VOO vs SPY: which ETF is right for you?
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) compared on cost, size, returns, holdings and sector mix.
Expense ratio difference: 0.065%
SPY has an expense ratio of 0.095%, while VOO's is 0.03%. This means VOO is cheaper to hold over time. Both ETFs track the S&P 500 but have different management fees.
- SPY has an expense ratio of 0.095%; VOO has 0.03%.
- SPY has $796.87 billion in assets; VOO has $1,743.63 billion.
- SPY's top holding is AAPL at 7.7%; VOO's is NVDA at 8.4%.
- SPY's yield is 1%; VOO's yield is 1.07%.
may suit investors who prefer a longer-established fund.
may suit cost-conscious investors looking for lower fees.
Summary written from the figures below by an AI model. Past returns do not predict future results; this is educational, not advice.
Side-by-side
VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.030%● | 0.095% |
| Fund size (assets) | $1.74T● | $796.9B |
| Dividend yield | 1.07%● | 1.00% |
| Return YTD | 11.73%● | 11.69% |
| Return 1 year | 12.07%● | 12.01% |
| 3 years (annualised) | 23.37%● | 23.26% |
| 5 years (annualised) | 12.02%● | 11.96% |
| 10 years (annualised) | 15.40%● | 15.34% |
| Volatility (5y std dev) | 15.4% | 15.4%● |
| Beta vs market (5y) | 0.98● | 0.98 |
| Issuer | Vanguard | State Street Investment Management |
| Launched | 2010-09-07 | 1993-01-22 |
● marks the best value in a row (lowest cost or volatility, highest return, yield or size). Returns as of 2026-11-06; past performance does not predict future results.
What the fees cost you
A simple illustration: the same $0M growing at an assumed 7% a year before fees. Only the expense ratios differ. This is not a forecast.
Top holdings and overlap
- NVDANVIDIA Corp8.4%
- AAPLApple Inc7.4%
- MSFTMicrosoft Corp5.8%
- AMZNAmazon.com Inc3.7%
- GOOGLAlphabet Inc Class A3.1%
- AVGOBroadcom Inc2.5%
- GOOGAlphabet Inc Class C2.5%
- METAMeta Platforms Inc Class A2.4%
- MUMicron Technology Inc1.8%
- TSLATesla Inc1.5%
- AAPLApple Inc7.7%
- NVDANVIDIA Corp7.6%
- MSFTMicrosoft Corp5.9%
- AMZNAmazon.com Inc3.6%
- GOOGLAlphabet Inc Class A2.5%
- AVGOBroadcom Inc2.4%
- METAMeta Platforms Inc Class A2.1%
- GOOGAlphabet Inc Class C2.0%
- LLYEli Lilly and Co1.7%
- TSLATesla Inc1.7%
VOO and SPY share 9 of their top 10 holdings (NVDA, AAPL, MSFT, AMZN, GOOGL, AVGO), about 34.9% of each fund in those names.
Overlap is measured on the top 10 holdings only.
Sector mix
- Technology40.5%
- Financial Services11.1%
- Communication Services10.0%
- Healthcare9.3%
- Consumer Cyclical8.8%
- Industrials7.6%
- Technology38.2%
- Financial Services12.0%
- Healthcare10.3%
- Consumer Cyclical9.2%
- Communication Services8.4%
- Industrials7.6%
Common questions
Which has lower fees, VOO or SPY?
VOO has the lower expense ratio at 0.030% a year, against 0.095% for SPY. On $10,000 that is about $6 a year in fees.
Which is bigger, VOO or SPY?
VOO manages about $1.74 trillion in assets, compared with $796.9 billion for SPY.
Do VOO and SPY hold the same stocks?
They share 9 of their top 10 holdings (NVDA, AAPL, MSFT, AMZN, GOOGL, AVGO, GOOG, META, TSLA), roughly 34.9% of each fund in those names, so owning both adds little diversification.
Compare any ETFs
Pick up to four funds and see fees, overlap and the cost of fees over time.
Open the compare toolFund data comes from public fund filings and market data and is refreshed daily; returns are total returns and past performance does not predict future results. This page is educational and is not investment advice. Check the fund's official documents before investing.