VOO vs SPY: Dividend Yield, Total Return & Fees Compared

Vanguard S&P 500 ETFSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

Data as of the close · refreshed automatically every trading day

Higher yieldVOO1.03% vs 0.98%
Better 1-year total returnVOO+18.57% vs +18.48%
Better 5-year total returnVOO+86.31% vs +85.81%

VOO vs SPY at a glance

This page compares Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) with SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) using prices and distributions through September 25, 2026. The numbers update automatically after each trading session.

With dividends reinvested, VOO has led over the last 12 months at +18.57% versus +18.48% for SPY. VOO currently yields 1.03% (trailing 12-month) against 0.98% for SPY. Across five years the total-return gap is +86.31% for VOO vs +85.81% for SPY.

VOO leads on both current yield and 1-year total return. Yields and returns move with markets, so check the longer periods below before drawing conclusions.

Key figures for VOO and SPY
MetricVOOSPY
Last close$710.79$771.35
Dividend yield1.03% (TTM)0.98% (TTM)
Expense ratio—0.09%
Paysquarterlyquarterly
Dividends, last 12 months$7.35 (4 payments)$7.58 (4 payments)
IssuerVanguardSPDR
Inception—Jan 23, 1993

Performance: VOO vs SPY

Total return assumes every distribution is reinvested. Switch to price return to see the change in share price alone.

VOOSPY

Total Return (%) · dividends reinvested · Sep 25, 2025 – Sep 25, 2026

DividendDuel.com

Overview

Key fund stats as of the latest close.

ETFTTM yield1Y total returnLast closeLast dividendPaysIssuer
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF
1.03%
+18.57%Best$710.79$1.962QuarterlyVanguard
SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
0.98%
+18.48%$771.35$1.889QuarterlySPDR

Total returns

Price change plus dividends paid, by holding period. Best in each period is outlined.

ETF1M3M6M1Y2Y5Y
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF+0.96%+5.50%+18.08%+18.57%+38.60%+86.31%
SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust+0.96%+5.31%+18.03%+18.48%+38.43%+85.81%

Dividends

Latest payout, trailing 12-month total and the last 12 distributions.

ETFLatest payoutvs. priorTrailing 12MRecent payouts
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF$1.962Jun 26, 2026+4.81%$7.3454 payoutsSep 28, 2023: $1.493Dec 20, 2023: $1.801Mar 22, 2024: $1.543Jun 28, 2024: $1.784Sep 27, 2024: $1.639Dec 23, 2024: $1.739Mar 27, 2025: $1.812Jun 30, 2025: $1.745Sep 29, 2025: $1.74Dec 22, 2025: $1.771Mar 27, 2026: $1.872Jun 26, 2026: $1.962
SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust$1.889Sep 18, 2026-0.79%$7.5834 payoutsDec 15, 2023: $1.906Mar 15, 2024: $1.595Jun 21, 2024: $1.759Sep 20, 2024: $1.746Dec 20, 2024: $1.966Mar 21, 2025: $1.696Jun 20, 2025: $1.761Sep 19, 2025: $1.831Dec 19, 2025: $1.993Mar 20, 2026: $1.797Jun 18, 2026: $1.904Sep 18, 2026: $1.889

Recent dividend payments

The latest 12 distributions per share for each fund, newest first.

VOOSPY
Jun 26, 2026$1.96Sep 18, 2026$1.89
Mar 27, 2026$1.87Jun 18, 2026$1.90
Dec 22, 2025$1.77Mar 20, 2026$1.80
Sep 29, 2025$1.74Dec 19, 2025$1.99
Jun 30, 2025$1.75Sep 19, 2025$1.83
Mar 27, 2025$1.81Jun 20, 2025$1.76
Dec 23, 2024$1.74Mar 21, 2025$1.70
Sep 27, 2024$1.64Dec 20, 2024$1.97
Jun 28, 2024$1.78Sep 20, 2024$1.75
Mar 22, 2024$1.54Jun 21, 2024$1.76
Dec 20, 2023$1.80Mar 15, 2024$1.60
Sep 28, 2023$1.49Dec 15, 2023$1.91

VOO vs SPY: common questions

Which pays a higher dividend, VOO or SPY?

As of September 25, 2026, VOO yields 1.03% (trailing 12-month) and SPY yields 0.98% (trailing 12-month), so VOO currently pays the higher yield. A higher yield does not guarantee a higher total return.

Which has performed better, VOO or SPY?

Over the past year with dividends reinvested, VOO returned +18.57% and SPY returned +18.48%. Over five years, VOO returned +86.31% and SPY returned +85.81%. Past performance does not predict future results.

What would $10,000 in VOO vs SPY be worth after one year?

With dividends reinvested, $10,000 invested one year before September 25, 2026 would have grown to about $11,857 in VOO and $11,848 in SPY.

How often do VOO and SPY pay dividends?

VOO pays quarterly (4 payments in the last 12 months) and SPY pays quarterly (4 payments).

Is VOO or SPY the better investment?

It depends on your goals, time horizon and tax situation. Income-focused investors often weigh yield and payment frequency, while long-term investors usually compare total return and fees. Dividend Duel is an educational tool and does not provide investment advice.

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Figures come from end-of-day prices and distributions and are recalculated after every trading session; see our methodology. This page is for education only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Read the full disclosure.