ETF Versus

ARKK vs QQQ

ARK Innovation ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-10

ARKK ARK

ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by ARK that provides exposure to thematic - innovation securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.75%. Launched in 2014, the fund has a 12-year track record.

AUM: $6.1B ER: 0.75% Yield: N/A Since: Oct 31, 2014
QQQ Invesco

Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.46%. Launched in 1999, the fund has a 27-year track record.

AUM: $389.6B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.46% Since: Mar 10, 1999

Quick Verdict

QQQ is significantly cheaper at 0.18% vs 0.75% expense ratio, saving you approximately $1,096 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, ARKK has significantly outperformed with a 54.7% return vs 37.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric ARKK QQQ
Expense Ratio 0.75% 0.18%
Dividend Yield N/A 0.5%
Fund Family ARK Invesco
Category Thematic - Innovation US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

20 54 88 122 156 190 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
ARKK -43.7%
QQQ +81.6%

Performance Comparison

Period ARKK QQQ Difference
1 Month -5.71% +0.58% -6.29%
3 Months -16.53% -2.54% -13.99%
6 Months -21.50% +1.53% -23.03%
YTD -12.02% -0.31% -11.71%
1 Year +54.73% +36.99% +17.74%
3 Years +77.71% +93.53% -15.82%
5 Years -43.74% +81.55% -125.29%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period ARKK Fees QQQ Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $1,453 $357 $1,096
$10,000 20 years $6,064 $1,529 $4,534
$10,000 30 years $18,984 $4,912 $14,072
$50,000 10 years $7,266 $1,786 $5,481
$50,000 30 years $94,918 $24,558 $70,360
$100,000 30 years $189,836 $49,116 $140,719

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric ARKK QQQ
Annualized Volatility 46.4% 22.4%
Max Drawdown -77.3% -35.6%
Sharpe Ratio -0.12 0.45

Dividend Comparison

Metric ARKK QQQ
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.00 $2.81
Dividend Yield 0.00% 0.46%
Distribution Frequency None Quarterly

Top Holdings

1 of top 9 holdings overlap (11% overlap in top holdings)

ARKK Top Holdings

NameWeight
Tesla, Inc.TSLA9.68%
CRISPR Therapeutics AGCRSP6.62%
Tempus AI, Inc.TEM4.68%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD4.52%
Shopify Inc.SHOP4.46%
Robinhood Markets, Inc.HOOD4.39%
Coinbase Global, Inc.COIN4.18%
Roku, Inc.ROKU4.08%
Circle Internet Group, Inc.CRCL3.95%
Beam Therapeutics Inc.BEAM3.63%

QQQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.69%
Apple Inc.AAPL7.47%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.55%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.61%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.47%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.41%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.32%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.32%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.18%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose QQQ if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose ARKK if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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