Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SMAX vs VOO: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SMAX returned +7.2% to VOO's +13.7%, and VOO charges 0.03% to SMAX's 0.50%.
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Net assets: $125m on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF, and $1.0tn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.
Pair scorecard
VOO costs 0.47 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.5 points; VOO is far larger, $1.0tn against $90m.
| Measure | SMAX | VOO |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +7.2% | +13.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Index fall to the buffer | 1.5% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 1.3% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | IVV | S&P 500 Index |
| The outcome period | ||
| Room to the cap | 8.4% | |
| Buffer left, in index points | 99.5% of 99.5% | |
| Days left in the period | 338 | |
| Period ends | Sep 30, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.50% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $90m | $1.0tn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 39.1% | |
Side by side
SMAX and VOO on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SMAX
From its price on Oct 27, 2026, the fund can gain about 8.4% more before it reaches its cap. The fund's price can fall 1.3% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, IVV can fall 1.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 99.5% of the 99.5% buffer still sits below today's IVV level. 338 days remained on Oct 27, 2026. On Sep 30, 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 SMAX and VOO in the same category?
- SMAX 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, SMAX or VOO?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SMAX returned +7.2% and VOO +13.7%.
- Which is cheaper, SMAX or VOO?
- VOO is cheaper, by 0.47 percentage points a year. That is about $47 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, SMAX against VOO, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smax-vs-voo
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SMAX against VOO. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smax-vs-voo
[SMAX against VOO (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smax-vs-voo)
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