VOO vs VTI: Which Vanguard ETF Should You Buy in 2026?

Updated · 3 min read

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See the Difference: VOO vs VTI Calculator

Plug in a starting amount, optional monthly contribution, and number of years. We'll show you what you'd have in VOO vs Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF using actual historical returns with dividends reinvested.

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VOO Winner
Final portfolio value
Total invested
Growth
Total return
Annualized
VTI Winner
Final portfolio value
Total invested
Growth
Total return
Annualized
Share
How this works

Results use monthly total-return data (adjusted close) from Yahoo Finance, with dividends reinvested (DRIP) always on. Both ETFs are modeled over the exact same window and with identical contributions, so the only variable is fund performance. This calculator is for illustrative purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not investment advice.

Click Compare to see how $10,000 in VOO stacks up against VTI over 10 years.

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Where They Actually Differ

Cost

Tied at 0.03%

Both charge $3 per $10,000 per year. Vanguard's floor for core index ETFs. No cost edge in either direction.

Breadth

VOO
500 stocks
vs
VTI
~3,600 stocks

VTI holds every VOO stock plus ~3,100 mid- and small-caps. About 85% of VTI's weight is the same as VOO.

Market coverage

VTI covers the full market

VOO captures ~85% of U.S. market cap (large-cap only). VTI captures essentially 100%: large, mid, small, and micro-cap. The gap matters most when small-caps rally.

Tax & structure

Both are open-end ETFs from Vanguard, both share classes of larger mutual funds (VFIAX and VTSAX). Same patented tax structure, same in-kind redemption mechanics. Genuinely identical here.

$10,000 Invested at Inception

Growth of $10,000 from 2011 through 2026-04-22, dividends reinvested.

$5,000 $22,500 $40,000 $57,500 $75,000 2011 2015 2019 2023 2026
VOO turned $10,000 into $73,602 (+14.76%/yr)
VTI turned $10,000 into $70,263 (+14.39%/yr)
Difference after 14.5 years: $3,339 in favor of VOO.

Monthly adjusted-close data via Yahoo Finance. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Up nextVOO vs SCHD

Frequently Asked Questions

Is VTI more diversified than VOO?

Yes. VTI holds about 3,600 stocks across large, mid, small, and micro caps. VOO holds about 500 large-caps from the S&P 500. But those 500 stocks already represent roughly 85% of total U.S. market cap, so the practical diversification gap is smaller than the holdings count suggests.

Do VOO and VTI have the same top holdings?

Yes. Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Broadcom, Tesla, and Berkshire Hathaway dominate both funds. Each name's weight is slightly lower in VTI because the total-market index has more stocks in the denominator.

Should I own both VOO and VTI?

Little benefit. VOO's holdings are entirely inside VTI, so holding both just overweights large-caps without adding real diversification. Pick one: VTI if you want small-caps too, VOO if you want clean S&P 500 exposure.

Which has better returns, VOO or VTI?

Over the past decade VOO has slightly outperformed because mega-cap tech has led the market. In periods when small- and mid-caps lead (like 2000–2010), VTI has the edge. The typical year-to-year gap is under 0.5% and swings in both directions.

Are VOO and VTI both good for a Roth IRA?

Yes. Both work beautifully as a core Roth IRA holding. Same 0.03% fee, same tax efficiency, same broad U.S. equity exposure. Either one can stand alone as the equity slice of a simple retirement portfolio.

At a Glance

Assets (AUM)
VOO $1.51T
VTI $1.78T
Inception
VOO Sep 7, 2010
VTI May 24, 2001
Dividends
VOO Quarterly
VTI Quarterly

Data as of 2026-04-17. Sources: Vanguard, State Street, Morningstar, Yahoo Finance.

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