ETF Versus

VOO vs VUG

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

VOO

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.14%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: $858.3B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.14% Since: Sep 7, 2010
VUG

Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VUG) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $193.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 0.43% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (29.7% vs 30.1%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer VOO for its higher yield (1.1% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric VOO VUG
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 0.4%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Large Cap Blend US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 97 119 141 163 185 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
VOO +65.2%
VUG +68.9%

Performance Comparison

Period VOO VUG Difference
1 Month +0.48% -0.86% +1.34%
3 Months -2.24% -6.70% +4.46%
6 Months +2.53% -4.19% +6.72%
YTD -0.52% -5.49% +4.97%
1 Year +29.66% +30.07% -0.41%
3 Years +66.05% +86.72% -20.67%
5 Years +65.17% +68.85% -3.68%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VOO Fees VUG Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10,000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10,000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50,000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $4,176 $0
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $8,352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VOO VUG
Annualized Volatility 16.8% 22.2%
Max Drawdown -25.4% -36.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.38

Dividend Comparison

Metric VOO VUG
Annual Dividend (per share) $7.13 $1.99
Dividend Yield 1.14% 0.43%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

8 of top 9 holdings overlap (89% overlap in top holdings)

VOO Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA7.31%
Apple Inc.AAPL6.63%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.96%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.47%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.56%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.46%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.40%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.92%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.57%

VUG Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL12.23%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.15%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG4.49%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META4.44%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.41%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.95%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.58%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.82%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VOO if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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