ETF Versus

VGT vs VUG

Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VGT

Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares (VGT) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us sector - technology securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $102.6B ER: 0.09% Yield: 0.43% Since: Jan 26, 2004
VUG Vanguard

Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VUG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.45%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $179.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 0.45% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VUG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.09%), saving about $119 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VGT has significantly outperformed with a 29.2% return vs 18.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric VGT VUG
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 0.4% 0.5%
Fund Family N/A Vanguard
Category US Sector - Technology US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 103 131 159 187 215 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
VGT +89.7%
VUG +66.0%

Performance Comparison

Period VGT VUG Difference
1 Month -3.71% -4.47% +0.76%
3 Months -6.53% -9.18% +2.65%
6 Months -6.49% -8.28% +1.79%
YTD -6.53% -9.18% +2.65%
1 Year +29.20% +18.01% +11.19%
3 Years +83.56% +77.18% +6.38%
5 Years +89.73% +66.01% +23.72%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VGT Fees VUG Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $179 $60 $119
$10.000 20 years $771 $258 $512
$10.000 30 years $2.486 $835 $1.650
$50.000 10 years $896 $299 $597
$50.000 30 years $12.428 $4.176 $8.252
$100.000 30 years $24.855 $8.352 $16.503

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VGT VUG
Annualized Volatility 25.1% 22.2%
Max Drawdown -35.5% -36.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.46 0.37

Dividend Comparison

Metric VGT VUG
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.06 $1.99
Dividend Yield 0.43% 0.45%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

4 of top 9 holdings overlap (44% overlap in top holdings)

VGT Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA18.07%
Apple Inc.AAPL15.84%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT10.39%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.34%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU2.37%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD1.65%
Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO1.63%
Palantir Technologies Inc.PLTR1.57%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT1.54%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX1.53%

VUG Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL12.23%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.15%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG4.49%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META4.44%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.41%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.95%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.58%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.82%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VUG if...

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

Choose VGT if...

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

Related Comparisons