VOO alternatives and similar ETFs

The ETFs most like VOO are SPYM, IVV and SPY. SPYM, IVV and SPY track the same index as VOO, so they hold the same stocks. SPYM costs less: 0.02% a year against 0.03%.

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

Yearly fee
0.03%
about $3 on $10,000
Return per year
14.8%
since September 2010
Worst drop
−34.0%
since 2010
Started trading
Sep 2010
Vanguard

Key points

  • 8 funds can stand in for VOO: 3 on the same index and 5 related funds.
  • VOO charges 0.03% a year (about $3 on $10,000). The cheapest alternative here, SPYM, charges 0.02%.
  • SPYM moved most like VOO: 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.

VOO alternatives at a glance#

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

ETFHow closeYearly feeFee on $10,000Tracks
VOOThis fund0.03%$3S&P 500 Index
SPYMSame index0.02%$2S&P 500 Index
IVVSame index0.03%$3S&P 500 Index
SPYSame index0.0945%$9.45S&P 500 Index
ITOTRelated fund0.03%$3S&P Total Market Index (TMI)
SCHBRelated fund0.03%$3Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index
VTIRelated fund0.03%$3Morningstar US Total Market Index
SCHXRelated fund0.03%$3Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Total Stock Market Index
VVRelated fund0.03%$3Morningstar US Large Cap Index

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

How VOO and its alternatives did over the same dates#

$10k$20k$50k20112013201520172019202120232025
VOOSPYMIVVSPYGrowth of $10,000, log scale, with dividends reinvested. Past results do not tell you what happens next.

Each row measures the alternative and VOO 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 VOOPer yearVOO per yearWorst dropVOO worst dropSince
SPYM1.0014.8%14.8%−33.9%−34.0%September 2010
IVV1.0014.8%14.8%−33.9%−34.0%September 2010
SPY1.0014.8%14.8%−33.7%−34.0%September 2010
ITOT1.0014.5%14.8%−35.0%−34.0%September 2010
SCHB1.0014.4%14.8%−35.3%−34.0%September 2010
VTI1.0014.4%14.8%−35.0%−34.0%September 2010
SCHX1.0014.6%14.8%−34.3%−34.0%September 2010
VV1.0014.8%14.8%−34.3%−34.0%September 2010

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 VOO alternative, compared#

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

SPYM tracks the same S&P 500 Index as VOO, so the two hold the same stocks. The main differences are the fee and the fund company.

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

From September 2010 to October 2026, SPYM returned about 14.8% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% 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 tracks the same S&P 500 Index as VOO, so the two hold the same stocks. The main differences are the fee and the fund company.

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

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

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

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

SPY tracks the same S&P 500 Index as VOO, so the two hold the same stocks. The main differences are the fee and the fund company.

It charges 0.0945% a year, about $9.45 on $10,000, against $3 for VOO. It held 504 stocks, against 505 for VOO.

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

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

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

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

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VOO. It held 2,446 stocks, against 505 for VOO.

From September 2010 to October 2026, ITOT returned about 14.5% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% 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 is a looser match. It holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund, while VOO holds about 500 large US companies in the S&P 500.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VOO. It held 2,409 stocks, against 505 for VOO.

From September 2010 to October 2026, SCHB returned about 14.4% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% 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.

VTI: Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF#

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

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

From September 2010 to October 2026, VTI returned about 14.4% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% 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 VTI fund page.

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

SCHX is a looser match. It holds the biggest US companies, weighted by size, while VOO holds about 500 large US companies in the S&P 500.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VOO. It held 749 stocks, against 505 for VOO.

From September 2010 to October 2026, SCHX returned about 14.6% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% 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 VOO holds about 500 large US companies in the S&P 500.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $3 for VOO. It held 421 stocks, against 505 for VOO.

From September 2010 to October 2026, VV returned about 14.8% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% 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.

VOO versions from other fund companies#

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

  • SPDR (State Street): SPYM, State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (same index, 0.02% a year)
  • iShares (BlackRock): IVV, iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (same index, 0.03% a year)
  • Schwab: SCHB, Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF (related fund, 0.03% 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 VOO 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, VOO 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 VOO 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 VTI, are less likely to.

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

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

Common questions#

What ETF is most similar to VOO?#

SPYM is the closest. SPYM tracks the same S&P 500 Index as VOO, 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 VOO?#

Yes. SPYM charges 0.02% a year, against 0.03% for VOO. On $10,000 that is about $2 a year instead of $3.

Is VOO or SPYM better?#

Neither is better for everyone. From September 2010 to October 2026, VOO returned about 14.8% a year and SPYM returned about 14.8% a year. VOO charges 0.03% a year and SPYM charges 0.02%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

What if I had put $10,000 in VOO 10 years ago?#

It would have grown to about $42,213 by October 16, 2026, with dividends reinvested. That is about 15.5% a year. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

Sources#