Block vs Upgrade
Block vs Upgrade, compared side by side on 19 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Block is on 66/100 and Upgrade on 62/100.
Where each one leads
Block
- our overall score: 66/100 against 62/100
- LinkedIn following: 78 against 58
Upgrade
- headcount: 16 against 2
- funding raised: $871M against $10.0M
At a glance
| Measure | Block | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Financial services and digital payments company. | Consumer credit and mobile banking platform offering personal loans, credit cards, and checking accounts. |
| Category | Fintech, Payments, Financial Services, Digital Payments | Fintech, Lending, Neobank, Credit Cards |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2C | B2C |
| Offering | Platform | Platform |
| Founded | 2009 | 2016 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | San Mateo, United States |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Block | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 2 | 16 |
| Total funding | $10.0M | $871M |
| Latest round | Seed | Not published |
| Valuation | $45.0M | $6K |
| LinkedIn followers | 78 | 58 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Block | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 66/100 | 62/100 |
| Traction | 40/100 | 52/100 |
| Team | 70/100 | 30/100 |
| Community | 8/100 | Not published |
| Search visibility | 54/100 | 25/100 |
| Quality | 78/100 | 78/100 |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (50/100) | D (51/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 79/100 | 77/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Block | Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Not detected | AWS |
| CMS | Ghost | Not detected |
| Frameworks | Sveltekit, Svelte | Next.js, Bootstrap |
Block vs Upgrade: common questions
Which is better, Block or Upgrade?
On our 0-100 score Block rates higher (66/100 against 62/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 19 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Block and Upgrade compare on the numbers?
Block leads on our overall score (66/100 against 62/100), LinkedIn following (78 against 58). Upgrade leads on headcount (16 against 2), funding raised ($871M against $10.0M).
Read the full Block review and pricing or the Upgrade review and pricing. You can also browse other Block alternatives we track.