DV
Dividend Vision

ETF Comparison

QQQI vs QQQM: Total Return, Yield, Fees & Risk

A head-to-head of NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income and Invesco Nasdaq 100 covering the overlay, cost, and what you give up for the payout.

Updated November 6, 2026

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

QQQI labeled above a machine dispensing coins into a hand; QQQM labeled above a rocket. Concept illustration of income and growth.
Concept illustration: QQQI income focus and QQQM growth focus. Neither distributions nor growth are guaranteed.

Best for

  • QQQIInvestors who want to maximize current income — roughly 15.38%, generated by selling options premium.
  • QQQMInvestors who want a growth tilt and can accept bigger swings for higher upside.

Jump to the side-by-side numbers

Price and total return

Compare the same available dates. Add a ticker or benchmark below; these controls change the chart only. The snapshot and article describe the original comparison.

Interactive history loads here. The snapshot and period returns remain available when chart history cannot be loaded.

Distribution Safety Score

An estimate of distribution reliability, not price or principal safety, a probability, or a guarantee. Score methodology.

QQQI

84/ 100

Safe

Limited data

QQQM

97/ 100

Safe

High confidence

Score snapshot as of . Method 1.11.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
MetricQQQIQQQM
Full nameNEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETFInvesco NASDAQ 100 ETF
IssuerNEOSInvesco
Last Close$49.48 as of November 6, 2026$270.22 as of November 6, 2026
Distribution rate15.38%0.46%
Trailing 12-month yield15.42%0.49%
30-day SEC yield-0.05%—
Distribution Safety Score™ 8497
Safety-Adjusted Yield 12.92%0.45%
Expense ratio0.68%0.15%
AUM$14.9B$106B
Distribution frequencyMonthlyQuarterly
Underlying indexActively managed (no tracked index recorded)NASDAQ-100 Index
ObjectiveSeeks to generate high monthly income in a tax efficient manner while targeting equity appreciation.Track the NASDAQ-100 Index with a lower expense ratio alternative to QQQ.
Asset classEquityEquity
Inception date01/29/202410/13/2020
Beta1.05531.18
Last dividend$0.6343$0.313
Ex-dividend date10/21/202609/21/2026

Total returns

100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.

QQQI has lagged QQQM over the trailing twelve months, posting a 2.07% total return against 4.51%. Measured from Jan 2024 — the start of shared available history — QQQM has compounded at 17.13% a year versus 14.41% for QQQI. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
SymbolYTD cumulative1Y cumulativeSince Jan 2024Volatility Sharpe Sortino Max drawdown
QQQI2.08%2.07%14.41%18.2%-0.11-0.15-12.7%
QQQM5.89%4.51%17.13%21.2%0.020.02-14.7%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of November 5, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Jan 2024” measures every fund from January 30, 2024 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the past year. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the past year) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Distribution rate and SEC yield

MetricQQQIQQQM
Forward distribution rate15.38%0.46%
Trailing 12-month yield15.42%0.49%
30-day SEC yield-0.05%—

Total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is the Total returns section above. A 30-day SEC yield can sit far from the headline distribution rate; both numbers are the fund's own published fields.

Total return against the stated underlying is on QQQI vs QQQ, QQQM vs QQQ.

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Bottom lineChoose QQQI if you want to maximize current income — roughly 15.38%, generated by selling options premium. Choose QQQM if you want a growth tilt and can accept bigger swings for higher upside. There's no free lunch: QQQI's payout comes from selling options, which caps upside and can erode the share price over time, while QQQM keeps full price exposure.

QQQI vs QQQM: sold upside or the full Nasdaq-100?

Both have Nasdaq-100 exposure. QQQI actively manages equities and index options for monthly income; QQQM tracks the index without that overlay. Nasdaq-100 exposure does not mean either fund simply holds QQQ itself. Option premiums generally rise with implied volatility, all else equal, but equity losses and option obligations can still hurt returns. Distributions vary and are not guaranteed.

QQQIQQQM
What it ownsNasdaq-100 exposure plus a call overlayThe Nasdaq-100, no overlay
Where returns come fromOption premium paid out, with capped upsidePrice movement plus a small dividend
Expense ratio0.68%0.15%
Distribution rate15.38%0.46%
Typical roleNasdaq-100 income overlayCore Nasdaq-100 growth holding

How the risk works

Read this before the income numbers below: the strategy mechanics on this page shape what those payouts can cost you.

  • Capped upside and premium dependence. QQQI generates income by selling options, which trades away part of a strong rally in exchange for premium. Distributions can include return of capital, and a payout the underlying assets cannot sustain shows up as NAV erosion over time — the big yield number is not free.

Income calculator

See how much monthly income a hypothetical investment would generate in each ETF at current yields.

ETFs20
Total AUM$36.2B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

NEOS is known for developing specialized income-focused ETFs that employ strategies like covered calls, hedging, and enhanced yields across various asset classes. NEOS distinguishes itself in the ETF landscape through its emphasis on income generation and downside protection strategies rather than traditional growth approaches.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on QQQI.

ETFs248
Total AUM$971B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

Invesco is a major ETF provider known for offering a comprehensive lineup spanning multiple asset classes and investment strategies. The company specializes in income-focused products including dividend, covered call, and bond strategies, while also maintaining broad exposure across equity, factor-based, thematic, and ESG investing themes. Invesco's portfolio ranges from index-tracking funds to alternatives and specialized offerings like digital assets and BulletShares, making it one of the more expansive ETF families available to investors.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on QQQM.

Quick verdict

QQQI (NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF) and QQQM (Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF) are both dividend ETFs, but they take different approaches.

QQQI offers the higher yield at 15.38% vs 0.46% for QQQM. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.

QQQM is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.15% compared to 0.68%.

QQQM is the larger fund by assets ($106B), but assets alone do not establish trading costs or liquidity.

Who should choose each?

Choose QQQI

NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF

  • Want to maximize current income — QQQI distributes roughly 15.38% from selling options premium, vs 0.46% for QQQM.
  • Are comfortable with an options-income strategy — a large payout in exchange for capped upside.

Choose QQQM

Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF

  • Want a growth tilt and can accept larger swings for more upside.
  • Want to keep costs low — a 0.15% expense ratio vs 0.68% for QQQI.

Not sure? Use the income calculator and snapshot above to weigh these trade-offs against your own goals.

Top-holdings overlap

Positions that appear in every fund's top 10. Issuers disclose only the largest weights, so this captures the overlap of the concentrated end of each book — not the full portfolios.

Same underlying security — QQQ. Both funds are built on QQQ — held directly, wrapped in an options-income overlay, or leveraged/inverse — so their returns are driven by the same security. A low top-holdings overlap below does not mean unrelated exposure, though the option or leverage overlay changes the risk-and-return profile.
9 shared positions
QQQI 43.9% of its top-10 weight
QQQM 43.6% of its top-10 weight
PositionQQQIQQQM
AAPL Apple Inc.
8.33%
7.88%
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation
7.97%
7.75%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation
6.37%
6.31%
AMZN Amazon.com Inc
4.28%
4.49%
MU Micron Technology Inc
4.04%
4.50%
TSLA Tesla Inc
3.57%
3.54%
AMD Advanced Micro Devices Inc
3.58%
3.43%
META Meta Platforms Inc.
2.93%
2.90%
WMT Walmart Inc.
2.86%
2.83%
Holdings as-of dates unavailable · mode DIRECT (top 10)

Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment at current distribution rates, QQQI would pay about $1,538.00 a year (about $128.17 per monthly distribution), while QQQM would pay about $46.00 a year (about $11.50 per quarterly distribution).

QQQI yield15.38%
QQQM yield0.46%
Annual cash diff on $10K$1,492.00

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, QQQI would cost approximately $680 in fees vs $150 for QQQM (simplified, not compounded). The $530.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.

QQQI ER0.68%
QQQM ER0.15%

Strategy & risk

QQQI is actively managed around Nasdaq-100 exposure with an active approach, while QQQM tracks NASDAQ-100 Index with a growth approach. Beta is 1.0553 for QQQI and 1.18 for QQQM, making QQQI the less sensitive to market moves of the two by this measure.

QQQI beta1.0553
QQQM beta1.18

Fund details

QQQI is managed by NEOS (launched 01/29/2024) with $14.9B in assets. QQQM is managed by Invesco (launched 10/13/2020) with $106B in assets.

QQQI AUM$14.9B
QQQM AUM$106B

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between QQQI and QQQM?

QQQM simply tracks NASDAQ-100 Index and keeps the full index move. QQQI starts with the same Nasdaq-100 exposure and sells call options to pay monthly cash, so it distributes 15.38% against 0.46% for QQQM. That extra cash is sold upside, not a higher-quality index. Cost is 0.68% versus 0.15%. Compare total return and drawdown with the payout — a larger distribution is not automatically more wealth. Figures as of November 2026.

What is the current distribution rate for QQQI and QQQM?

QQQI currently distributes 15.38% and QQQM 0.46%, based on fund data updated November 2026. Distribution rate moves with both the payout and the share price, so check the as-of date before relying on either figure.

Is QQQI or QQQM better for dividend income?

It depends on your goals. QQQI currently offers the higher distribution yield, which means more income per dollar invested. However, a lower-yield fund may offer better total return or lower volatility. Consider your time horizon and risk tolerance.

Can I hold both QQQI and QQQM?

You can, but expect meaningful overlap: 9 of the disclosed top-10 positions are shared (see the holdings-overlap section above). Holding both may double up on the same underlying names rather than diversify.

Is QQQI or QQQM safer?

By Dividend Vision's Distribution Safety Score — a rules-based 0–100 estimate of how resilient a distribution looks, where higher is safer — QQQM scores 97, QQQI scores 84, so QQQM's payout currently looks the more resilient of the two. No score makes an investment risk-free — treat this as a screening signal, not a guarantee, and the leverage, options-income, or crypto caveats flagged on this page apply regardless of score.

Which has lower fees, QQQI or QQQM?

QQQI has an expense ratio of 0.68% while QQQM charges 0.15%. Lower fees mean more of your investment returns stay in your pocket over time.

How much income does $10,000 in QQQI vs QQQM generate?

At current distribution rates, $10,000 in QQQI would pay about $1,538.00 a year (about $128.17 per monthly distribution). $10,000 in QQQM would pay about $46.00 a year (about $11.50 per quarterly distribution).

Which has performed better historically, QQQI or QQQM?

QQQI has lagged QQQM over the trailing twelve months, posting a 2.07% total return against 4.51%. Measured from Jan 2024 — the start of shared available history — QQQM has compounded at 17.13% a year versus 14.41% for QQQI. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

More comparisons to explore

Learn the method

The metrics behind this comparison, explained in the Academy.

Continue your research

Tracking requires a free account. Account features · Plans.

These comparisons follow the Dividend Vision methodology.