QQQM alternatives and similar ETFs

The ETFs most like QQQM are QQQ, ONEQ and QQEW. QQQ tracks the same index as QQQM, so it holds the same stocks.

Written by the Tactfolio research team. Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

Key points

  • 8 funds can stand in for QQQM: 1 on the same index, 2 of the same kind and 5 related funds.
  • QQQM charges 0.15% a year (about $15 on $10,000). The cheapest alternative here, VUG, charges 0.03%.
  • QQQ moved most like QQQM: a daily correlation of 1.00 over about the last five years.
  • Returns and drops for each pair use the same dates for both funds.

QQQM alternatives at a glance#

Each fund below can stand in for QQQM, closest first. “Same index” funds hold the same stocks as QQQM. “Same kind” funds hold the same kind of stocks through a different index. “Related” funds make a different bet that often moves the same way.

ETFHow closeYearly feeFee on $10,000Tracks
QQQMThis fund0.15%$15Nasdaq-100 Index
QQQSame index0.18%$18Nasdaq-100 Index
ONEQSame kind of fund0.21%$21Nasdaq Composite Index
QQEWSame kind of fund0.55%$55Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight Index
IYWRelated fund0.37%$37Russell 1000 Technology RIC 22.5/45 Capped Index
VUGRelated fund0.03%$3Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index
XLKRelated fund0.08%$8Technology Select Sector Index
FTECRelated fund0.084%$8.40MSCI USA IMI Information Technology 25/50 Index
VGTRelated fund0.09%$9MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index

Fees come from each fund company, checked on the dates shown on each fund’s page.

How QQQM and its alternatives did over the same dates#

$10k$20k202120222023202420252026
QQQMQQQONEQQQEWGrowth of $10,000, log scale, with dividends reinvested. Past results do not tell you what happens next.

Each row measures the alternative and QQQM on the days both traded, so neither gets a head start. Correlation shows how closely their daily moves matched over about the last five years. A value of 1 means they always moved together.

ETFMoves with QQQMPer yearQQQM per yearWorst dropQQQM worst dropSince
QQQ1.0016.4%16.5%−35.1%−35.0%October 2020
ONEQ0.9915.1%16.5%−35.2%−35.0%October 2020
QQEW0.949.6%16.5%−32.1%−35.0%October 2020
IYW0.9821.4%16.5%−39.4%−35.0%October 2020
VUG0.9814.6%16.5%−35.6%−35.0%October 2020
XLK0.9720.9%16.5%−33.6%−35.0%October 2020
FTEC0.9720.2%16.5%−34.9%−35.0%October 2020
VGT0.9720.1%16.5%−35.1%−35.0%October 2020

Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.

Each QQQM alternative, compared#

QQQ: Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1#

QQQ tracks the same Nasdaq-100 Index as QQQM, so the two hold the same stocks. The main differences are the fee and the fund company.

It charges 0.18% a year, about $18 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, QQQ returned about 16.4% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

Read QQQ vs QQQM for the full side-by-side, or the QQQ fund page.

ONEQ: Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index ETF#

ONEQ also holds the 100 biggest companies on the Nasdaq outside finance, many of them in technology. It tracks the Nasdaq Composite Index, while QQQM tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index.

It charges 0.21% a year, about $21 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, ONEQ returned about 15.1% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.99).

Read the ONEQ fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

QQEW: First Trust Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight ETF#

QQEW also holds the 100 biggest companies on the Nasdaq outside finance, many of them in technology. It tracks the Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight Index, while QQQM tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index.

It charges 0.55% a year, about $55 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, QQEW returned about 9.6% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.94).

Read the QQEW fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

IYW: iShares U.S. Technology ETF#

IYW is a looser match. It holds US technology companies, such as makers of chips, software and computers, while QQQM holds the 100 biggest companies on the Nasdaq outside finance, many of them in technology.

It charges 0.37% a year, about $37 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, IYW returned about 21.4% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.98).

Read the IYW fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

VUG: Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF#

VUG is a looser match. It holds large US companies whose sales and profits are growing fast, while QQQM holds the 100 biggest companies on the Nasdaq outside finance, many of them in technology.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, VUG returned about 14.6% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.98).

Read the VUG fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

XLK: State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF#

XLK is a looser match. It holds US technology companies, such as makers of chips, software and computers, while QQQM holds the 100 biggest companies on the Nasdaq outside finance, many of them in technology.

It charges 0.08% a year, about $8 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, XLK returned about 20.9% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the XLK fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

FTEC: Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF#

FTEC is a looser match. It holds US technology companies, such as makers of chips, software and computers, while QQQM holds the 100 biggest companies on the Nasdaq outside finance, many of them in technology.

It charges 0.084% a year, about $8.40 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, FTEC returned about 20.2% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the FTEC fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

VGT: Vanguard Information Technology ETF#

VGT is a looser match. It holds US technology companies, such as makers of chips, software and computers, while QQQM holds the 100 biggest companies on the Nasdaq outside finance, many of them in technology.

It charges 0.09% a year, about $9 on $10,000, against $15 for QQQM.

From October 2020 to October 2026, VGT returned about 20.1% a year and QQQM returned about 16.5% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the VGT fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

QQQM versions from other fund companies#

Some people keep all their funds with one company. Here is the closest fund to QQQM from each other company on this page:

  • Fidelity: ONEQ, Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index ETF (same kind of fund, 0.21% a year)
  • First Trust: QQEW, First Trust Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight ETF (same kind of fund, 0.55% a year)
  • iShares (BlackRock): IYW, iShares U.S. Technology ETF (related fund, 0.37% a year)
  • Vanguard: VUG, Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF (related fund, 0.03% a year)
  • SPDR (State Street): XLK, State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (related fund, 0.08% a year)

Most brokers let you buy any ETF, whoever runs it. Mutual fund versions, such as a fund company’s index mutual fund, are not listed here.

How to choose between QQQM and its alternatives#

  • What it tracks. A fund on the same index holds the same stocks. A different index can mean different weights, more or fewer holdings, or a different mix.
  • The fee. The difference is often small. On $10,000, QQQM costs about $15 a year. VUG costs about $3.
  • History. An older fund has been through more bad markets, so you can see how far it fell.
  • What you already own. Two funds that move together add little variety. A fund with a low correlation behaves more on its own.

Swapping QQQM to harvest a tax loss#

Some investors sell a fund at a loss to lower their taxes, then buy a similar fund so they stay invested. This is called tax-loss harvesting.

The IRS wash sale rule blocks the loss if you buy a “substantially identical” security within 30 days before or after the sale. The IRS has not said exactly when two funds count. Funds on the same index are more likely to. Funds on a different index, such as ONEQ, QQEW or IYW, are less likely to.

Ask a tax professional before you rely on this. Read the IRS rules in Publication 550.

Test QQQM and its alternatives in a backtest#

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the builder, add QQQM and QQQ, and see how each would have done on the same dates, or how a mix of both would have done.

The details#

Alternatives are picked from facts, not from returns. First come funds that track the same index as QQQM. Then come funds that hold the same kind of stocks through another index. Last come funds from a close category that make a different bet. Leveraged funds are only listed as alternatives to other leveraged funds.

Within each group, the funds whose daily returns moved most like QQQM over about the last five years come first. Returns and worst drops use Tactfolio’s stored daily prices, adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. Each alternative is measured with QQQM only on days both traded. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.

Common questions#

What ETF is most similar to QQQM?#

QQQ is the closest. QQQ tracks the same Nasdaq-100 Index as QQQM, so the two hold the same stocks. The main differences are the fee and the fund company. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together.

Is there a cheaper alternative to QQQM?#

Yes. VUG charges 0.03% a year, XLK charges 0.08% a year and FTEC charges 0.084% a year, against 0.15% for QQQM. On $10,000 that is about $3 a year instead of $15.

Is QQQM or QQQ better?#

Neither is better for everyone. From October 2020 to October 2026, QQQM returned about 16.5% a year and QQQ returned about 16.4% a year. QQQM charges 0.15% a year and QQQ charges 0.18%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

Sources#