ESGV vs VOO: The ESG Screen and What It Costs
ESGV is broadly the US market with fossil fuels, weapons, and tobacco screened out, for 0.12%. VOO is the plain S&P 500 for 0.03%. The question is whether the screen is worth 4x the fee.
ESGV (Vanguard ESG US Stock ETF) starts from a broad slice of the US market and removes companies in fossil fuels, weapons, tobacco, gambling, and adult entertainment, plus those that fail certain labor, human-rights, and governance screens. What is left is roughly 1,500 stocks that still look a lot like the broad market, just without energy and with slightly heavier technology. VOO is the unscreened S&P 500 at 0.03%. The honest framing: ESGV is not a performance strategy, it is a values strategy. In years energy runs, ESGV lags because it owns none of it. In years tech leads, ESGV can edge ahead because it is more tech-tilted by default. Over a full cycle the two track closer than people expect. So the decision is not really about returns, where the difference is mostly sector noise. It is about whether you want your dollars out of certain industries and whether that is worth paying 0.12% instead of 0.03%, about $9 more per year per $10,000. If the screen matters to you, ESGV is a low-cost way to get it. If it does not, you are paying four times the fee to exclude sectors you may not have strong feelings about, and VOO is the cleaner, cheaper core.
Whether the lower-cost fund suits your situation depends on your existing holdings, account type, tax situation, and how you use each fund. This is a cost comparison, not a personalized recommendation.
📋 ESGV vs VOO — Key Facts Side by Side
| Metric | ESGV | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| Fund Name | Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| Tracks Index | FTSE US All Cap Choice | S&P 500 |
| Expense Ratio | 0.12% | 0.03% ✓ |
| Cost per $10K/yr | $12.00 | $3.00 |
| AUM | $12.5B | $1,600.2B |
| Holdings | 1,500 | 503 |
| Inception | 2018 | 2010 |
| 1-Year Return | +29.82% | +30.31% |
| 3-Year Return | +23.49% | +23.64% |
| 5-Year Return | +12.44% | +13.83% |
| Dividend Yield | 0.90% | 1.08% |
| Holdings Overlap | High. ESGV holds most of the same large caps as VOO, then screens out fossil fuels, weapons, tobacco, and companies failing labor/governance standards. — see full overlap → | |
| Avg Bid-Ask Spread | 0.01% | 0.00% |
Expense ratio, AUM, and returns updated May 25, 2026 from ETF BFF database. Returns are annualised. Not investment advice.
📊 ESGV vs VOO — Annualised Returns
Annualised returns (trailing, price-based). Past performance does not guarantee future results.
🎯 Should You Buy ESGV or VOO?
- You want broader diversification (1,500 holdings vs 503)
- You already use Vanguard and prefer staying within their fund family
- You want the lowest fees — saves ~$9/yr per $10K vs ESGV
- You already use Vanguard and prefer staying within their fund family
💰 What the Fee Difference Actually Costs
Adjust the numbers for your situation. This models each fund's expense ratio compounding against your balance over time.
Assumes a constant annual return reinvested, with each fund's expense ratio deducted yearly. Illustrative only; actual returns vary. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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❓ ESGV vs VOO — Frequently Asked Questions
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