VOO vs VTI
The S&P 500 versus the entire US market — a small but real difference in mid- and small-cap exposure. Here’s how VOO and VTI compare for dividend investors — with a calculator for each so you can model the income yourself.
VOO
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
- Type
- Broad-market index ETF
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Pays
- quarterly
VOO tracks the S&P 500, giving exposure to 500 of the largest U.S. companies. Its dividend yield is modest because it is a total-market fund rather than an income product, but its dividend has grown over time alongside corporate earnings.
VOO dividend calculatorVTI
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF
- Type
- Broad-market index ETF
- Issuer
- Vanguard
- Pays
- quarterly
VTI holds essentially the entire U.S. equity market — large, mid, and small caps. Like VOO it is a growth-and-income fund rather than a high-yield product, so its dividend is modest but broadly diversified.
VTI dividend calculatorVOO vs VTI dividend, side by side
Current dividend figures for VOO and VTI as of Oct 13, 2026. Yields and payouts change — verify the latest numbers with your broker before investing.
VOO vs VTI at a glance
| VOO | VTI | |
|---|---|---|
| What it tracks | S&P 500 Index | Morningstar US Total Market Index (named CRSP US Total Market until July 2026) |
| Stocks held (Aug 31, 2026) | 505 | 3,507 |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Launched | Sep 7, 2010 | May 24, 2001 |
| Trailing dividend yield | 1.04% (Oct 13, 2026) | 1.04% (Oct 13, 2026) |
| 30-day SEC yield (Aug 31, 2026) | 0.98% | 1.01% |
| Dividends paid | Quarterly | Quarterly |
| Dividend growth, 2015 to 2025 | 6.0% a year | 6.2% a year |
| Total return, 10 years | 15.34% a year | 14.81% a year |
| Total return, 5 years | 12.75% a year | 11.71% a year |
Fund data from Vanguard’s pages, read on September 25, 2026. Returns are at net asset value with dividends reinvested, to August 31, 2026.
VOO vs VTI returns by year
| Year | VOO | VTI |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +17.84% | +17.14% |
| 2024 | +24.98% | +23.75% |
| 2023 | +26.25% | +26.03% |
| 2022 | -18.15% | -19.50% |
| 2021 | +28.66% | +25.72% |
| 2020 | +18.35% | +20.95% |
| 2019 | +31.46% | +30.80% |
| 2018 | -4.42% | -5.13% |
| 2017 | +21.78% | +21.16% |
| 2016 | +11.93% | +12.68% |
| 2015 | +1.35% | +0.40% |
| 2014 | +13.63% | +12.56% |
| 2013 | +32.33% | +33.51% |
| 2012 | +15.98% | +16.41% |
| 2011 | +2.09% | +1.06% |
Calendar-year total return at net asset value, from Vanguard. The higher return each year is marked.
The one real difference: about 3,000 smaller companies
VOO owns the large U.S. companies in the S&P 500. It held 505 stocks on August 31, 2026, because a few companies have two classes of shares. VTI owns close to the entire U.S. stock market: 3,507 stocks on the same date, including those same large companies plus thousands of mid-size and small ones.
Both funds give each company a weight based on its size, so the biggest companies drive most of the result in both. That is why they move so closely together. From 2011 to 2025, the two funds never ended a calendar year more than 2.94 percentage points apart.
Has VTI ever beaten VOO?
Yes, but not often in recent years. Of the 15 calendar years from 2011 to 2025, VTI returned more in 4: 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020. VOO returned more in the other 11. VTI’s widest win was 2020 (20.95% against 18.35%). VOO’s widest was 2021 (28.66% against 25.72%).
Over longer periods VOO holds a small lead. In the 10 years to August 31, 2026, VOO returned 15.34% a year and VTI 14.81%. Over 5 years it was 12.75% against 11.71%. VTI has done better in years when smaller companies beat the largest ones, and VOO in years when the biggest names led. There is no reliable way to know which will happen next.
VOO vs VTI dividends
The two pay almost the same yield. As of Oct 13, 2026, VOO yielded about 1.04% and VTI about 1.04%. Vanguard’s 30-day SEC yields on August 31, 2026 were 0.98% for VOO and 1.01% for VTI.
The dividend part of each year’s return stayed close as well. In Vanguard’s figures it was never more than 0.17 percentage points apart in any year from 2011 to 2025, and in 2025 it was 1.43% for VOO and 1.41% for VTI.
Per share, VOO paid about twice as much in 2025 ($7.0678 against $3.7566), but only because one VOO share costs nearly twice as much as one VTI share. Both raised their payout at a similar pace from 2015 to 2025: 6.0% a year for VOO and 6.2% for VTI. For both funds, 2020 was the only year in that stretch that paid less than the year before.
Both pay in March, June, September and December. Their ex-dividend dates usually fall between the 20th and the 30th of those months, and the cash arrives 2 to 6 days later.
VTI’s new name
On July 29, 2026, Vanguard renamed VTI the Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF. The change followed Morningstar’s purchase of CRSP, the company whose index VTI follows, and that index is now called the Morningstar US Total Market Index. Morningstar says only the names changed and the index rules stayed the same, and Vanguard says the fund’s goal and management are unchanged. The ticker is still VTI.
Which one fits you?
On cost and income there is almost nothing between them: both charge 0.03% a year and pay about 1%. The real question is whether you want the smaller U.S. companies in your fund. VOO covers the largest companies only. VTI adds the rest of the market in a single fund.
Owning both adds little, because VTI already holds almost every stock in VOO. If you are comparing them for dividend income, their payouts are close enough that the choice is better made on the holdings question above.
Fund facts and all returns come from Vanguard’s own pages; each fund’s dividend payments were matched across at least two independent sources. Last checked Sep 25, 2026. Sources: Vanguard — VOO fund profile; Vanguard — VTI fund profile; Vanguard press release on fund name changes; Morningstar — CRSP index rebrand; Berkshire Hathaway 2013 shareholder letter; stockanalysis.com — VOO and VTI dividend history. Past returns do not predict future ones. Not financial advice.
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How VOO and VTI differ
VOO — VOO tracks the S&P 500, giving exposure to 500 of the largest U.S. companies. Its dividend yield is modest because it is a total-market fund rather than an income product, but its dividend has grown over time alongside corporate earnings.
VTI — VTI holds essentially the entire U.S. equity market — large, mid, and small caps. Like VOO it is a growth-and-income fund rather than a high-yield product, so its dividend is modest but broadly diversified.
In practice the choice comes down to your goal. VOO suits an investor who wants simple low-cost total-market growth with dividends as a secondary benefit, while VTI suits one who wants simple low-cost total-market growth with dividends as a secondary benefit. The two are not mutually exclusive — plenty of portfolios hold a growth-oriented fund and an income-oriented one together. What matters is matching each to its job and not judging a fund on its headline yield alone.
Rather than compare a single snapshot yield (which moves daily), open each calculator and enter current figures: the VOO calculator and the VTI calculator. To compare long-term compounding head to head, run the same contributions through the dividend reinvestment calculator with each fund’s assumptions.
VOO vs VTI FAQ
- Is VOO or VTI better?
- Neither wins on every measure. They charge the same 0.03% and pay about the same yield. VOO has returned slightly more over the last 5 and 10 years, while VTI owns about seven times as many companies. The choice depends on whether you want smaller companies included.
- Has VTI ever outperformed VOO?
- Yes. In the 15 calendar years from 2011 to 2025, VTI had the higher total return in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020. VOO was ahead in the other 11 years.
- Which pays more dividends, VOO or VTI?
- Their yields are nearly the same: about 1.04% for VOO and 1.04% for VTI as of Oct 13, 2026. VOO pays more per share only because its share price is nearly twice as high.
- What if I invested $1,000 in VTI 10 years ago?
- At VTI’s 10-year return of 14.81% a year to August 31, 2026, with dividends reinvested, $1,000 would have grown to about $3,979. The same $1,000 in VOO, at 15.34% a year, would be about $4,167. Past returns do not predict future ones.
- How much do VOO and VTI overlap?
- Almost all of VOO is inside VTI, since VTI holds nearly every U.S. stock, including the S&P 500 companies. VTI adds about 3,000 more stocks, mostly mid-size and small companies.
- Does Warren Buffett recommend VOO or VTI?
- He has not named either ticker. In his 2013 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, he said the cash for his wife’s trust should go 90% into “a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard’s.)” That describes an S&P 500 fund like VOO.
- What's the main difference between VOO and VTI?
- VOO is a broad-market index etf from Vanguard; VTI is a broad-market index etf from Vanguard. The S&P 500 versus the entire US market — a small but real difference in mid- and small-cap exposure.
- Does VOO or VTI pay more dividends?
- As of Oct 13, 2026, VOO yields about 1.04% and VTI about 1.04% — a similar current yield. VOO pays quarterly; VTI pays quarterly. Yields move daily, so verify current figures and use the calculators below to model the income yourself. Higher-yield funds pay more today, while dividend-growth funds start lower and raise the payout over time.
- Which is better, VOO or VTI?
- Neither is universally better — they suit different goals. VOO fits an investor who wants simple low-cost total-market growth with dividends as a secondary benefit; VTI fits one who wants simple low-cost total-market growth with dividends as a secondary benefit. Match the fund to your objective, time horizon, and tax situation, and consider a licensed advisor.
- Can I hold both VOO and VTI?
- Many investors do, to blend current income with growth. Just be aware of overlap — if both hold similar large-cap US stocks, you may be less diversified than the two tickers suggest.