FICO Scores vs. Credit Scores
10 Min Read | Last updated: June 16, 2025
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
FICO® Scores are credit scores but not all scores are from FICO. Learn the difference between FICO Scores vs. credit scores to increase your borrowing power.
At-A-Glance
- FICO®, founded in 1989, is the oldest U.S. credit scoring system with specialized versions of FICO for auto loan and credit card decisions.
- Launched in 2006 as a joint project of the three national credit bureaus, today VantageScore® is FICO’s main competitor.
- There are minor differences in how FICO and VantageScore calculate your scores.
Whether you have excellent credit or you’re just starting out, it’s important to know that all FICO® scores are credit scores, but not all credit scores are FICO scores.
Understanding the differences between FICO credit scores and other credit scores may help you better navigate the world of loans and credit cards. FICO credit scores have been around since 1989, and many lenders use them to help determine the amount of financial risk associated with lending to an individual.
Is a Credit Score the Same as a FICO Score?
Every credit score needs data from your credit report to make its calculations, and there are three different nationwide credit-reporting agencies, creating at least three different credit scores. What’s more, FICO has multiple versions that are used for different purposes. FICO’s multiple versions include:1
- FICO® Score 8, a widely used version, although FICO Score® 9 and FICO Score® 10 are now available.
- Multiple versions of FICO® Bankcard Score may be used when you apply for a Credit Card.
- Multiple versions of FICO® Auto Score may be used when you apply for an auto loan.
- Some versions of FICO’s main scoring model are used in mortgage lending, such as FICO Score® 10T.
Considering all these versions, and adding them to the three credit reporting bureaus, gets you to a large number of potentially different credit scores. It’s worth remembering, though, that the differences from score to score may be small.
FICO Scores vs. VantageScores: The Similarities
FICO’s main competition is VantageScore, which was rolled out in 2006.2 VantageScore has four different model versions so far.3 Equifax also has its own proprietary credit score, but it’s considered only “educational”, so lenders don’t check that score when evaluating applications.4
All credit scores, regardless of who is doing the calculating, are based on information in your file at the credit bureaus. Both FICO and VantageScore use a three-digit scoring system that ranges from 300-850.5 For more, see “What Is a Credit Report and Why Is It Important?”.
Both FICO and VantageScore focus on many of the same key elements to assess whether you’re a low or high credit risk:
- On-time bill payment
- How much you use of your available credit
- How long you’ve used credit
- The different types of credit you use
- New credit applications
Vantage Credit Scores vs. FICO: The Differences
When you take a closer look, there are slight differences in how the two types of scores are generated:
- The exact algorithms used when calculating credit scores might vary.
Credit scores for each credit bureau may differ. This could be due in part to differences in their data, or data structures.6 VantageScore uses the same algorithm regardless of which credit bureau’s data it is using, which reduces the likelihood that your VantageScore credit scores will be significantly different between the three bureaus.7 However, you may still see differences in your score if there is different information in your credit files.8 - Specific factors have different weightings.
Both scoring systems break your score into the five broad elements bulleted above. FICO shares how much each slice is weighted. However, they note that the importance of the different categories varies from person to person.9 VantageScore offers general explanations, such as “extremely influential” or “less influential,” when sharing how different categories are weighted.10 “What Is a Credit Score and How Is it Defined?” has a deep dive into the specifics. - Range cutoffs aren’t uniform.
While both systems use the same 300-850 scoring scale, they sort the scores into broad buckets a bit differently, as shown in the accompanying table below. In addition, while lenders may consult your credit score, they may also use their own customized criteria and variables to determine a good score.11 - “Newbies” are treated differently.
FICO only calculates its scores once you have had a loan or credit card account for six months, and you must have had at least one account that has been “active”, meaning you’ve made payments during that timeframe. You can get a VantageScore even if you only have one loan or credit account and it’s less than six months old.12 - Different windows for combining hard inquiries.
Whenever you apply for loans, new credit cards, or credit line increases, the lender may conduct a hard credit check on your credit report. A single hard inquiry may create a small negative impact on your score, may be less than five points for FICO. But if you have multiple hard inquiries, those small impacts may compound.
To help people comparison shop between car or home loans, for example, both FICO and VantageScore combine similar inquiries and treat them as one inquiry. The newest versions of FICO scoring models give you up to 45 days to do your comparison shopping, allowing you to accumulate just one hard inquiry.13 VantageScore limits the window to 14 days.14
Should You Focus on One Score or Another?
Because FICO and VantageScore have different approaches to calculating their scores, it’s not uncommon for their scores to be different. The differences shouldn’t be much. It’s a good practice to focus on what typically affects your credit score most: paying bills on time and using as little as possible of your total available credit.
Check Your Credit Score
Some major banks and credit card issuers, including American Express®, offer free FICO scores to their customers, which is what mortgage lenders typically check when you apply for a home loan.15
Did you know?
You can also start monitoring your credit score today for free with MyCredit Guide from American Express.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your FICO score could be higher or lower than your other credit scores because it uses slightly different or updated information. However, credit scores can still vary even when data is identical, depending on how each credit bureau organizes its data.
There is no single credit scoring model that is considered to be the most universally accurate. In some cases, accuracy may improve for certain loans when lenders opt for industry-specific scoring models from either system.
Based on FICO Score 8 ranges, the riskiest credit scores fall under 580.16
The Takeaway
Not all credit scores are generated by FICO, but lenders may use FICO Score models. VantageScore is a main competitor, and both models differ slightly when calculating scores. To help build strong credit, practice healthy credit habits, like paying your bills on time and keeping your credit usage low. These steps can help to positively impact scores across scoring models over time.
1 “FICO® Scores Versions,” myFICO
2 “About VantageScore,” VantageScore
6 “Why are my FICO® Scores different for the 3 credit bureaus?,” myFICO
3,8,12 “What Is a VantageScore Credit Score?,” Experian
4 “What are the Equifax credit score ranges?,” Equifax
5 “What Are the Different Credit Score Ranges?,” Experian
7 “Empowering You to Achieve Your Financial Dreams,” VantageScore
9 “What's in my FICO® Scores?,” myFICO
10,15 “What Is a VantageScore Used For?,” VantageScore
11 “Fair Lending Implications of Credit Scoring Systems,” FDIC
13 “What Are Credit Inquiries and How Do They Affect Your FICO® Score?,” myFICO
14 “How does VantageScore handle multiple inquiries from applications for credit?,” VantageScore
16 “580 Credit Score: Is it Good or Bad?,” Experian
Carla Fried is a freelance journalist who has spent her entire career specializing in personal finance. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Money, CNBC.com, and Consumer Reports, among many other media outlets.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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