About RateMate

Our Story

Last year, my partner and I bought our first home. The whole process — pre-approvals, bank meetings, trying to understand split loans and offsets — was overwhelming. But we made it through.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago: our refix is coming up, and I wanted to explore every possible option. What rates are available? Should we split the loan? How do the numbers actually stack up across different banks? The problem? There wasn't a single tool that let me compare all this stuff side-by-side. So I ended up in spreadsheet hell again.

That frustration turned into a side project. I'm a software engineer (and a bit of a finance nerd), so I started building something to crunch the numbers. My partner — who works as a product owner — has this talent for asking questions I haven't thought about yet. Things like "But what if we go with Westpac instead?" or "Can you show me the total interest, not just the monthly payment?" Her eye for detail pushed me to make the tool way more thorough than I initially planned.

After about three weeks of late-night coding (with a lot of help from AI tools, to be honest), we had something that actually worked for our refix planning. Then we realized our friends who are currently house-hunting could really use this. So we cleaned it up, focused on getting the first-home buyer features solid, and launched it publicly. The refix tools are still evolving (we're literally using them ourselves as we go!), but the core comparison stuff is ready.

It may be rough around the edges, and we're still adding features, but it already does what we needed it to do. If you're comparing mortgage options right now, hopefully it saves you some time 😅

Why We Built RateMate

Getting a mortgage is one of the biggest financial decisions most New Zealanders will make. Yet comparing home loan rates and understanding the true cost of different mortgage options can be surprisingly difficult and time-consuming.

Our mission is simple: make mortgage planning transparent, accessible, and free for everyone in New Zealand. We're not here to sell you anything or push you toward a particular bank. We just want to help you make better-informed decisions.

What Makes RateMate Different

• Live Daily Rates: We fetch real mortgage rates from major NZ banks daily, so you're always comparing current offers.
• Side-by-Side Comparison: See rates from ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac, Kiwibank, SBS, and TSB all in one place.
• Advanced Features: Model split loans, offset accounts, and extra payments to see the true impact on your mortgage.
• Shareable Reports: Generate detailed comparison summaries to discuss with your partner, broker, or advisor.
• Completely Free: No hidden fees, no sign-up required, no personal information collected.

Who We're For

RateMate is designed for:

• First-home buyers exploring their mortgage options
• Homeowners looking to refix their existing loans
• Anyone comparing banks before meeting with a mortgage broker
• Property investors analyzing different loan structures

Our Commitment

We're committed to keeping RateMate independent, accurate, and user-friendly. We don't receive commissions from banks, and we don't sell your data. Our goal is simply to help New Zealanders make better-informed mortgage decisions.

Important Disclaimer

Get in Touch

Have feedback or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch →