VOO vs VTSAX: Which Should You Buy?
Same fund company (Vanguard), same 0.03% fee, about 89% the same holdings.
Over the period we can measure, VOO has returned about 0.6% a year more and overlap about 89% by weight. Pick VOO for the tighter 505-holding portfolio; pick VTSAX to own 3,516 instead. Both cost 0.03% per year.
This is purely for informational purposes, not investment advice. Always consult a professional before making investment decisions.
VOO wins if...
You want the tighter portfolio: 505 holdings rather than 3,516, tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
VTSAX wins if...
You want maximum diversification: 3,516 holdings covering the broader market, tracking the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index.
VOO vs VTSAX, side by side
The numbers that actually differ are highlighted.
| Metric | VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF | VTSAXVanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Index tracked | Standard & Poor's 500 Index | Vanguard Total Stock Market Index |
| Number of holdings | 505 | 3,516 |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Dividend yield | 1.05% | 1.03% |
| AUM | $1.80T | $2.30T |
| Top 10 concentration | 37.8% | 33.5% |
| 10-yr total return | 15.4% | 14.9% |
| 5-yr total return | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| Beta (vs S&P 500) | 1.01 | 1.02 |
| Max drawdown (10yr) | -34.0% | -35.0% |
| Market-cap coverage | Large cap | Large + mid + small |
| Inception | 2010 | 2000 |
VOO holds 505 positions tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. VTSAX holds 3,516, a broader slice of the same market.
How much do VOO and VTSAX overlap?
The single most decision-relevant fact, and the one most comparisons skip.
- Shared
- 89.0%
- VTSAX-only
- 11.0%
~89% identical by weight
501 weighted positions appear in both funds, and by weight about 89% 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 VTSAX's remaining 3,011 positions, which VOO 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 VTSAX
Growth of $10,000
10 years
Which should you choose?
- You want concentrated exposure: 505 holdings, not 3,516
- You want to track the Standard & Poor's 500 Index
- You want the higher yield: 1.05% against 1.03%
- You want the wider net: 3,516 holdings against 505
- You want to track the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index
- You want the larger, more heavily traded fund ($2.3T)
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 - FreeVOO vs VTSAX frequently asked questions
VOO has the stronger record, by about 0.6% a year and they overlap roughly 89% by weight. Both charge 0.03%, so cost is not the deciding factor.
VOO holds 505 positions tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. VTSAX holds 3,516, a broader slice of the same market.
Yes, by about 89% by weight. 501 weighted positions appear in both funds. Because the largest positions dominate both portfolios, the two behave similarly day to day.
You can, but there is little reason to. At about 89% overlap, owning both mostly duplicates the same positions and adds little diversification.