ARCC vs MAIN
Two of the most popular business development companies (BDCs) for high income — quarterly versus monthly payout. Here’s how ARCC and MAIN compare for dividend investors — with a calculator for each so you can model the income yourself.
ARCC
Ares Capital Corporation
- Type
- BDC
- Issuer
- Ares Capital
- Pays
- quarterly
Ares Capital is the largest publicly traded business development company (BDC), lending to US middle-market companies. It pays a high quarterly dividend funded by net investment income, and its distributions are generally taxed as ordinary income.
ARCC dividend calculatorMAIN
Main Street Capital Corporation
- Type
- Monthly-paying BDC
- Issuer
- Main Street Capital
- Pays
- monthly
Main Street Capital is a business development company (BDC) that lends to and invests in lower-middle-market private companies. It pays a monthly dividend and has periodically declared supplemental dividends on top of its regular payout.
MAIN dividend calculatorARCC vs MAIN dividend, side by side
Current dividend figures for ARCC and MAIN as of Jul 10, 2026. Yields and payouts change — verify the latest numbers with your broker before investing.
How ARCC and MAIN differ
ARCC — Ares Capital is the largest publicly traded business development company (BDC), lending to US middle-market companies. It pays a high quarterly dividend funded by net investment income, and its distributions are generally taxed as ordinary income.
MAIN — Main Street Capital is a business development company (BDC) that lends to and invests in lower-middle-market private companies. It pays a monthly dividend and has periodically declared supplemental dividends on top of its regular payout.
In practice the choice comes down to your goal. ARCC suits an investor who wants high income from private-credit (BDC) exposure, taxed as ordinary income, while MAIN suits one who wants high income from private-credit (BDC) exposure, taxed as ordinary income. The two are not mutually exclusive — plenty of portfolios hold a growth-oriented fund and an income-oriented one together. What matters is matching each to its job and not judging a fund on its headline yield alone.
Rather than compare a single snapshot yield (which moves daily), open each calculator and enter current figures: the ARCC calculator and the MAIN calculator. To compare long-term compounding head to head, run the same contributions through the dividend reinvestment calculator with each fund’s assumptions.
ARCC vs MAIN FAQ
- What's the main difference between ARCC and MAIN?
- ARCC is a bdc from Ares Capital; MAIN is a monthly-paying bdc from Main Street Capital. Two of the most popular business development companies (BDCs) for high income — quarterly versus monthly payout.
- Does ARCC or MAIN pay more dividends?
- As of Jul 10, 2026, ARCC yields about 10.43% and MAIN about 8.36%, so ARCC currently pays the higher yield. ARCC pays quarterly; MAIN pays monthly + supplementals. Yields move daily, so verify current figures and use the calculators below to model the income yourself. Higher-yield funds pay more today, while dividend-growth funds start lower and raise the payout over time.
- Which is better, ARCC or MAIN?
- Neither is universally better — they suit different goals. ARCC fits an investor who wants high income from private-credit (BDC) exposure, taxed as ordinary income; MAIN fits one who wants high income from private-credit (BDC) exposure, taxed as ordinary income. Match the fund to your objective, time horizon, and tax situation, and consider a licensed advisor.
- Can I hold both ARCC and MAIN?
- Many investors do, to blend current income with growth. Just be aware of overlap — if both hold similar large-cap US stocks, you may be less diversified than the two tickers suggest.