VONG
VONG
Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF
VS
VOO
VOO
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

VONG vs VOO: Which Should You Buy?

Same fund company (Vanguard), 0.03% vs 0.06% fee.

Want to check another pair? Use the free ETF overlap tool.

The verdict

Over the period we can measure, VONG has returned about 2.2% a year more and overlap about 58% by weight. Pick VONG for the tighter 371-holding portfolio; pick VOO to own 505 instead. VOO is the cheaper of the two at 0.03% against 0.06%.

This is purely for informational purposes, not investment advice. Always consult a professional before making investment decisions.

VONG wins if...

You want the tighter portfolio: 371 holdings rather than 505, tracking the Russell 1000 Growth Index.

VOO wins if...

You want maximum diversification: 505 holdings covering the broader market, tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, at a lower 0.03% fee.

VONG vs VOO, side by side

The numbers that actually differ are highlighted.

MetricVONGVanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETFVOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF
Index trackedRussell 1000 Growth IndexStandard & Poor's 500 Index
Number of holdings371505
Expense ratio0.06%0.03%
Dividend yield0.48%1.07%
AUM$47.10B$1.00T
Top 10 concentration57.6%39.0%
10-yr total return17.8%15.6%
5-yr total return10.0%11.7%
Beta (vs S&P 500)1.171.01
Max drawdown (10yr)-32.7%-34.0%
Market-cap coverageLarge + mid capLarge cap
Inception20102010
The difference in one line

VONG holds 371 positions tracking the Russell 1000 Growth Index. VOO holds 505, a broader slice of the same market.

How much do VONG and VOO overlap?

The single most decision-relevant fact, and the one most comparisons skip.

58%overlap
Shared
58.5%
VOO-only
41.5%

~58% identical by weight

179 weighted positions appear in both funds, and by weight about 58% 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.

The difference is VOO's remaining 134 positions, which VONG does not hold at all. They are smaller by weight, which is why the two track each other closely and drift apart only at the margins.

Growth of $10,000: VONG vs VOO

Growth of $10,000

10 years

VONG $52,920VOO $42,230
$10k$20k$30k$40k$50kY2Y4Y6Y8Y10
Year 10VONG: $52,920VOO: $42,230Spread: $10,690

Which should you choose?

VOVONGChoose if you want...
  • You want concentrated exposure: 371 holdings, not 505
  • You want to track the Russell 1000 Growth Index
VOOVOOChoose if you want...
  • You want the wider net: 505 holdings against 371
  • You want to track the Standard & Poor's 500 Index
  • You want the lower fee: 0.03% against 0.06%
  • You want the higher yield: 1.07% against 0.48%
ETF metrics pulled into a spreadsheet with Wisesheets

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Type =WISE("VONG","dividend yield","ttm") or =WISEFUNDS("VONG","expense ratio") in Excel or Google Sheets and the fund's data lands in your sheet, ready to be refreshed when you want.

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VONG vs VOO frequently asked questions

VONG has the stronger record, by about 2.2% a year and they overlap roughly 58% by weight. Compare the fee and the holdings count below and pick the one that matches how broad you want the exposure to be.

Yes, by about 58% by weight. 179 weighted positions appear in both funds. Because the largest positions dominate both portfolios, the two behave similarly day to day.

VONG holds 371 positions tracking the Russell 1000 Growth Index. VOO holds 505, a broader slice of the same market.

Yes. At about 58% overlap the two hold substantially different positions, so holding both does broaden the exposure.