FICO vs VantageScore: what's the difference?
FICO and VantageScore are competing scoring model families from different companies. Both currently score 300 to 850 from the same bureau data, but they weight it differently, which is why the same report produces different numbers. Most lender decisions use FICO; most free credit apps show VantageScore. Both compute from your reports, so report accuracy drives both.
Two companies, two model families
FICO scores come from the Fair Isaac Corporation and have been the lending industry standard for decades. VantageScore was created by the three bureaus themselves as a competitor. Each family has versions in circulation (FICO 8 is the most widely used FICO; newer versions and industry-specific variants exist alongside it), and every version reads the same underlying bureau reports.
Where the models differ
- Scoring requirements: VantageScore can score thinner, younger files; FICO requires more history before it produces a score.
- Weighting: both lean heavily on payment history and utilization, but the exact weights and treatment of factors like inquiries and credit mix differ.
- Collections: newer versions of both ignore paid collections, and both give medical collections lighter treatment, but the specifics vary by version.
- Trended data: some newer models look at balance trajectories over time, not just snapshots.
Which number actually gets used
Mortgage lending runs on specific older FICO versions required in that market. Auto lenders and card issuers mostly use FICO variants of their choosing. Free apps and bank dashboards commonly show VantageScore because of licensing. None of these is more 'real' than another; they are different rulers measuring the same file. The practical move is to treat any one score as a trend indicator rather than the number.
The part they all share
Every model, every version, computes from your bureau reports. An erroneous late mark or false collection drags all of them at once, and correcting the report improves the input every model reads. That is the layer CreditRefresh works on: the reports themselves, checked across all three bureaus for errors and FCRA violations worth disputing.
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Your three credit scores differ because the bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — operate independently, receive different data from different creditors, update on different schedules, and feed that data into different scoring models. Gaps of 10 to 50 points are normal. Bigger gaps usually signal that one bureau is missing information or has a reporting error worth disputing.
Most credit scores run from 300 to 850. In the common FICO ranges, 800+ is exceptional, 740–799 is very good, 670–739 is good, 580–669 is fair, and below 580 is poor. Lenders generally treat roughly 670 and up as solid, and 740+ usually unlocks the best rates. What counts as 'good' depends on the lender and the score model, but higher always means lower perceived risk.
The standard FICO credit score is built from five factors: payment history (35%), credit utilization (30%), length of credit history (15%), credit mix (10%), and new credit (10%). Payment history and utilization together account for two-thirds of the score, which is why disputing inaccurate late payments and incorrect balances tends to move scores the most.