Data as of Sep 4, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ARKK vs QQQ
ARK Innovation ETF and Invesco QQQ Trust.
| ARKK ARK Innovation ETF | QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Themes desk | Core fund |
| Issuer | ARK | Invesco |
| What it is | Broad innovation and megatrends | Nasdaq-100, book from QQQM |
| Total return, 1 year | +14.9% | +25.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +20.0% | +20.0% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −5.0 pts | +5.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.18% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 37.9% | 96.7% |
| Holdings | 47 | 101 |
ARKK in plain words
By weight, 38% of ARKK's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 85%. The top ten holdings are 50% of the fund across 47 positions, as filed for Sep 4, 2026. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 the fund returned +14.9% with distributions reinvested against +20.0% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 5.0 pts. It sits 44.2% below its all-time high of Feb 12, 2021.
QQQ in plain words
QQQ is a index equity fund tracking Nasdaq-100, book from QQQM. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 it returned +25.6% with distributions reinvested, against +20.0% for the S&P 500 and +25.6% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 101 positions, with the top ten at 47.5%. It sat 3.5% below its high of Jun 2, 2026 on Sep 4, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ARKK or QQQ?
- In the year to Sep 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ARKK returned +14.9% and QQQ returned +25.6%, so QQQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ARKK or QQQ?
- ARKK charges 0.75% a year and QQQ charges 0.18%, so QQQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ARKK and QQQ overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 38% of ARKK and 97% of QQQ by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.
- Are ARKK and QQQ the same kind of fund?
- No. ARKK is a thematic ETF and QQQ is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Cite this page. ETFIQ, ARKK against QQQ, data as of Sep 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ARKK-QQQ.html Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. ETFIQ publishes the same fields for every fund and suggests no allocation. Standards and sources