Vanguard S&P 500 ETF Offers Lower Costs Than SPDR SPY -- But Should You Care?

Core Insights - Vanguard's VOO and SPDR's SPY are two of the largest index funds, both aiming to mirror the S&P 500 Index, with differences primarily in costs and yield rather than portfolio content or risk [1][2] Cost & Size Comparison - SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% while VOO has a lower expense ratio of 0.03%, making VOO more affordable for long-term investors [3][4] - As of November 19, 2025, both funds have a 1-year return of 12.3% and a dividend yield of 1.1% [3] - SPY manages $683.1 billion in assets under management (AUM), while VOO has a significantly larger AUM of $1.5 trillion [3] Performance & Risk Metrics - Over a five-year period, SPY experienced a maximum drawdown of 24.5%, while VOO had a slightly higher drawdown of 25.5% [5] - Both funds grew an initial investment of $1,000 to $1,823 over five years, indicating identical performance in terms of growth [5] Portfolio Composition - VOO holds 505 stocks with sector allocations of 36% technology, 13% financial services, and 11% consumer cyclical, featuring top positions in NVIDIA, Apple, and Microsoft [6] - SPY closely mirrors VOO with 503 holdings and similar sector allocations, also including major positions in Netflix, NVIDIA, and Apple [7] Investment Considerations - The primary distinction for investors is the lower management fee of VOO compared to SPY, which has more than double the AUM [8][12] - Both funds are considered excellent long-term investments, with performance closely matching the underlying S&P 500 index [13]