived

• Similarities to Fundrise: Low minimum investment ($100 for Arrived, compared to $10 for Fundrise).
• Major differences: With Arrived, you’ll own a share of individual rental homes rather than investing in a diversified real estate portfolio.

Arrived is relatively new, so it doesn’t have the track record of Fundrise. However, Arrived does allow you to invest in fractional shares for single-family rental homes. You’ll earn dividends according to the net income accrued from each property.

Since Arrived only began acquiring properties in 2021 and anticipates holding periods of five to seven years, no investments have been sold yet. However, the platform does anticipate additional returns from appreciation when each property sells.

As an Arrived investor, you’ll purchase shares of a Series LLC or Series that owns underlying properties. Every individual home series is qualified for taxation as a separate REIT. This takes place in the taxable year ending after the initial offer of interest for series completion.

The minimum investment for Arrived is $100, so each property has multiple investors. You can earn fractional interest on the income and capital appreciation according to your percentage stake in the property.

Arrived has a simple fee structure (1% per year), making it easy to calculate the potential fees for your real estate investment. Overall, it’s an excellent alternative to Fundrise for those who want to passively invest in rental properties.

Learn more in our Fundrise vs. Arrived Homes comparison.

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3. Streitwise

• Similarities to Fundrise: Passively invest in a portfolio of income-generating properties.
• Major differences: Streitwise’s portfolio includes a small number of properties, while Fundrise’s includes many more. Also, Streitwise has a minimum investment of $5,000, compared to Fundrise’s $10 minimum.

Streitwise has operated since 2016 and manages REITs, mainly with office properties. The aim of the Streitwise founders was to facilitate changing lives through real estate investments, one dividend at a time.

In fact, the co-founders have invested over $5 million of their own funds into the platform.

Like Fundrise, Streitwise is open to non-accredited and accredited investors. However, Streitwise has a minimum investment requirement of $5,000. This is significantly higher than Fundrise’s $10 minimum.

One stand-out feature of Streitwise is its transparent fee structure. Many real estate crowdfunding platforms can be a little complicated to understand, but Streitwise simply has a 3% upfront fee.

While this may seem high, you can rest assured that there are no hidden fees that will surprise you once you’ve invested.

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4. DiversyFund

• Similarities to Fundrise: Non-accredited investors can invest in a portfolio of properties.
• Major differences: DiversyFund’s portfolio is not as extensive or diverse as Fundrise’s.

DiversyFund specializes in apartment buildings with over 100 units. The platform’s REIT strategy is based on purchasing undervalued multi-family properties to generate rental income.

In many cases, the apartments need capital to make improvements and increase the rent potential. These improvements can also raise the value of the building.

The income generated is reinvested monthly to finance improvements until the property can be sold for a healthy profit. There is a target hold of five years, but it may take longer to sell properties based on the real estate market at the time.

After the sale is finalized, the capital appreciation and any accumulated dividends are distributed to investors. You can then cash out or maintain your DiversyFund relationship with future projects.

This platform’s stand-out features include a $500 minimum investment. You can set up an account in less than five minutes.

There’s also a help section on the DiversyFund website for potential and current investors. If you can’t find an answer to your query on the site, you can use the online chat, email support, or phone helpline.

Learn more in our Fundrise vs. DiversyFund comparison.

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5. HappyNest

• Similarities to Fundrise: Very low minimum investment of $10.
• Major differences: HappyNest lacks the history and track record of Fundrise.

HappyNest is a newer real estate crowdfunding platform, as it was founded in 2017.

The founder, Jesse Prince, established the platform to create opportunities for everyday investors to make money with crowdfunded real estate. It began with a desire to help fellow military families but has expanded and is now open to anyone.

HappyNest promotes the fantastic potential of real estate investing, mainly because commercial real estate tends to be less volatile than investing in the stock market. The platform also highlights that it could provide a passive income stream, like most Fundrise alternatives.

What makes HappyNest great is that you can start with just $10 per month. This makes the platform highly accessible to almost everyone. You can build your investments, working at your own pace with no maximum caps.

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6. Roofstock

• Similarities to Fundrise: With Roofstock One, you can invest in a portfolio of income-generating properties.
• Major differences: The minimum investment for Roofstock One is $5,000, and the portfolio only includes rental property.

Roofstock is a real estate crowdfunding platform acting as a marketplace to buy and sell single-family rental (SFR) properties. You can invest in SFRs in your home city or other markets to generate a rental income or build a diversified portfolio.

There’s a wide selection of homes, but the main advantage of Roofstock is that the homes already have tenants, creating an immediate income stream.

The Roofstock platform has also certified all properties to ensure they meet minimum standards. Roofstock will even refuse a property listing if the property does not comply with the requirements or the seller asks too high a price.

Roofstock does have a marketplace fee of 0.5% or $500 if your property offer is accepted. You will also need to cover closing costs, property management, and other related costs.

If you’re an accredited investor, you can also access Roofstock One. This has a $5,000 minimum investment, but it allows you to avoid directly buying a property and finding a manager.

When you invest in real estate with Roofstock One, you’ll own a share of a portfolio of rental properties that will be managed for you. It offers hands-free real estate investing.

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7. Groundfloor

• Similarities to Fundrise: Very low minimum investment of just $10
• Major differences: Groundfloor specializes in short-term investments, so your money isn’t tied up for several years. Also, you’ll invest in specific properties with Groundfloor rather than taking the portfolio approach.

Groundfloor generates investments for property purchases and renovations that are used to flip the properties and earn a profit. This strategy does involve a large number of smaller capital investments.

Groundfloor has a very low $10 minimum investment (like Fundrise), and there are no management fees for maintaining your investment. The average annual returns are 10% or more, but results will vary since you’re investing in individual properties.

Unlike many real estate crowdfunding platforms where your money can be tied up for five or more years, Groundfloor focuses on short-term loans that are typically 6-12 months long.

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8. REITs

• Similarities to Fundrise: Invest in a portfolio of income-generating assets.
• Major differences: Publicly-traded REITs are 100% liquid and can be sold just like a stock.

If you’re not an accredited investor and the above platforms don’t appeal to you, there are still other ways to invest in commercial real estate. Some excellent REITs (real estate investment trusts) can allow you to include income-generating property in your portfolio.

The best REIT ETFs allow investors to overcome obstacles preventing many people from getting into traditional real estate investing.

If you have concerns about tying your money up for years, as you would need to with most of the above platforms, a REIT ETF could provide a great solution. ETFs are highly liquid, allowing you to buy and sell them anytime, just as you would with a stock share or mutual fund.

ETFs are also easy to access. You can buy them through any brokerage. Public.com and Webull both offer commission-free trades of ETFs.

Although you can directly invest in real estate through individual REITs, buying ETFs allows you to hold ownership interests in several REITs. This provides broader exposure and better diversification.

In many cases, you can get started with as small a sum as $1 (if you invest with Public or Webull), which also allows you to overcome the price barrier to entry.

Fundrise Alternatives for Accredited Investors

Now, we’ll look at the best alternatives to Fundrise if you’re an accredited investor.

1. CrowdStreet

• Similarities to Fundrise: CrowdStreet REITs allow you to invest in a portfolio of properties.
• Major differences: You must be an accredited investor to invest in real estate with CrowdStreet, and the minimum investment is usually at least $25,000.

CrowdStreet has existed since 2014, making it one of the most well-established real estate crowdfunding platforms.

With CrowdStreet, you can be assured that the platform thoroughly vets all the developers and performs several background and reference checks to increase the chances of a profitable return for investors. (Of course, investing still involves risk.)

You can browse the platform and select individual properties, but CrowdStreet also allows you to interact directly with specific project sponsors. This provides a fantastic tool if you have any questions or concerns before you invest in a particular property or real estate project.

The minimum investment on CrowdStreet is project specific. Some projects require a higher minimum investment, but the lowest minimum is typically $25,000. This makes the platform better suited to those more risk-tolerant and prepared to tie up a large amount of capital in the medium to long term.

In addition to investments in individual properties, CrowdStreet also offers REIT funds, but they are typically only open to investors for a limited time.

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2. Cadre

• Similarities to Fundrise: At times, Cadre offers funds that take a portfolio approach by including multiple properties. However, these funds are not always available.
• Major differences: Cadre is open only to accredited investors and primarily offers investments in individual properties with a much higher minimum investment.

Cadre has also been operating since 2014, but it focuses on quality rather than quantity of properties. Cadre aims to make commercial real estate accessible for those who would otherwise struggle to invest in this niche.

While many other real estate investing platforms hold far more properties, Cadre takes a very selective approach with the aim of producing better returns. It focuses on properties in high-growth markets, using extensive manual due diligence to identify the best opportunities.

Cadre invests in industrial properties, hotels, offices, and multi-family apartment buildings. However, Cadre doesn’t simply rely on investor capital, as it also invests its own funds into the properties.

Due to the extensive due diligence and historic realized net IRR of 27.6%, Cadre provides a solid financial investment opportunity for those looking to get outsized returns.

Two fees apply to every Cadre deal. Firstly, there’s an upfront fee of 1% to 3% of the gross investment. So, with a minimum investment of $25,000, you would need to pay a $250 to $750 fee straightaway.

The other fee is a recurring annual management fee. This is a 1.5% to 2% fee of the net asset value. Cadre also has a share of the sponsor’s profit. This is a percentage of sponsor profits when a deal has been completed, so the property has been sold, typically above the minimum profit threshold.

On the surface, this may seem like Cadre wants a larger piece of the potential profits, but it actually incentivizes completed deals that outperform targets. Rather than just relying on funding transactions, Cadre makes more money if the investment deals are profitable.

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3. EquityMultiple

• Similarities to Fundrise: EquityMultiple offers funds and savings alternatives for passive real estate investing.
• Major differences: you must be an accredited investor, and EquityMultiple deals have a minimum investment of at least $5,000.

EquityMultiple allows accredited investors access to professionally managed private real estate deals. You can use the online platform to access investment opportunities in different markets.

The minimum investment varies by project, but a base minimum is $5,000. However, it’s more common to see a minimum investment of $10,000.

Additional shares are typically offered in $5,000 increments above the minimum. You can invest in real estate via a self-directed IRA or use one of the EquityMultiple preferred IRA partners. These partners usually have a minimum investment of $10,000.

EquityMultiple has several investment options, including senior debt, preferred equity, mezzanine debt, common equity, opportunity zones, funds, and 1031 exchanges. There may also be evergreen funds and yield-focused short-term notes, although they are not always available.

EquityMultiple claims to have returned $39.2 million to its investors, so it stands out as a well-regarded and established commercial real estate investment platform.

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4. First National Realty Partners

• Similarities to Fundrise: Passive real estate investments with a long-term focus.
• Major differences: FNRP is open only to accredited investors, and the minimum investment is $50,000.

First National Realty Partners takes a specialized approach by focusing on grocery-anchored commercial real estate, making it different from other Fundrise alternatives.

These institutional-quality investments have typically not been accessible to individual investors. However, FNRP makes these deals with the potential for high returns accessible to accredited investors.

These properties generate cash flow through rental proceeds and offer a potential hedge against inflation.

You must be an accredited investor, and FNRP has a minimum investment of $50,000. However, the target returns of 12-18% are quite attractive, and the company has a solid track record to date.

In addition to individual properties, FNRP offers a diversified fund with multiple deals.

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5. AcreTrader

• Similarities to Fundrise: Long-term (generally at least five years) passive real estate investment.
• Major differences: AcreTrader is open only to accredited investors, and investments are in farmland.

AcreTrader is quite a unique real estate crowdfunding platform. Instead of commercial or residential real estate, you can buy shares in farmland. This is an exciting way to diversify your investment portfolio.

AcreTrader has been operating since 2018 and is already BBB accredited with an A- rating. Carter Malloy, the CEO and founder of AcreTrader grew up in a farming family, yet he spent most of his career in the financial services industry. These backgrounds combined to inspire AcreTrader.

There are two ways investors can make money with AcreTrader: land appreciation and dividends from annual rent payments. Each share represents 1/10 of an acre and costs $5,000 to $10,000. However, some properties have a minimum investment of an acre plus, meaning you must invest at least $50,000.

The holding periods vary from five to 20 years.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts on the Best Fundrise Alternatives

Fundrise is an excellent platform, providing access to some great real estate investment deals. However, if Fundrise does not appeal to you for some reason, there are some superb alternatives.

Whether you’re an accredited investor or not, you will need to consider your minimum investment, the type of property you would like to invest in, and whether you want a regular income or wait for profits from completed projects.

This will help you to determine the right real estate investing platform or product that meets your risk tolerance, investment preferences, and investment goals.

Just be sure to check the full terms and conditions to ensure you are comfortable with the fee structure and investment period before you start investing with any of the best Fundrise alternatives covered in this article.

Vital Dollar is an affiliate of Fundrise. If you click a link from our site and invest with Fundrise, we may receive a commission for the referral.