VOO vs VXUS: Which Should You Buy?
Same fund company (Vanguard), 0.03% vs 0.05% fee.
Over the period we can measure, VOO has returned about 5.9% a year more and overlap about 0% by weight. Pick VOO for the tighter 505-holding portfolio; pick VXUS to own 8,602 instead. VOO is the cheaper of the two at 0.03% against 0.05%.
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 8,602, tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, at a lower 0.03% fee.
VXUS wins if...
You want maximum diversification: 8,602 holdings covering the broader market, tracking the US Index.
VOO vs VXUS, side by side
The numbers that actually differ are highlighted.
| Metric | VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF | VXUSVanguard Total International Stock ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Index tracked | Standard & Poor's 500 Index | US Index |
| Number of holdings | 505 | 8,602 |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.05% |
| Dividend yield | 1.05% | 2.55% |
| AUM | $1.80T | $646.20B |
| Top 10 concentration | 37.8% | 14.1% |
| 10-yr total return | 15.4% | 9.5% |
| 5-yr total return | 13.5% | 9.4% |
| Beta (vs S&P 500) | 1.01 | 0.92 |
| Max drawdown (10yr) | -34.0% | -36.0% |
| Market-cap coverage | Large cap | International |
| Inception | 2010 | 2011 |
VOO holds 505 positions tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. VXUS holds 8,602, a broader slice of the same market.
How much do VOO and VXUS overlap?
The single most decision-relevant fact, and the one most comparisons skip.
- Shared
- 0.0%
- VXUS-only
- 100.0%
~0% identical by weight
3 weighted positions appear in both funds, and by weight about 0% 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 VXUS's remaining 8,097 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 VXUS
Growth of $10,000
10 years
Which should you choose?
- You want concentrated exposure: 505 holdings, not 8,602
- You want to track the Standard & Poor's 500 Index
- You want the lower fee: 0.03% against 0.05%
- You want the larger, more heavily traded fund ($1.8T)
- You want the wider net: 8,602 holdings against 505
- You want to track the US Index
- You want the higher yield: 2.55% against 1.05%
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 VXUS frequently asked questions
VOO has the stronger record, by about 5.9% a year and they overlap roughly 0% by weight. Compare the fee and the holdings count below and pick the one that matches how broad you want the exposure to be.
VOO holds 505 positions tracking the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. VXUS holds 8,602, a broader slice of the same market.
Yes, by about 0% by weight. 3 weighted positions appear in both funds. Because the largest positions dominate both portfolios, the two behave similarly day to day.
Yes. At about 0% overlap the two hold substantially different positions, so holding both does broaden the exposure.