FTGS vs VTI: Differences, Returns & Fees
FTGS and VTI hold 17% of their weight in the same names, and VTI returned +16.8% over the year. Net assets: $1.3bn on Oct 9, 2026 for First Trust Growth Strength ETF, and $689.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF.
VTI costs 0.57 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.8 points; VTI is far larger, $2.30tn against $1.3bn.
| FTGS | VTI | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.60% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Jun 30, 2026 | $1.3bn | $2.30tn |
| Total return, 1 year | +7.0% | +16.8% |
| What it tracks | Growth Strength Index | CRSP US Total Market Index |
| Holdings in common | 17% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 24.9% | 33.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, FTGS and VTI hold 17% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
half
17% in common
On the same fields
FTGS and VTI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About FTGS
FTGS tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +7.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.60% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 9, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 50 positions, with the top ten at 24.9%.
About VTI
VTI tracks an index of US total market. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +16.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Aug 31, 2026, 88% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3,509 positions, with the top ten at 33.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, FTGS or VTI?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FTGS returned +7.0% and VTI +16.8%.
- Which is cheaper, FTGS or VTI?
- VTI is cheaper, by 0.57 percentage points a year. That is about $57 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, FTGS against VTI, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-vti
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). FTGS against VTI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-vti
[FTGS against VTI (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ftgs-vs-vti)
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