Best Of
ETFs That Track the Nasdaq-100 in 2026
Plain and alternative-weight Nasdaq-100 index ETFs, with the differences explained.
Data updated September 2026 · 5 ETFs
Who this page is for
Best for
- Growth investors seeking exposure to large non-financial Nasdaq-listed companies
- Investors deciding between QQQ, QQQM, and alternative-weight Nasdaq-100 funds
- Portfolios that can tolerate concentrated technology and megacap exposure
Not a fit for
- Investors seeking a diversified proxy for the entire Nasdaq exchange
- Conservative portfolios unable to tolerate growth-stock drawdowns
- Income investors whose main objective is a large current distribution
Analysis
Nasdaq is an exchange, not one investable index. Most searches for a Nasdaq ETF mean the Nasdaq-100, which holds 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed there. QQQ and QQQM follow the standard capitalization-weighted index; their main differences are cost, structure, assets, and trading liquidity. Equal-weight versions follow related but different indexes, reducing megacap concentration and producing different returns. Income, buffer, leveraged, and inverse QQQ products are not plain trackers and are excluded.
Risks specific to this category
- Single-index dependence: most funds here are built on the same Nasdaq-100 exposure, so they rise and fall together and share that index's concentration in its largest constituents — holding several of them does not diversify the underlying index risk.
- Distributions are not contractual: each payout is declared period by period, so the yields on this page can fall without notice when portfolio income, option premium, or fund policy changes.
- Methodology divergence: every fund here follows its own index rules or mandate, so two funds with similar headline yields can hold very different portfolios and diverge sharply in a drawdown — category membership is not interchangeability.
- Screens react after the fact: a fund's place in this list is re-rated only once a dividend cut, strategy change, or asset decline has already shown up in the reported data.
See this list inside your portfolio
A ranked list is a starting point. Dividend Vision turns it into a plan — forecasting the income your holdings actually generate and putting each fund's yield next to its total return and risk.
- Income forecasting — know what your holdings pay monthly, quarterly, and yearly
- Yield vs. total return — weigh each distribution against price performance, not the headline rate
- Screen & compare — line up any income ETFs side by side on yield, cost, and strategy
- Portfolio risk — see income concentration, issuer overlap, and volatility across your holdings
- AI ETF comparison — ask plain-language questions to compare yield, risk, and income potential
7 days of Pro included · no credit card · free plan afterward
Top picks
The 3 largest Nasdaq-100 index ETFs in this comparison.
Yield distribution
Expense ratio distribution
Income projection
Estimated income if the current average distribution rate of 0.32% held for a full year with share prices unchanged. Distribution rate is not total return—a fund can pay a large distribution while its share price falls—so treat these as an upper-bound illustration, not a forecast.
| Investment | Annual income | Monthly income | Weekly income |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $32 | $3 | $1 |
| $25,000 | $80 | $7 | $2 |
| $50,000 | $161 | $13 | $3 |
| $100,000 | $322 | $27 | $6 |
Issuer breakdown
Distribution of ETFs by fund issuer. Larger issuers often offer lower expense ratios and higher liquidity.
How this list is built
"Best" here means the selection rule below, applied to our own data — not an opinion poll and not a prediction:
- Universe: every security in our database matching this category — 5 qualified as of September 2026.
- Exclusions: liquidated, delisted and renamed funds drop out automatically; a renamed fund's successor appears in its place.
- Ordering: assets under management, largest first.
- Cap: none — all 5 matching funds are listed.
- Independence: no placement on this page is paid, sponsored, or influenced by a fund issuer.
All 5 ETFs
| Ticker | Name | Issuer | Yield | Expense ratio | AUM | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust | Invesco | 0.45% | 0.18% | $485.9B | Quarterly |
| QQQM | Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF | Invesco | 0.48% | 0.15% | $105.1B | Quarterly |
| QQEW | First Trust Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight ETF | First Trust | 0.05% | 0.55% | $1.9B | Quarterly |
| QQQE | Direxion NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index Shares | Direxion | 0.63% | 0.35% | $1.4B | Quarterly |
| QNDX | State Street SPDR Portfolio Nasdaq 100 ETF | State Street | — | 0.10% | $154M | Quarterly |
Frequently asked questions
Which ETFs track the Nasdaq-100?
QQQ and QQQM are the best-known plain Nasdaq-100 trackers. QNDX is another plain tracker, while QQEW and QQQE use alternative equal-weight index rules.
How often is this list updated?
The data on this page is refreshed regularly using the latest available distribution rates, expense ratios, and AUM figures. Last updated September 2026.
What is the average yield of these ETFs?
The average distribution yield across the 5 ETFs on this list is 0.32%. Individual yields range from 0.05% to 0.63%.
Does a Nasdaq ETF track every stock on Nasdaq?
Usually not. QQQ and QQQM track the Nasdaq-100, not the full exchange. Read the fund's stated index before assuming what the word Nasdaq means.
What is the difference between QQQ and QQQM?
Both follow the Nasdaq-100. QQQ has the larger trading and options ecosystem, while QQQM is designed as a lower-cost long-term vehicle.
Do Nasdaq-100 income ETFs track QQQ exactly?
No. Income funds can use options or other instruments that change upside participation and distributions. Their holdings and returns can differ substantially from a plain index tracker.
Explore more
Learn the method
The metrics and risks behind this list, explained in the Academy.
From the blog
Put this list to work in your portfolio
Import or build a portfolio to see income forecasts, upcoming distributions, income concentration, and risk across everything you own — and where a fund's yield and total return diverge.
7 days of Pro included · no credit card · free plan afterward