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Dividend Vision

ETF Comparison

VT vs VOO: The World, or US Large Caps Only?

A head-to-head of Vanguard's Total World Stock ETF and its S&P 500 ETF covering what each already includes, cost, and why holding both mostly doubles US mega caps.

Data updated August 19, 2026

Best for

  • VOOInvestors who want simple, diversified core exposure in one low-cost fund.
  • VTInvestors who want broad equity exposure.

Jump to the side-by-side numbers

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

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

Total returns

VOO has lagged VT over the trailing twelve months, posting a 20.95% total return against 22.53%. The picture flips over 10 years, though — VOO has compounded at 15.30% a year, ahead of VT at 12.43%. 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.
SymbolYTD1Y3Y5Y10YSince Sep 2010Volatility Sharpe Sortino Max drawdown
VOO13.20%20.95%22.16%13.44%15.30%15.02%14.9%1.051.51-18.7%
VT13.76%22.53%21.32%11.32%12.43%11.12%14.5%1.031.49-16.5%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date, split-adjusted, as of August 19, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative; longer windows are annualized. “Since Sep 2010” measures every fund from September 9, 2010 — the youngest fund's first trading day — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. 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 trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
MetricVOOVT
Full nameVanguard S&P 500 ETFVanguard Total World Stock ETF
IssuerVanguardVanguard
Last Close$705.40 as of August 19, 2026$160.06 as of August 19, 2026
Distribution yield1.11%1.41%
Distribution Safety Score™ 10096
Expense ratio0.03%0.06%
AUM$1045B$82.0B
Distribution frequencyQuarterlyQuarterly
Underlying indexS&P 500 IndexFTSE Global All Cap Index
ObjectiveTrack the performance of the S&P 500 Index, representing 500 of the largest U.S. companies.Track the FTSE Global All Cap Index, covering developed and emerging markets.
Asset classEquityEquity
Inception date09/07/201006/24/2008
Beta1.00.98
Last dividend$1.9622$0.5630
Ex-dividend date06/26/202606/18/2026

Bottom lineChoose VOO if you want simple, diversified core exposure in one low-cost fund. Choose VT if you want broad equity exposure.

US concentration vs global diversification

VT already owns everything VOO holds, at the weight the global market assigns it. The choice is not which fund is better — it is how much of your equity sleeve you want concentrated in US large caps versus spread across the whole world.

VOOVT
UniverseAbout 500 US large capsThousands of stocks across developed and emerging markets, including every VOO holding
US exposureAll of itThe largest slice, at global market weight
CurrencyUS dollars onlyUnhedged mix of dollars and foreign currencies
Expense ratio0.03%0.06%
Distribution yield1.11%1.41%
Concentration riskTied to one country's largest companiesSpreads single-country risk; keeps the global mega-cap tilt
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Income calculator

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

Vanguard
ETFs116
Total AUM$4703B

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

Vanguard is one of the largest and most established ETF issuers, known for low-cost, broadly diversified fund offerings built on passive indexing principles. Their lineup spans multiple asset classes and strategies, including core equity and bond index funds, dividend-focused portfolios, ESG-screened options, factor-based strategies, sector exposure, target-date retirement funds, and international investments across developed and emerging markets. The platform is characterized by its emphasis on accessibility and cost efficiency across a comprehensive range of fund families, serving both individual investors seeking broad market exposure and those pursuing specific income, sustainability, or thematic objectives.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on VOO and VT.

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Quick verdict

VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) and VT (Vanguard Total World Stock ETF) are both quarterly-pay dividend ETFs, but they take different approaches.

VT offers the higher yield at 1.41% vs 1.11% for VOO. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.

VOO is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.03% compared to 0.06%.

They track different benchmarks: VOO is linked to S&P 500 Index while VT tracks FTSE Global All Cap Index, which means their performance drivers differ.

VOO is the larger fund by assets ($1045B), which generally means tighter spreads and better liquidity.

Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, VOO would generate roughly $9.25/month, while VT would produce $11.75/month, at current distribution rates. Both pay quarterly distributions.

VOO yield1.11%
VT yield1.41%
Monthly diff on $10K$2.50

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, VOO would cost approximately $30 in fees vs $60 for VT (simplified, not compounded). The $30.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.

VOO ER0.03%
VT ER0.06%

Strategy & risk

VOO tracks S&P 500 Index with a large cap approach, while VT tracks FTSE Global All Cap Index with an international approach. Beta is 1.0 for VOO and 0.98 for VT — effectively similar market sensitivity.

VOO beta1.0
VT beta0.98

Fund details

VOO is managed by Vanguard (launched 09/07/2010) with $1045B in assets. VT is managed by Vanguard (launched 06/24/2008) with $82.0B in assets.

VOO AUM$1045B
VT AUM$82.0B
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Frequently asked questions

Does VT already include everything VOO holds?

Effectively yes. VT tracks FTSE Global All Cap Index — thousands of stocks across developed and emerging markets — and US large caps are its biggest slice, so every major VOO holding sits inside VT at the weight the global market assigns it. The choice is therefore concentration, not selection: VOO puts the entire position in about 500 US large caps, while VT spreads the same dollars across the whole world, diluting both US outperformance and US-specific risk. Costs are 0.03% for VOO and 0.06% for VT, with distribution yields of 1.11% and 1.41% as of August 2026. Holding both mostly doubles up on the US mega caps.

What is the current distribution yield for VOO and VT?

VOO currently distributes 1.11% and VT 1.41%, based on fund data updated August 2026. Distribution yield moves with both the payout and the share price, so check the as-of date before relying on either figure.

Is VOO or VT better for dividend income?

It depends on your goals. VT 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 VOO and VT?

Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.

Is VOO or VT safer?

By Dividend Vision's Distribution Safety Score — a rules-based 0–100 estimate of how resilient a distribution looks, where higher is safer — VOO scores 100, VT scores 96, so VOO'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.

Which has lower fees, VOO or VT?

VOO has an expense ratio of 0.03% while VT charges 0.06%. Lower fees mean more of your investment returns stay in your pocket over time.

How much income does $10,000 in VOO vs VT generate?

At current rates, $10,000 in VOO would generate roughly $9.25 per month ($111.00 annually). The same in VT would produce about $11.75 per month ($141.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, VOO or VT?

VOO has lagged VT over the trailing twelve months, posting a 20.95% total return against 22.53%. The picture flips over 10 years, though — VOO has compounded at 15.30% a year, ahead of VT at 12.43%. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

More comparisons to explore

VOO vs VT — at a glance

Generated August 15, 2026.

Figures quoted in this analysis are from its generation date and may lag the live snapshot table above, which always shows the latest data.

Overview

VOO and VT are both Vanguard equity index ETFs that track broad-market benchmarks, but they differ fundamentally in geographic scope. VOO tracks the S&P 500—500 of the largest U.S. companies—while VT tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index, which includes developed and emerging markets worldwide. For U.S. investors, this distinction means VOO offers pure domestic large-cap exposure, while VT blends domestic, international developed, and emerging-market equities into a single global allocation.

How they differ

The clearest difference is geographic: VOO is exclusively U.S. large-cap, while VT is a global portfolio spanning U.S., developed international, and emerging markets. VOO's distribution rate is 1.10% compared to VT's 1.39%, reflecting the different dividend yields across geographies and market capitalizations included in each index. VOO is vastly larger, with $1032B in assets under management versus VT's $80.9B, and VOO's expense ratio is 0.03% versus VT's 0.07%—a modest but meaningful difference on a global all-cap strategy that requires broader index construction.

Who each is best for

VOO: Fits investors who want concentrated U.S. large-cap exposure as a core equity holding or who believe U.S. equities will outpace global peers over their time horizon.

VT: Designed for investors seeking single-fund global diversification across developed and emerging markets, including U.S. exposure, in a single purchase.

Key risks to know

  • Geographic concentration (VOO): Holding exclusively U.S. large-cap leaves the portfolio fully exposed to U.S. economic cycles, currency strength, and sector concentration within the U.S. market—performance divergence between U.S. and non-U.S. equities is a historical pattern worth monitoring.
  • Emerging-market volatility (VT): VT's exposure to emerging markets introduces currency risk and higher volatility in less-developed economies; emerging-market drawdowns can be sharp and sustained.
  • Currency exposure (VT): Non-U.S. holdings in VT are subject to foreign-exchange risk; a strengthening dollar can offset gains in international equities, while a weakening dollar can amplify them.
  • Index-replication risk: Both ETFs track indexes mechanically; a sudden shock to the market structure underlying either the S&P 500 or FTSE Global All Cap could affect holdings, though this is rare.
  • Overlap considerations: VOO and VT both hold U.S. large-cap stocks, so their international and emerging-market components only partially diversify each other if held together.

Bottom line

VOO delivers low-cost U.S. large-cap exposure with the largest asset base and lowest expense ratio; VT offers global diversification in a single fund at a slightly higher cost and with greater exposure to currency and emerging-market risk. If you want to concentrate on the U.S. equity market, VOO is the simpler choice; if you're building a global allocation and prefer one fund over separate domestic and international pieces, VT's slightly higher yield and broader geography address that goal. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

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