Get the weekly note

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

SLV vs VUG: how they differ

SLV is a commodity fund and VUG an equity index fund, and over the year SLV returned more, +53.8% against +12.9%.

iShares Silver Trust and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.

SLV and VUG on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SLV
iShares Silver Trust
VUG
Vanguard Growth Index Fund
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesVanguard
What it isSilverUS growth
Total return, 1 year+53.8%+12.9%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500+36.3 pts−4.6 pts
Expense ratio0.50%0.03%
Holdingsnot filed147

SLV in plain words

SLV is a commodity fund tracking the Silver. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +53.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.50% a year. It sat 45.0% below its high of Jan 28, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

VUG in plain words

VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, SLV or VUG?
In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SLV returned +53.8% and VUG returned +12.9%, so SLV returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, SLV or VUG?
SLV charges 0.50% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

SLV against VUG, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, SLV against VUG, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/slv-vs-vug Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources