Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
FSEP vs VOO: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, FSEP returned +12.4% to VOO's +13.7%, and VOO charges 0.03% to FSEP's 0.85%.
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Net assets: $1.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - September, and $1.0tn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.
Pair scorecard
VOO costs 0.82 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.3 points.
| Measure | FSEP | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.4% | +13.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 1.4% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 1.8% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | SPY | S&P 500 Index |
| The outcome period | ||
| Room to the cap | 14.7% | |
| Buffer left, in index points | 10.0% of 10.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 324 | |
| Period ends | Sep 17, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, FSEP as of Oct 27, 2026 and VOO as of Sep 30, 2026 | $1.4bn | $1.0tn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 100% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 39.1% | |
Side by side
FSEP and VOO on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
FSEP
From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 14.7% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.8% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, SPY can fall 1.4% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's SPY level. 324 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
VOO
VOO tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 507 positions, with the top ten at 39.1%.
Questions people ask
- Are FSEP and VOO in the same category?
- FSEP is a buffer ETF and VOO is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, FSEP or VOO?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FSEP returned +12.4% and VOO +13.7%.
- Which is cheaper, FSEP or VOO?
- VOO is cheaper, by 0.82 percentage points a year. That is about $82 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
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ETFIQ, FSEP against VOO, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fsep-vs-voo
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). FSEP against VOO. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fsep-vs-voo
[FSEP against VOO (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fsep-vs-voo)
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