VOO vs VTI
VOO tracks the S&P 500 (large US companies); VTI tracks the entire US stock market, adding mid- and small-cap companies on top of that same large-cap core. Because large companies dominate both, their returns tend to move closely together. This page shows the real history and, more importantly, how to decide which fits you.
VOO owns the 500 largest US companies; VTI owns those same 500 plus thousands of smaller ones, so VTI is simply the broader of two very similar Vanguard funds.
Pick two investments, choose a time range, and we will show how each performed with real data.
Price return counts only the change in market price. Dividends are ignored.
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Not enough overlapping history
We could not find enough real, overlapping price data for Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and Vanguard Total Stock Market over this range. Try a different range, or a different pair. We do not fill gaps with estimated data.
For education only. Money Masters does not give investment advice or recommendations, and nothing here is a suggestion to buy or sell any asset. Figures use real historical prices; total return uses real dividend data where it is available and is otherwise shown as price return. Fees and taxes are not included. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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Cost and what each tracks
Over long holding periods, a small fee difference compounds. Here is the cost and the index behind each fund.
Expense ratios as of 2026, from each fund’s provider. Verify the current figure on the fund’s page before investing. See our guide on why fees matter and run the impact in the compound interest calculator.
Which investor is each designed for?
These are educational profiles, not advice. The right fit depends on your own goals, timeline, and comfort with risk.
Someone who wants clean, simple exposure to big US companies and is happy tracking the headline S&P 500 that gets quoted everywhere.
Someone who wants the entire US market in one decision, including the mid- and small-cap companies VOO leaves out, for maximum built-in diversification.
Frequently asked questions
Is VTI better than VOO?
Neither is better in general; they serve slightly different goals at the same 0.03% cost. VTI is more diversified because it adds mid- and small-cap stocks, while VOO is a pure large-cap S&P 500 fund. Because large companies drive most of the return in both, their long-run performance has been very close. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Do VOO and VTI overlap?
Heavily. Every company in VOO is also in VTI, and because VTI weights by size, those same 500 large companies make up roughly 85% of VTI. The difference is the long tail of smaller companies VTI adds.
Should I own both VOO and VTI?
Owning both is usually redundant rather than diversifying, since one is largely contained inside the other. Most people pick one as their US core. Our guide on how many funds you actually need covers why.
Still unsure?
Keep learning. These pick up exactly where this comparison leaves off.