RSP vs VOO: fees, holdings and returns
RSP and VOO hold the same about 500 companies from the S&P 500. VOO weights each company by its size, so a few giants make up a big part of it. RSP puts about the same amount in each company, so the smallest count as much as the largest. Over the same dates since September 2010, RSP returned about 12.7% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year.
Written by the Tactfolio research team. Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 20, 2026.
Key points
- VOO costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.2%.
- RSP started trading in April 2003. VOO started in September 2010.
- Worst drops since 2010: RSP −39.0%, VOO −34.0%.
- Daily correlation: 0.95 (1 means they always move together).
What is the difference between RSP and VOO?#
The companies are the same and the weights are not. In VOO, the largest companies, many of them in technology, carry most of the weight. In RSP, each company starts near 0.2% of the fund, and RSP resets those weights every three months. That gives RSP more in mid-size companies and in industries such as industrials and utilities, and less in the largest tech names. When the giants lead, VOO tends to do better. When the rest of the market catches up, RSP tends to. RSP also charges a higher fee.
| Fact | RSP | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF |
| Issuer | Invesco | Vanguard |
| Expense ratio | 0.2% a year | 0.03% a year |
| Started trading | April 24, 2003 | September 7, 2010 |
| Tracks | S&P 500 Equal Weight Index | S&P 500 Index |
| Holdings | n/a | 505 holdings as of September 30, 2026 |
| Type | US stocks, ETF | US stocks, ETF |
Fund facts checked on the Invesco RSP page and the Vanguard VOO page.
Is RSP or VOO cheaper?#
VOO costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.2%. On $10,000, that is about $20 a year for RSP and $3 for VOO. The fund takes its fee out of its own value a little each day, so you never get a bill.
RSP vs VOO performance over the same dates#
Both funds are measured from September 2010 to October 2026, the dates both traded. RSP returned about 12.7% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year. VOO came out ahead over this period, which does not mean it will again.
| Measure | RSP | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 grew to | $69,070 | $92,857 |
| Total return | 590.7% | 828.6% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | 12.7% | 14.8% |
| Worst drop from a high | −39.0% | −34.0% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 17.5% | 16.9% |
| Last 12 months | 15.5% | 15.8% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 18.3% | 23.8% |
| Last 5 years, per year | 8.3% | 12.8% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 12.0% | 15.5% |
Prices through October 20, 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.
RSP and VOO returns by year#
| Year | RSP | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (part of the year) | 14.0% | 13.7% |
| 2025 | 11.2% | 17.8% |
| 2024 | 12.8% | 25.0% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | 26.3% |
| 2022 | −11.6% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | 29.4% | 28.8% |
| 2020 | 12.7% | 18.3% |
| 2019 | 28.9% | 31.4% |
| 2018 | −7.8% | −4.5% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | 21.8% |
| 2016 | 14.5% | 12.2% |
| 2015 | −2.7% | 1.3% |
| 2014 | 14.1% | 12.9% |
| 2013 | 35.5% | 32.4% |
| 2012 | 17.2% | 16.0% |
| 2011 | −0.7% | 1.9% |
| 2010 (part of the year) | 16.7% | 14.8% |
Which fell further in bad times?#
A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. RSP’s worst fall was −39.0%, from February 12, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on November 9, 2020.
VOO’s worst fall was −34.0%, from February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on August 10, 2020.
Their daily moves had a correlation of 0.95. A correlation of 1 means two funds always move up and down together. Near 0 means they move on their own. So holding both adds little variety.
Why people choose RSP or VOO#
RSP. People who worry that a few giant companies make up too much of the S&P 500 tend to pick RSP, to spread the money evenly.
VOO. People who want the S&P 500 as it is usually quoted, at a very low fee, tend to pick VOO.
Strategies that hold RSP or VOO#
No classic strategy holds RSP or VOO yet.
Other funds like RSP and VOO#
Each fund has more funds that hold the same kind of investments, ranked by how closely they move with it: RSP alternatives and VOO alternatives.
Test a mix of RSP and VOO#
Open the builder, add RSP and VOO, and give each a weight, such as 50% and 50%. The backtest shows how the mix would have done, with its worst drop, on daily prices. You can also add a rule, for example to switch between them, and compare. Read the full pages for RSP and VOO, or see more ETF comparisons.
The details#
Both funds use Tactfolio’s stored daily prices, adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They are compared only on days both traded, starting the later fund’s first day, so neither gets a head start. Correlation uses daily returns over the same days. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.
Common questions#
Does RSP hold the same companies as VOO?#
Yes. Both hold the companies in the S&P 500. RSP gives each about the same weight. VOO weights them by size.
Why does RSP trade more often inside the fund?#
To keep every company at about the same weight, RSP sells some of what rose and buys some of what fell every quarter. VOO only trades when the index itself changes.
Which is cheaper, RSP or VOO?#
VOO costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.2%. Fees come from each issuer and were checked on October 17, 2026.
Which did better, RSP or VOO?#
From September 2010 to October 2026, RSP returned about 12.7% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year, with dividends reinvested. Their worst drops were −39.0% and −34.0%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.