What is the difference between a FICO score and a VantageScore?

Both are credit scores on a 300 to 850 scale, but they use different formulas and can produce different numbers from the same report. FICO scores are used in most lending decisions, while VantageScore appears in many free credit apps because it is freely available. Neither is fake, but if you are preparing to apply for a loan, the FICO version a lender pulls matters most. Small differences between them are normal.