# VGT vs VOO: fees, holdings and returns compared

> VGT vs VOO: what each ETF holds, what it costs, and how both did over the same dates, with yearly returns and worst drops.

VGT holds only US information technology companies, about 320, from very large to small. VOO holds about 500 large US companies from every industry. VGT is far more concentrated, so it has swung much more. Over the same dates since September 2010, VGT returned about 21.0% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 16, 2026. Prices through October 20, 2026.

## Key points

- VOO costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.09%.
- VGT started trading in January 2004. VOO started in September 2010.
- Worst drops since 2010: VGT −35.1%, VOO −34.0%.
- Daily correlation: 0.92 (1 means they always move together).

## What is the difference between VGT and VOO?

VOO is spread across tech, banks, health care, energy, shops and more. VGT holds a single industry, and a few giant chip and software companies make up a large part of it. That has helped VGT in years when tech led and hurt it when tech fell hard. VOO already holds the large tech companies, as a smaller slice next to everything else.

| Fact | VGT | VOO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full name | Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% a year | 0.03% a year |
| Started trading | January 26, 2004 | September 7, 2010 |
| Tracks | MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index | S&P 500 Index |
| Holdings | 318 holdings as of September 30, 2026 | 505 holdings as of September 30, 2026 |
| Type | US stocks, ETF | US stocks, ETF |

Fund facts checked on the [Vanguard VGT page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vgt) and the [Vanguard VOO page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo).

## Is VGT or VOO cheaper?

VOO costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.09%. On $10,000, that is about $9 a year for VGT and $3 for VOO. The fund takes its fee out of its own value a little each day, so you never get a bill.

## VGT vs VOO performance over the same dates

Both funds are measured from September 2010 to October 2026, the dates both traded. VGT returned about 21.0% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year. VGT came out ahead over this period, which does not mean it will again.

| Measure | VGT | VOO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $10,000 grew to | $214,528 | $92,857 |
| Total return | 2,045% | 828.6% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | 21.0% | 14.8% |
| Worst drop from a high | −35.1% | −34.0% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 22.4% | 16.9% |
| Last 12 months | 26.7% | 15.8% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 33.6% | 23.8% |
| Last 5 years, per year | 18.4% | 12.8% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 24.3% | 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.

## VGT and VOO returns by year

| Year | VGT | VOO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (part of the year) | 28.0% | 13.7% |
| 2025 | 21.8% | 17.8% |
| 2024 | 29.3% | 25.0% |
| 2023 | 52.7% | 26.3% |
| 2022 | −29.7% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | 30.4% | 28.8% |
| 2020 | 46.0% | 18.3% |
| 2019 | 48.6% | 31.4% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | −4.5% |
| 2017 | 37.1% | 21.8% |
| 2016 | 13.8% | 12.2% |
| 2015 | 5.1% | 1.3% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | 12.9% |
| 2013 | 31.0% | 32.4% |
| 2012 | 14.0% | 16.0% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | 1.9% |
| 2010 (part of the year) | 19.2% | 14.8% |

## Which fell further in bad times?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. VGT's worst fall was −35.1%, from December 27, 2021 to October 14, 2022. It got back to that high on November 20, 2023.

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 0.92. 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 VGT or VOO

**VGT.** People who want to bet on the technology industry, and accept bigger swings, tend to pick VGT.

**VOO.** People who want a broad mix of large US companies from every industry tend to pick VOO.

## Strategies that hold VGT or VOO

No classic strategy holds VGT or VOO yet.

## Other funds like VGT and VOO

Each fund has more funds that hold the same kind of investments, ranked by how closely they move with it: [VGT alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/VGT.md) and [VOO alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/VOO.md).

## Test a mix of VGT and VOO

Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add VGT 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 [VGT](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VGT.md) and [VOO](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VOO.md), or see [more ETF comparisons](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons.md).

## 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](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [Sector rotation](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sector-rotation): Sector rotation explained: the 11 GICS sectors and their ETFs, business-cycle vs momentum rotation, and a classic rule with dated backtest figures.
- [S&P 500 index funds](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index-funds): Compare the biggest S&P 500 index funds, ETFs and mutual funds, by yearly fee, see how much fees cost over 30 years, and learn how to buy one.
- [S&P 500 index](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index): The S&P 500 tracks about 500 large US companies. Learn how stocks get in, how the index is weighted, how to invest in it, and how far it has fallen before.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.

## Common questions

### Is VGT riskier than VOO?

VGT holds one industry and a few companies make up much of it, so it has had bigger swings and deeper drops than VOO. The worst drop figures above compare them on the same dates.

### Does VOO already hold the companies in VGT?

It holds the large ones. VOO owns the biggest tech companies as part of the S&P 500, but not the smaller tech companies VGT also holds.

### Which is cheaper, VGT or VOO?

VOO costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.09%. Fees come from each issuer and were checked on October 16, 2026.

### Which did better, VGT or VOO?

From September 2010 to October 2026, VGT returned about 21.0% a year and VOO returned about 14.8% a year, with dividends reinvested. Their worst drops were −35.1% and −34.0%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

## Sources

- [Vanguard: Vanguard Information Technology ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vgt)
- [Vanguard: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.