Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SPY vs VBR: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SPY returned +13.6% to VBR's +17.6%; 3% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $814.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF.
Pair scorecard
VBR costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.0 points; SPY is far larger, $809.2bn against $35.1bn.
| Measure | SPY | VBR |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.6% | +17.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.9%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | S&P 500 Index | Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $809.2bn | $35.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 3% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 38.1% | 5.9% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, SPY and VBR hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
3% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
SPY and VBR on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SPY
SPY tracks the S&P 500. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.6% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 504 positions, with the top ten at 38.1%.
VBR
VBR tracks an index of Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 822 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SPY or VBR?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SPY returned +13.6% and VBR +17.6%.
- Which is cheaper, SPY or VBR?
- VBR is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 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, SPY against VBR, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spy-vs-vbr
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SPY against VBR. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spy-vs-vbr
[SPY against VBR (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/spy-vs-vbr)
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