# VOO vs VTV: fees, holdings and returns compared

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

VOO holds all of the about 500 companies in the S&P 500. VTV holds about 300 large US companies that look cheap compared with their earnings or sales. VTV has less in the largest tech companies and more in banks, health care and energy. Over the same dates since September 2010, VOO returned about 14.8% a year and VTV returned about 12.9% 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

- Both charge 0.03% a year.
- VOO started trading in September 2010. VTV started in January 2004.
- Worst drops since 2010: VOO −34.0%, VTV −36.8%.
- Daily correlation: 0.93 (1 means they always move together).

## What is the difference between VOO and VTV?

VOO holds growth and value companies together, weighted by size, so the biggest tech companies lead it. VTV keeps only the value side of large US companies, picked by a Morningstar index. That makes it lean away from fast-growing tech and toward steadier, cheaper businesses. When tech leads, VOO tends to do better. In 2022, when tech fell hard, VTV fell far less.

| Fact | VOO | VTV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full name | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% a year | 0.03% a year |
| Started trading | September 7, 2010 | January 26, 2004 |
| Tracks | S&P 500 Index | Morningstar US Large Cap Value Index |
| Holdings | 505 holdings as of September 30, 2026 | 298 holdings as of September 30, 2026 |
| Type | US stocks, ETF | US stocks, ETF |

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

## Is VOO or VTV cheaper?

Both charge 0.03% a year. On $10,000, that is about $3 a year for VOO and $3 for VTV. The fund takes its fee out of its own value a little each day, so you never get a bill.

## VOO vs VTV performance over the same dates

Both funds are measured from September 2010 to October 2026, the dates both traded. VOO returned about 14.8% a year and VTV returned about 12.9% a year. VOO came out ahead over this period, which does not mean it will again.

| Measure | VOO | VTV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $10,000 grew to | $92,857 | $70,504 |
| Total return | 828.6% | 605.0% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | 14.8% | 12.9% |
| Worst drop from a high | −34.0% | −36.8% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 16.9% | 16.0% |
| Last 12 months | 15.8% | 22.5% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 23.8% | 21.2% |
| Last 5 years, per year | 12.8% | 12.0% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 15.5% | 12.8% |

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.

## VOO and VTV returns by year

| Year | VOO | VTV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (part of the year) | 13.7% | 19.3% |
| 2025 | 17.8% | 15.3% |
| 2024 | 25.0% | 16.0% |
| 2023 | 26.3% | 9.3% |
| 2022 | −18.2% | −2.1% |
| 2021 | 28.8% | 26.5% |
| 2020 | 18.3% | 2.3% |
| 2019 | 31.4% | 25.7% |
| 2018 | −4.5% | −5.5% |
| 2017 | 21.8% | 17.1% |
| 2016 | 12.2% | 17.1% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | −1.0% |
| 2014 | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 2013 | 32.4% | 33.1% |
| 2012 | 16.0% | 15.2% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| 2010 (part of the year) | 14.8% | 12.7% |

## Which fell further in bad times?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. 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.

VTV's worst fall was −36.8%, from February 12, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on December 4, 2020.

Their daily moves had a correlation of 0.93. 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 VOO or VTV

**VOO.** People who want all large US companies in one fund tend to pick VOO.

**VTV.** People who want to lean toward cheaper, steadier large companies, often for their dividends, tend to pick VTV.

## Strategies that hold VOO or VTV

These classic strategies hold one or both at least some of the time. Each is a set of written rules you can open, test and copy.

- [Papa Bear Portfolio (Muscular Portfolios)](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/papa-bear-portfolio.md), by Brian Livingston, 2018 (holds VTV)

## Other funds like VOO and VTV

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

## Test a mix of VOO and VTV

Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add VOO and VTV, 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 [VOO](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VOO.md) and [VTV](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VTV.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

- [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.
- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [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

### Does VTV pay more dividends than VOO?

Value companies tend to pay out more of their profits, so VTV has usually paid a higher dividend than VOO. Dividends change over time and can be cut.

### Do VOO and VTV overlap?

Yes. Most of VTV's companies are also in the S&P 500. VOO adds the growth companies VTV leaves out.

### Which is cheaper, VOO or VTV?

Both charge 0.03% a year. Fees come from each issuer and were checked on October 16, 2026.

### Which did better, VOO or VTV?

From September 2010 to October 2026, VOO returned about 14.8% a year and VTV returned about 12.9% a year, with dividends reinvested. Their worst drops were −34.0% and −36.8%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

## Sources

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

> 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.