VOO
VOO
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
VS
VOOG
VOOG
Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF

VOO vs VOOG: Which Should You Buy?

Same fund company (Vanguard), 0.03% vs 0.07% fee.

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

The verdict

Over the period we can measure, VOOG has returned about 2.1% a year more and overlap about 67% by weight. Pick VOOG for the tighter 152-holding portfolio; pick VOO to own 505 instead. VOO is the cheaper of the two at 0.03% against 0.07%.

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

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.

VOOG wins if...

You want the tighter portfolio: 152 holdings rather than 505, tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Growth Index.

VOO vs VOOG, side by side

The numbers that actually differ are highlighted.

MetricVOOVanguard S&P 500 ETFVOOGVanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF
Index trackedStandard & Poor's 500 IndexStandard & Poor's 500 Growth Index
Number of holdings505152
Expense ratio0.03%0.07%
Dividend yield1.07%0.48%
AUM$1.00T$27.80B
Top 10 concentration39.0%60.2%
10-yr total return15.6%17.7%
5-yr total return11.7%11.4%
Beta (vs S&P 500)1.011.18
Max drawdown (10yr)-34.0%-32.7%
Market-cap coverageLarge capLarge cap
Inception20102010
The difference in one line

VOOG holds 152 positions tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Growth Index. VOO holds 505, a broader slice of the same market.

How much do VOO and VOOG overlap?

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

67%overlap
Shared
66.9%
VOOG-only
33.2%

~67% identical by weight

151 weighted positions appear in both funds, and by weight about 67% 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 353 positions, which VOOG 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: VOO vs VOOG

Growth of $10,000

10 years

VOO $42,230VOOG $51,912
$10k$20k$30k$40k$50kY2Y4Y6Y8Y10
Year 10VOO: $42,230VOOG: $51,912Spread: $9,682

Which should you choose?

VOOVOOChoose if you want...
  • You want the wider net: 505 holdings against 152
  • You want to track the Standard & Poor's 500 Index
  • You want the lower fee: 0.03% against 0.07%
  • You want the higher yield: 1.07% against 0.48%
VOVOOGChoose if you want...
  • You want concentrated exposure: 152 holdings, not 505
  • You want to track the Standard & Poor's 500 Growth Index
ETF metrics pulled into a spreadsheet with Wisesheets

Compare and track all ETFs in your sheet

Type =WISE("VOO","dividend yield","ttm") or =WISEFUNDS("VOO","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 - Free

VOO vs VOOG frequently asked questions

VOOG has the stronger record, by about 2.1% a year and they overlap roughly 67% 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 67% by weight. 151 weighted positions appear in both funds. Because the largest positions dominate both portfolios, the two behave similarly day to day.

VOOG holds 152 positions tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Growth Index. VOO holds 505, a broader slice of the same market.

Yes. At about 67% overlap the two hold substantially different positions, so holding both does broaden the exposure.