VONG vs VOO: Which Should You Buy?
Same fund company (Vanguard), 0.03% vs 0.06% fee.
Over the period we can measure, VONG has returned about 2.6% a year more and overlap about 57% by weight. Pick VONG for the tighter 394-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: 394 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.
| Metric | VONGVanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF | VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Index tracked | Russell 1000 Growth Index | Standard & Poor's 500 Index |
| Number of holdings | 394 | 505 |
| Expense ratio | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| Dividend yield | 0.46% | 1.05% |
| AUM | $54.30B | $1.80T |
| Top 10 concentration | 56.8% | 37.8% |
| 10-yr total return | 18.0% | 15.4% |
| 5-yr total return | 12.7% | 13.5% |
| Beta (vs S&P 500) | 1.17 | 1.01 |
| Max drawdown (10yr) | -32.7% | -34.0% |
| Market-cap coverage | Large + mid cap | Large cap |
| Inception | 2010 | 2010 |
VONG holds 394 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.
- Shared
- 57.2%
- VOO-only
- 42.9%
~57% identical by weight
178 weighted positions appear in both funds, and by weight about 57% 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 111 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
Which should you choose?
- You want concentrated exposure: 394 holdings, not 505
- You want to track the Russell 1000 Growth Index
- You want the wider net: 505 holdings against 394
- 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: 1.05% against 0.46%
Compare and track all ETFs in your sheet
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.
Get The Add-in - FreeVONG vs VOO frequently asked questions
VONG has the stronger record, by about 2.6% a year and they overlap roughly 57% by weight. Compare the fee and the holdings count below and pick the one that matches how broad you want the exposure to be.
VONG holds 394 positions tracking the Russell 1000 Growth Index. VOO holds 505, a broader slice of the same market.
Yes, by about 57% by weight. 178 weighted positions appear in both funds. Because the largest positions dominate both portfolios, the two behave similarly day to day.
Yes. At about 57% overlap the two hold substantially different positions, so holding both does broaden the exposure.