VTI alternatives and similar ETFs

VTI alternatives at a glance#

Each fund below can stand in for VTI, closest first. “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.

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

How VTI and its alternatives did over the same dates#

Each row measures the alternative and VTI 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.

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 VTI alternative, compared#

ITOT: iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF#

ITOT also holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund. It tracks the S&P Total Market Index (TMI), while VTI tracks the Morningstar US Total Market Index.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 2,446 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From January 2004 to October 2026, ITOT returned about 10.6% a year and VTI returned about 10.7% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

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

SCHB: Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF#

SCHB also holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index, while VTI tracks the Morningstar US Total Market Index.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 2,409 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From November 2009 to October 2026, SCHB returned about 14.2% a year and VTI returned about 14.2% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

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

SPYM: State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF#

SPYM is a looser match. It holds about 500 large US companies in the S&P 500, while VTI holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund.

It charges 0.02% a year, about $2 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 505 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From November 2005 to October 2026, SPYM returned about 11.2% a year and VTI returned about 11.1% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

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

IVV: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF#

IVV is a looser match. It holds about 500 large US companies in the S&P 500, while VTI holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 505 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From June 2001 to October 2026, IVV returned about 9.5% a year and VTI returned about 9.7% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

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

VOO: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF#

VOO is a looser match. It holds about 500 large US companies in the S&P 500, while VTI holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 505 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From September 2010 to October 2026, VOO returned about 14.8% a year and VTI returned about 14.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

Read VOO vs VTI for the full side-by-side, or the VOO fund page.

SPY: State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust#

SPY is a looser match. It holds about 500 large US companies in the S&P 500, while VTI holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund.

It charges 0.0945% a year, about $9.45 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 504 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From June 2001 to October 2026, SPY returned about 9.4% a year and VTI returned about 9.7% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

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

SCHX: Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF#

SCHX is a looser match. It holds the biggest US companies, weighted by size, while VTI holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 749 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From November 2009 to October 2026, SCHX returned about 14.4% a year and VTI returned about 14.2% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

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

VV: Vanguard Morningstar Large-Cap ETF#

VV is a looser match. It holds the biggest US companies, weighted by size, while VTI holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VTI. It held 421 stocks, against 3,519 for VTI.

From January 2004 to October 2026, VV returned about 11.0% a year and VTI returned about 10.8% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

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

VTI versions from other fund companies#

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

• iShares (BlackRock): ITOT, iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (same kind of fund, 0.03% a year)
• Schwab: SCHB, Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (same kind of fund, 0.03% a year)
• SPDR (State Street): SPYM, State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (related fund, 0.02% 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 VTI 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, VTI costs about $3 a year. SPYM costs about $2.
• 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 VTI 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 ITOT, SCHB or SPYM, are less likely to.

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

Test VTI 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 VTI and ITOT, 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 VTI. 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 VTI 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 VTI only on days both traded. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.