Best Of
Best Quarterly Dividend ETFs in 2026
Top quarterly-paying dividend ETFs including classic index funds and income strategies.
Data updated August 2026 · 50 ETFs
Who this page is for
Best for
- Core-portfolio investors using traditional index and dividend-weighted funds
- Long-term holders who want lower expense ratios and broad diversification
- Investors laddering three or more quarterly ETFs to simulate monthly income
Not a fit for
- Investors who need cash flow every month or week for expenses
- Those seeking double-digit headline yields (quarterly ETFs skew lower yield)
- Income seekers who prefer active, options-based strategies over passive indexing
Analysis
Quarterly dividend ETFs represent the traditional backbone of income investing. Most major index funds, blue-chip equity ETFs, and bond funds distribute income on a quarterly schedule, mirroring the payment patterns of their underlying holdings. While less frequent than monthly or weekly payers, quarterly ETFs often come with lower expense ratios and more established track records. Many of the largest, most liquid ETFs in the world—tracking indices like the S&P 500 or total bond market—pay quarterly. These funds are ideal as core portfolio holdings, offering broad diversification alongside steady income.
Risks specific to this category
- 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
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Top picks
Top 3 quarterly dividend ETFs by assets under management.
Yield distribution
Expense ratio distribution
Income projection
Estimated income if the current average distribution rate of 1.17% 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 | $117 | $10 | $2 |
| $25,000 | $291 | $24 | $6 |
| $50,000 | $583 | $49 | $11 |
| $100,000 | $1,166 | $97 | $22 |
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 — 1407 qualified as of August 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: the top 50 are shown; 1357 further matching funds are not listed here. Use the screener for the complete set.
- Independence: no placement on this page is paid, sponsored, or influenced by a fund issuer.
All 50 ETFs
| Ticker | Name | Issuer | Yield | Expense ratio | AUM | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VOO | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | Vanguard | 1.11% | 0.03% | $1045.4B | Quarterly |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | iShares | 1.03% | 0.03% | $905.5B | Quarterly |
| SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | State Street | 0.99% | 0.09% | $824.0B | Quarterly |
| VTI | Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | Vanguard | 1.09% | 0.03% | $696.1B | Quarterly |
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust | Invesco | 0.45% | 0.18% | $496.1B | Quarterly |
| VEA | Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | Vanguard | 2.05% | 0.03% | $239.2B | Quarterly |
| VUG | Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF | Vanguard | 0.42% | 0.03% | $229.8B | Quarterly |
| VTV | Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF | Vanguard | 1.91% | 0.03% | $194.5B | Quarterly |
| VXUS | Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Vanguard | 1.76% | 0.05% | $164.1B | Quarterly |
| SPYM | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | State Street | 1.05% | 0.02% | $157.4B | Quarterly |
| VGT | Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Vanguard | 0.45% | 0.09% | $150.6B | Quarterly |
| IJH | iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF | iShares | 0.96% | 0.05% | $128.7B | Quarterly |
| IWF | iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF | iShares | 0.34% | 0.18% | $128.4B | Quarterly |
| VWO | Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | Vanguard | 0.47% | 0.06% | $125.3B | Quarterly |
| XLK | State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | State Street | 0.48% | 0.08% | $124.0B | Quarterly |
| VIG | Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares | Vanguard | 1.64% | 0.04% | $114.4B | Quarterly |
| IJR | iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | iShares | 1.16% | 0.06% | $113.5B | Quarterly |
| VO | Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF | Vanguard | 1.21% | 0.03% | $110.6B | Quarterly |
| SCHD | Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | Schwab | 2.95% | 0.06% | $109.2B | Quarterly |
| QQQM | Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF | Invesco | 0.47% | 0.15% | $105.7B | Quarterly |
| RSP | Invesco S&P 500® Equal Weight ETF | Invesco | 1.47% | 0.20% | $98.8B | Quarterly |
| ITOT | iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF | iShares | 0.99% | 0.03% | $98.4B | Quarterly |
| IWD | iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF | iShares | 1.19% | 0.18% | $84.6B | Quarterly |
| VYM | Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares | Vanguard | 2.37% | 0.04% | $84.3B | Quarterly |
| VB | Vanguard Small Cap ETF | Vanguard | 1.16% | 0.03% | $83.7B | Quarterly |
| IWM | iShares Russell 2000 ETF | iShares | 0.91% | 0.19% | $83.3B | Quarterly |
| VT | Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Vanguard | 1.39% | 0.06% | $82.0B | Quarterly |
| IVW | iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF | iShares | 0.36% | 0.18% | $77.8B | Quarterly |
| SCHX | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF | Schwab | 1.00% | 0.03% | $75.0B | Quarterly |
| VEU | Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund | Vanguard | 1.83% | 0.04% | $70.6B | Quarterly |
| SCHG | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | Schwab | 0.38% | 0.04% | $62.8B | Quarterly |
| IWR | iShares Russell Midcap ETF | iShares | 1.01% | 0.18% | $58.4B | Quarterly |
| XLF | State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | State Street | 1.30% | 0.08% | $58.3B | Quarterly |
| SPYG | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | State Street | 0.48% | 0.04% | $55.6B | Quarterly |
| VV | Vanguard Large Cap ETF | Vanguard | 1.09% | 0.03% | $54.9B | Quarterly |
| IVE | iShares S&P 500 Value ETF | iShares | 1.52% | 0.18% | $50.4B | Quarterly |
| DFAC | Dimensional U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF | Dimensional | 0.94% | 0.17% | $50.0B | Quarterly |
| IWB | iShares Russell 1000 ETF | iShares | 0.80% | 0.15% | $49.9B | Quarterly |
| QUAL | iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | iShares | 0.69% | 0.15% | $48.3B | Quarterly |
| VONG | Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF | Vanguard | 0.49% | 0.06% | $46.1B | Quarterly |
| SCHB | Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF | Schwab | 1.01% | 0.03% | $45.2B | Quarterly |
| DGRO | iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | iShares | 1.67% | 0.08% | $43.8B | Quarterly |
| XLV | State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | State Street | 1.57% | 0.08% | $43.7B | Quarterly |
| SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | iShares | 0.20% | 0.33% | $43.5B | Quarterly |
| DYNF | iShares U.S. Equity Factor Rotation Active ETF | iShares | 0.71% | 0.26% | $41.4B | Quarterly |
| XLE | State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | State Street | 2.46% | 0.08% | $40.5B | Quarterly |
| VNQ | Vanguard Real Estate ETF | Vanguard | 3.49% | 0.13% | $39.2B | Quarterly |
| CGDV | Capital Group Dividend Value ETF | Capital Group | 1.16% | 0.33% | $39.2B | Quarterly |
| TQQQ | ProShares UltraPro QQQ | ProShares | 0.90% | 0.82% | $38.5B | Quarterly |
| VBR | Vanguard Small Cap Value ETF | Vanguard | 1.75% | 0.05% | $38.3B | Quarterly |
Frequently asked questions
What are the best quarterly dividend ETFs?
This page lists the top 50 ETFs in this category ranked by key metrics. The list includes funds from issuers like Vanguard, iShares, State Street, Invesco and more.
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 August 2026.
What is the average yield of these ETFs?
The average distribution yield across the 50 ETFs on this list is 1.17%. Individual yields range from 0.20% to 3.49%.
Why do most traditional ETFs pay quarterly?
Quarterly distributions align with how most public companies pay their own dividends. ETFs collect dividends from their holdings throughout the quarter and then pass them along to shareholders, typically in March, June, September, and December.
Can I build monthly income with quarterly ETFs?
Yes. By holding three or more quarterly ETFs that pay in different months, you can create a portfolio that generates income every month. Many investors use this "dividend stacking" strategy to simulate monthly cash flow from quarterly payers.
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