ETF Versus

SPYD vs VIG

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF vs Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-08

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.35%. Launched in 2015, the fund has a 11-year track record.

AUM: $7.1B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.35% Since: Oct 21, 2015
VIG

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares (VIG) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.56%. Launched in 2006, the fund has a 20-year track record.

AUM: $99.7B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.56% Since: Apr 21, 2006

Quick Verdict

VIG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.04% vs 0.07%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VIG has significantly outperformed with a 27.5% return vs 17.9%. Income investors may prefer SPYD for its higher yield (4.3% vs 1.6%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPYD VIG
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 4.3% 1.6%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Dividend US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 99 113 127 141 155 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SPYD +17.7%
VIG +47.8%

Performance Comparison

Period SPYD VIG Difference
1 Month -2.15% -0.59% -1.56%
3 Months +3.12% -0.80% +3.92%
6 Months +7.38% +4.16% +3.22%
YTD +4.90% +0.38% +4.52%
1 Year +17.87% +27.48% -9.61%
3 Years +20.41% +43.18% -22.77%
5 Years +17.39% +46.77% -29.38%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPYD Fees VIG Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $140 $80 $60
$10,000 20 years $600 $344 $256
$10,000 30 years $1,938 $1,112 $826
$50,000 10 years $698 $399 $298
$50,000 30 years $9,692 $5,560 $4,131
$100,000 30 years $19,383 $11,121 $8,263

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPYD VIG
Annualized Volatility 16.5% 14.3%
Max Drawdown -27.4% -21.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.31

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPYD VIG
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.99 $3.45
Dividend Yield 4.35% 1.56%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

SPYD Top Holdings

NameWeight
APA CorporationAPA1.99%
LyondellBasell Industries N.V.LYB1.86%
Dow Inc.DOW1.75%
EOG Resources, Inc.EOG1.62%
Verizon Communications Inc.VZ1.54%
Phillips 66PSX1.54%
AT&T Inc.T1.48%
Edison InternationalEIX1.48%
Chevron CorporationCVX1.46%
ONEOK, Inc.OKE1.43%

VIG Top Holdings

NameWeight
Broadcom Inc.AVGO5.92%
Apple Inc.AAPL3.89%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY3.70%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT3.45%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM3.42%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM2.87%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ2.65%
Walmart Inc.WMT2.48%
Visa Inc.V2.23%
Costco Wholesale CorporationCOST1.98%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VIG if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose VIG if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SPYD if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Either works if...

you just need broad us dividend exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

Related Comparisons