SPY vs VOO ETF Comparison

Set your investment period and amount to compare the returns, growth and risk of two ETFs.

•••
A SPY
SPY 100%
B VOO
VOO 100%
Start date:, End date: $10,000 Dividends reinvested

Data as of 2026-10-23

Key comparison

Compare growth, loss risk, and cost in the same rows first.

6 essential metrics
Portfolio overview and core performance comparison
Portfolio A · SPY 100%Portfolio B · VOO 100%
CAGR +14.8%
CAGR +14.8%
Final Balance $44,357
Final Balance $44,634
Volatility +15.0%
Volatility +15.1%
MDD · daily -33.7%
MDD · daily -34.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.85
Sharpe Ratio 0.86
Weighted expense ratio 0.09%
Weighted expense ratio 0.03%

Result summary

VOO had the higher CAGR. SPY had the smaller maximum drawdown.

  • SPY: CAGR 14.77%, daily maximum drawdown -33.70%.
  • VOO: CAGR 14.84%, daily maximum drawdown -34.01%.

Key points in this comparison

  • The gap in annualized return was 0.07 percentage points and the gap in maximum drawdown 0.3 percentage points, so the two portfolios delivered virtually the same result.
  • Weighted annual expense ratio: SPY 0.09%, VOO 0.03%, a difference of 0.06 percentage points.
  • The monthly-return correlation is 1.00: the two portfolios moved almost in step.
Period & basis

2016-01-04 – 2026-10-23

Historical results for this period.

Cumulative performance

Compare growth paths and cumulative returns over the same period.

Portfolio value

Compare portfolio value and cumulative contributions on the same dates.

A vs B Cumulative Return Comparison
ETFTotal ReturnCAGRTotal invested
A+343.6%+14.8%10000
B+346.3%+14.8%10000
Hover over the chart to compare every value on the same date.

Risk and recovery

Compare the volatility taken for return with the loss path investors actually experienced.

Risk vs Return

Lower-left is safer, upper-right is higher risk/reward. Ideal: upper-left.

Hover over a point to review CAGR, volatility, Sharpe, and maximum drawdown together.
Risk vs Return
Compared portfoliosCAGRVolatility (Ann.)Sharpe RatioMDD · daily
A14.77%15.03%0.85-33.7%
B14.84%15.05%0.86-34.01%

Drawdown paths

Compare how far each portfolio's daily closing value fell from its prior peak over the same period.

Drawdown paths
Compared portfoliosMDD · daily
A-33.7
B-34.01
Hover over the chart to compare every value on the same date.

Returns and major declines

Compare annual returns and daily peak, trough, and recovery dates.

Annual Returns Comparison

Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.

Annual Returns Comparison · Annual
MetricAB
2026· Partial year+12.7%+12.7%
2025+17.7%+17.8%
2024+24.9%+25.0%
2023+26.2%+26.3%
2022-18.2%-18.2%
2021+28.7%+28.8%
2020+18.4%+18.3%
2019+31.2%+31.4%
2018-4.6%-4.5%
2017+21.7%+21.8%
2016+12.0%+12.2%

Worst Drawdown Periods

A · Worst Drawdown Periods
Peak dateTrough dateRecovery dateDrawdown
2020-02-192020-03-232020-08-10-33.7%
2022-01-032022-10-122023-12-13-24.5%
2018-09-202018-12-242019-04-12-19.3%
B · Worst Drawdown Periods
Peak dateTrough dateRecovery dateDrawdown
2020-02-192020-03-232020-08-10-34.0%
2022-01-032022-10-122023-12-13-24.5%
2018-09-202018-12-242019-04-12-19.5%

Stress Test: Market Crashes

Return of each ETF during major historical market drawdown events
Event A B
Q4 2018 Selloff-19.3%-19.5%
COVID-19 Crash-33.7%-34.0%
2022 Rate Hike Bear Market-24.5%-24.5%

Questions about these results

How did the same initial investment grow?

From 2016-01-04 to 2026-10-23, an initial $10,000 ended at $44,357 for SPY and $44,634 for VOO. Annualized returns were 14.77% and 14.84%, respectively.

When were the deepest drawdowns and recoveries?

SPY: peak 2020-02-19, trough 2020-03-23, drawdown -33.7%, recovery 2020-08-10. VOO: peak 2020-02-19, trough 2020-03-23, drawdown -34.0%, recovery 2020-08-10.

How did the results differ during market crises?

During COVID-19 Crash, returns were -33.7% for SPY and -34.0% for VOO. During Q4 2018 Selloff, returns were -19.3% for SPY and -19.5% for VOO.

What are the dividend yields and their basis?

The yields are 1.00% for SPY and 1.06% for VOO. They use distributions from the last 365 days divided by the last closing price and do not predict future distributions.

About the ETFs & sources

SPY A U.S. large-cap equity ETF tracking the S&P 500 Index.

VOO A Vanguard ETF tracking the S&P 500 Index.

Shared calculation settings

Comparison settings

Trading cost: 0 bps per side · personal taxes excluded · see the methodology for dividend calculation Calculation Methodology