Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) review

VOO is the ETF share class of the Vanguard 500 Index Fund, and Vanguard's September 30, 2026 fact sheet shows why it is a default core pick. The fund tracks the S&P 500 Index with full replication, held 505 stocks and charges a 0.03% expense ratio. The ETF had $1,032,260 million in assets and the fund as a whole $1,732,017 million, the largest total on this list. Vanguard reports a 15.29% average annual NAV return over 10 years and 14.94% since the ETF's 2010 inception, though past returns do not predict future ones. It pays dividends quarterly and trades on NYSE Arca. It ranks below VTI because it holds only large US companies, so a VOO investor skips the mid and small caps that a total market fund includes. Fidelity 500 Index and Schwab S&P 500 Index track the same index for less, but as mutual funds they suit investors who already use those brokers.

Who it is for

investors who want the 500 largest US companies at a 0.03% cost

Price

0.03% expense ratio per year, about $3 per $10,000 invested.

Benchmark S&P 500 Index Expense ratio 1 0.03%
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• Tracks the S&P 500 Index with a full-replication strategy
• 505 stocks as of September 30, 2026
• 0.03% expense ratio as reported in the most recent prospectus
• $1,032,260 million in ETF assets; $1,732,017 million across the whole fund
• Quarterly dividends; trades on NYSE Arca

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Largest fund on this list by total net assets at $1,732,017 million
• Strength: Same 0.03% expense ratio as iShares Core S&P 500
• Strength: 15.29% average annual NAV return over 10 years to September 30, 2026, per Vanguard
• Weakness: Large-cap only, so it leaves out mid and small companies
• Weakness: No international stocks
• Weakness: Costs more than Fidelity 500 Index at 0.015% and Schwab S&P 500 Index at 0.02%

Key facts

• Expense ratio: 0.03%
• Index: S&P 500 Index
• Holdings: 505 stocks (Sept. 30, 2026)
• Inception: 2010-09-07

Where it ranks

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is No. 4 in our Best Index Funds verdict.