Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
MAGS vs VUG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, MAGS returned +5.8% to VUG's +6.6%; 22% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $5.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF, and $232.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUG costs 0.27 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.8 points.
| Measure | MAGS | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.8% | +6.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.1%, high on Oct 13, 2026 | 4.1%, high on Oct 6, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.30% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, MAGS as of Oct 28, 2026 and VUG as of Sep 30, 2026 | $5.5bn | $232.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 22% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 29.3% | 63.1% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 21, 2023 to Oct 23, 2026 · 183 weekly returnsMAGS returned more: +189.1% to +113.2%. VUG swung less: 18.7% to 24.0%. VUG fell less at its worst: −21.8% to −26.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | MAGS | VUG | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +189.1% | +113.2% | MAGS | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +35.2% | +24.0% | MAGS | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +181.4% | +109.5% | MAGS | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 24.0% | 18.7% | VUG | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.5% | 11.8% | VUG | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −26.6% | −21.8% | VUG | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 1.19 | 1.00 | MAGS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 1.97 | 1.58 | MAGS | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 1.33 | 1.10 | MAGS | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 183 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, MAGS and VUG hold 22% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026.
half
22% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
MAGS and VUG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
MAGS and VUG are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. MAGS follows No index, actively managed and VUG follows Morningstar US Large Cap Growth Index.
- Holdings in common. 22% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- Number of holdings. MAGS holds 8 positions and VUG holds 137.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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MAGS
MAGS is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +5.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.30% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 8 positions, with the top ten at 29.3%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Oct 13, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VUG
VUG tracks an index of US growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 137 positions, with the top ten at 63.1%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, MAGS or VUG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, MAGS returned +5.8% and VUG +6.6%.
- Which is cheaper, MAGS or VUG?
- VUG is cheaper, by 0.27 percentage points a year. That is about $27 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.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, MAGS against VUG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mags-vs-vug
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). MAGS against VUG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/mags-vs-vug
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