ETF Versus

VTI vs VUG

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VTI Vanguard

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares (VTI) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to the total U.S. stock market across all capitalizations. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.17%. Launched in 2001, the fund has a 25-year track record.

AUM: $546.0B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.17% Since: May 24, 2001
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

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (17.2% vs 18.0%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer VTI for its higher yield (1.2% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric VTI VUG
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 0.5%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Total Market US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 98 121 144 167 190 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
VTI +52.7%
VUG +66.0%

Performance Comparison

Period VTI VUG Difference
1 Month -4.68% -4.47% -0.21%
3 Months -3.89% -9.18% +5.29%
6 Months -2.04% -8.28% +6.24%
YTD -3.89% -9.18% +5.29%
1 Year +17.21% +18.01% -0.80%
3 Years +57.96% +77.18% -19.22%
5 Years +52.67% +66.01% -13.34%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VTI Fees VUG Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10.000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10.000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50.000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $4.176 $0
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $8.352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VTI VUG
Annualized Volatility 17.4% 22.2%
Max Drawdown -26.2% -36.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.32 0.37

Dividend Comparison

Metric VTI VUG
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.77 $1.99
Dividend Yield 1.17% 0.45%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

8 of top 9 holdings overlap (89% overlap in top holdings)

VTI Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA6.17%
Apple Inc.AAPL5.89%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.40%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.05%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.28%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.16%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.13%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.72%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.37%

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 VTI if...

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

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