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When you check your credit score on Credit Karma, you see a VantageScore. When a mortgage lender pulls your score, they almost always use a FICO score. Both scores use the same 300-850 range. Both use your credit report data. But they weigh factors differently and produce different numbers. Here is what you actually need to know.
The Key Differences
| FICO Score | VantageScore | |
|---|---|---|
| Used by lenders | 90%+ of top lenders | Growing, but minority |
| Score range | 300-850 | 300-850 |
| Data needed to score | 1 account open 6+ months, activity in past 6 months | As little as 1-2 months of history |
| Free access | Experian, bank dashboards | Credit Karma, Credit Sesame |
| Versions | FICO 8, FICO 9, FICO 10, FICO 10T (mortgage) | VantageScore 3.0, 4.0 |
| Rental payment history | Not in most versions | Included in 4.0 |
Why Your VantageScore and FICO Score Differ
The scores often differ by 20-50 points, sometimes more. Reasons:
- Different factor weights (VantageScore weights payment history at 41%, FICO at 35%)
- Different treatment of collections (FICO 9 ignores paid collections; FICO 8 still counts them; VantageScore 4.0 ignores collections under $250)
- Different data freshness requirements
- Different treatment of rental payment and utility history
Neither score is more accurate than the other. They are different models producing different outputs from the same underlying data.
Which Score Should You Focus On?
For monitoring and trend-watching: any score is useful because changes in one score generally reflect changes in all scores. If your Credit Karma score (VantageScore) went up 30 points, your FICO scores likely improved too, even if by a different amount.
For mortgage applications: FICO scores are what matters. Specifically, most conventional mortgage lenders use FICO Score 5 (Equifax), FICO Score 4 (TransUnion), and FICO Score 2 (Experian) — older versions than the FICO 8 you typically see for free. Starting in 2026, lenders can also use FICO Score 10T and VantageScore 4.0 for conventional loans backed by Fannie/Freddie.
The best free source for FICO scores specifically: Experian’s free account shows FICO Score 8 from Experian. Many credit cards (Discover, Citi, Bank of America) show FICO Score 8 in their apps for free. For mortgage-specific FICO scores (versions 2, 4, 5), myFICO.com charges a fee but shows the exact scores mortgage lenders will see.
Do Not Panic About Score Discrepancies
Seeing a 720 on Credit Karma and 680 on myFICO is disorienting but not cause for alarm. The underlying credit behavior that drives both scores is the same. Improve your payment history and reduce utilization and both scores will improve. Focus on building good credit behavior rather than optimizing for one specific scoring model.
Sources: FICO score factor weights myfico.com; VantageScore 4.0 model documentation; Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac credit score update announcement 2026. This article is for informational purposes only.
