VFIAX vs VOO: Which Should You Buy?
Same fund company (Vanguard), same 0.04% fee, about 100% the same holdings.
Want to check another pair? Use the free ETF overlap tool.
For most investors it barely matters. VFIAX and VOO have returned effectively the same amount per year and overlap about 100% by weight. Both cost 0.04% per year.
This is purely for informational purposes, not investment advice. Always consult a professional before making investment decisions.
VFIAX wins if...
tracking the Vanguard 500 Index.
VOO wins if...
tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
VFIAX vs VOO, side by side
The numbers that actually differ are highlighted.
| Metric | VFIAXVanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares | VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Index tracked | Vanguard 500 Index | Standard & Poor's 500 Index |
| Number of holdings | 505 | 505 |
| Expense ratio | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| Dividend yield | 1.07% | 1.07% |
| AUM | $686.00B | $1.00T |
| Top 10 concentration | 39.0% | 39.0% |
| 10-yr total return | 15.5% | 15.6% |
| 5-yr total return | 11.6% | 11.7% |
| Beta (vs S&P 500) | 1.01 | 1.01 |
| Max drawdown (10yr) | -33.8% | -34.0% |
| Market-cap coverage | Large cap | Large cap |
| Inception | 2000 | 2010 |
How much do VFIAX and VOO overlap?
The single most decision-relevant fact, and the one most comparisons skip.
- Shared
- 100.0%
- VOO-only
- 0.0%
~100% identical by weight
503 weighted positions appear in both funds, and by weight about 100% of the two portfolios is the same exposure. Where a stock sits in both, the shared share is whichever weight is smaller. That is the part of a dollar that behaves identically in either fund.
Growth of $10,000: VFIAX vs VOO
Growth of $10,000
10 years
Which should you choose?
- You want to track the Vanguard 500 Index
- You want to track the Standard & Poor's 500 Index
- You want the higher yield: 1.07% against 1.07%
- You want the larger, more heavily traded fund ($1.0T)
Compare and track all ETFs in your sheet
Type =WISE("VFIAX","dividend yield","ttm") or =WISEFUNDS("VFIAX","expense ratio") in Excel or Google Sheets and the fund's data lands in your sheet, ready to be refreshed when you want.
Get The Add-in - FreeVFIAX vs VOO frequently asked questions
For most investors the choice barely matters: VFIAX and VOO have returned effectively the same amount per year and they overlap roughly 100% by weight. Both charge 0.04%, so cost is not the deciding factor.
You can, but there is little reason to. At about 100% overlap, owning both mostly duplicates the same positions and adds little diversification.
Yes, by about 100% by weight. 503 weighted positions appear in both funds. Because the largest positions dominate both portfolios, the two behave similarly day to day.