ETF Versus

VTI vs VYM

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares vs Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

VTI Vanguard

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares (VTI) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to the total U.S. stock market across all capitalizations. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.17%. Launched in 2001, the fund has a 25-year track record.

AUM: $546.0B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.17% Since: May 24, 2001
VYM Vanguard

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (VYM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.37%. Launched in 2006, the fund has a 20-year track record.

AUM: $71.3B ER: 0.04% Yield: 2.37% Since: Nov 10, 2006

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.03% vs 0.04%), so fees are not a differentiator here. VTI has edged ahead over the past year (17.2% vs 15.0%). Income investors may prefer VYM for its higher yield (2.4% vs 1.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric VTI VYM
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 2.4%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Total Market US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 97 114 131 148 165 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
VTI +52.7%
VYM +44.6%

Performance Comparison

Period VTI VYM Difference
1 Month -4.68% -4.59% -0.09%
3 Months -3.89% +2.20% -6.09%
6 Months -2.04% +4.52% -6.56%
YTD -3.89% +2.20% -6.09%
1 Year +17.21% +14.98% +2.23%
3 Years +57.96% +39.18% +18.78%
5 Years +52.67% +44.55% +8.12%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period VTI Fees VYM Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $60 $80 $20
$10.000 20 years $258 $344 $86
$10.000 30 years $835 $1.112 $277
$50.000 10 years $299 $399 $100
$50.000 30 years $4.176 $5.560 $1.385
$100.000 30 years $8.352 $11.121 $2.769

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric VTI VYM
Annualized Volatility 17.4% 14.0%
Max Drawdown -26.2% -17.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.32 0.28

Dividend Comparison

Metric VTI VYM
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.77 $3.51
Dividend Yield 1.17% 2.37%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

1 of top 9 holdings overlap (11% overlap in top holdings)

VTI Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA6.17%
Apple Inc.AAPL5.89%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.40%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.05%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.28%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.16%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.13%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.72%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.37%

VYM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Broadcom Inc.AVGO6.48%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM3.36%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM2.83%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ2.63%
Walmart Inc.WMT2.44%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV1.81%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG1.72%
The Home Depot, Inc.HD1.66%
Chevron CorporationCVX1.54%
Caterpillar Inc.CAT1.51%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VTI if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose VYM if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Related Comparisons