Vanguard’s ETFs are popular among U.S. investors for their low fees and broad market exposure. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (VOOG) both track the S&P 500—but in different ways. Using the TipRanks’ ETF Comparison Tool, we have compared VOO and VOOG on multiple parameters. According to TipRanks’ unique ETF analyst consensus, VOOG currently holds a Strong Buy rating and offers an upside of over 40%, reflecting its growth-focused strategy. VOO, in contrast, carries a Moderate Buy rating with around 31% upside, emphasizing steady, broad-market exposure.
VOO tracks the S&P 500 in a simple, market-weighted way, giving investors exposure to all 500 large U.S. companies. Meanwhile, VOOG focuses only on the S&P 500’s fastest-growing companies, emphasizing those with strong earnings and revenue growth. As a result, VOOG offers higher potential returns but with more volatility, while VOO provides a more balanced, stable approach.
Let’s look at more details.
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF tracks the S&P 500 Index, which includes roughly 500 of the largest U.S. companies by market capitalization. Because mega-cap firms dominate the index, the ETF is heavily weighted toward the technology sector.
VOO currently holds about 507 stocks and manages roughly $830.4 billion in assets. The fund is also more concentrated at the top compared with broader market ETFs. In fact, its top 10 holdings account for about 36.3% of the portfolio, meaning a handful of mega-cap stocks have a major influence on its performance. VOO’s top 5 positions are Nvidia (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), and Alphabet (GOOGL).
Additionally, VOO has a very low expense ratio of 0.03%, making it an affordable way to invest in the U.S. stock market.
The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (VOOG) tracks the growth segment of the S&P 500, focusing on large-cap companies with strong earnings momentum. Its top holdings are the same as VOO’s, along with other major names such as Broadcom (AVGO) and Meta Platforms (META). Overall, VOOG holds 142 stocks and manages approximately $20.95 billion in assets.
VOOG is more concentrated than VOO, with its top 10 holdings accounting for nearly 60% of the portfolio. This means much of the ETF’s performance relies on a small group of fast-growing companies. This concentration can amplify returns if these growth leaders perform well, but it also increases risk—if a few of these key stocks stumble, the ETF’s overall performance could be affected more than a broadly diversified fund like VOO.
