🤝 BFF Take
A Genuine Toss-Up — Depends on What You Want
VTI and VOO charge identical 0.03% expense ratios, so cost doesn't decide this one. VTI holds roughly 3,600+ US stocks — including small- and mid-cap companies — while VOO holds only the 500 largest. In practice, because mega-cap stocks dominate both indexes by weight, VTI and VOO tend to move almost in lockstep: their 10-year correlation is above 0.99. The question is whether you want exposure to smaller companies that could outperform over long cycles. Historically, small-cap and mid-cap stocks have delivered higher long-run returns but with more volatility. If you want the broadest possible US diversification, VTI edges out VOO. If you want the simplest, most stable large-cap core, VOO is perfectly sufficient.
📋 Quick Takeaways
💰Identical cost — both charge 0.03%/yr (~$3/yr per $10K). This is not a cost decision.
🔄High overlap (~85%+) because large-caps dominate VTI by weight — they move nearly identically day-to-day
🎯VTI for maximum US breadth (includes small/mid-cap); VOO for pure large-cap S&P 500 exposure
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Reviewed by a CFA® Charterholder · Data updated Jun 2026 · Educational only, not financial advice
VTI
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF
📋 VTI vs VOO — Key Facts Side by Side
| Metric |
VTI |
VOO |
| Fund Name |
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF |
| Issuer |
Vanguard |
Vanguard |
| Tracks Index |
CRSP US Total Market |
S&P 500 |
| Expense Ratio |
0.03% |
0.03% |
| Cost per $10K/yr |
$3.00 |
$3.00 |
| AUM |
$464B |
$610B |
| Holdings |
3,642 |
503 |
| Inception |
2001 |
2010 |
| 1-Year Return |
+16.80% |
+17.38% |
| 3-Year Return |
+9.85% |
+10.22% |
| 5-Year Return |
+14.20% |
+14.62% |
| Avg Bid-Ask Spread |
0.00% |
0.00% |
Data from ETF BFF database. Returns are annualised. Not investment advice.
📊 VTI vs VOO — Annualised Returns
Annualised returns (trailing, price-based). Past performance does not guarantee future results.
🎯 Should You Buy VTI or VOO?
Choose if...
VTI
- You want broader diversification (3,642 holdings vs 503)
- You want the entire US stock market — large, mid, and small cap in one fund
Choose if...
VOO
- You want focused large-cap US stock exposure via S&P 500
- You already use Vanguard and prefer staying within their fund family
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❓ VTI vs VOO — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between VTI and VOO?
VTI tracks the CRSP US Total Market Index and holds approximately 3,600+ US stocks including large, mid, and small-cap companies. VOO tracks the S&P 500 and holds only the 500 largest US companies. Both charge 0.03% expense ratio. Because large-cap stocks dominate the US market by weight, VTI and VOO behave very similarly — their long-term returns are nearly identical — but VTI offers slightly broader diversification.
Does VTI outperform VOO?
Over most 10-year periods, VOO has slightly outperformed VTI because large-cap stocks (which make up most of both funds) have dominated small and mid-cap stocks since 2010. However, in periods when smaller companies outperform — as they historically did from 2000–2010 — VTI's broader exposure provides an advantage. Neither is guaranteed to outperform the other; the difference is primarily diversification, not expected return.
Is VTI or VOO better for a Roth IRA?
Both are excellent choices for a Roth IRA. VTI's broader diversification (including small and mid-cap stocks) is slightly preferable in a tax-advantaged account where you're investing for decades, since small-cap stocks have historically provided higher long-run returns — though with more volatility. That said, VOO is also a perfectly valid single-fund Roth IRA holding. Many financial planners consider them interchangeable for most individual investors.
Can I hold VTI and VOO together?
Holding both provides minimal diversification benefit because VTI already includes all the stocks in VOO plus thousands more. If you own both, you're effectively doubling your large-cap S&P 500 exposure (which is the dominant weight in VTI) without meaningfully increasing your exposure to small and mid-cap stocks. If your goal is broad US diversification, just owning VTI alone accomplishes that more cleanly.
New to ETF investing? See answers to the most common ETF questions →
ℹ️ Data shown is for educational purposes and may not reflect the most current figures. Returns are trailing price-based and exclude dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. ETF BFF is not a licensed financial advisor — this is not personalized financial advice.