Which Is the Better Total Market ETF: Vanguard's VTI or State Street's SPTM?
Key Points
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF holds more than twice as many companies as State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF.
Both funds carry a minimal 0.03% expense ratio making them among the most cost-effective options for total market exposure.
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF provides a slightly higher dividend yield and larger assets under management (AUM) than State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF.
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Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT:VTI) and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT:SPTM) both offer ultra-low-cost access to the U.S. market, though VTI provides broader small-cap coverage.
Investors seeking a single-fund solution for the entire U.S. stock market often weigh these two giants. While both target broad equity exposure, they track different indexes, resulting in variations in holding counts. The Vanguard fund is significantly larger by assets under management (AUM), though both funds provide high liquidity.
Snapshot (cost & size)
| Metric | SPTM | VTI |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | SPDR | Vanguard |
| Share price | $88.97 (as of 2026-06-26) | $362.22 (as of 2026-06-26) |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| 1-yr return (as of June 26, 2026) | 21.30% | 21.70% |
| Dividend yield | 1.09% | 1.08% |
| Beta | 0.99 | 1.01 |
| AUM | $13.3 billion | $660.7 billion |
Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.
These two funds are essentially tied on cost, both charging a rock-bottom 0.03% expense ratio that makes them almost free to own.
Performance & risk comparison
| Metric | SPTM | VTI |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown (5 yr) | (24.10%) | (25.40%) |
| Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return) | $1,808.00 | $1,746.00 |
What's inside
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT:VTI) is highly diversified with 3,598 holdings, and its largest positions include Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) at 6.71%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) at 6.30%, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) at 4.60%. Its sectors are led by technology at 37.00%, financial services at 11.00%, and communication services at 10.00%. It was launched in 2001. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has paid $4.81 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$362.22 share price works out to a 1.30% yield.
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT:SPTM) tracks the S&P Composite 1500 Index with 1,511 holdings. Its top holdings include Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) at 6.90%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) at 5.88%, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) at 3.82%. Sector exposure mirrors its peer, with technology at 37.00%, financial services at 11.00%, and consumer cyclical at 10.00%. It was launched in 2000. State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF has paid $0.97 per share over the trailing 12 months, which on its recent ~$88.97 share price works out to a 1.10% yield.
For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.
What this means for investors
When two ETFs are this similar, the choice rarely comes down to strategy. VTI and SPTM both deliver exactly what most long-term investors are looking for: ownership of the broad U.S. market at a cost so low it barely registers. Both are market-cap weighted, meaning the largest companies drive most of the returns, and both have delivered nearly identical results over every meaningful time horizon.
The one structural difference worth understanding is depth. VTI holds roughly 3,600 stocks, reaching into micro-cap territory that SPTM's 1,500-stock universe leaves out. In practice, megacap technology companies dominate both funds so thoroughly that the difference rarely shows up in performance. VTI manages significantly more assets than SPTM, reflecting Vanguard's longer institutional history. SPTM has a slightly longer track record, having launched in 2000 compared to VTI's 2001 debut.
For most investors, this decision is simple. Choose whichever fund lives on your existing brokerage platform. Both are among the strongest long-term investment vehicles available at any price.
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Sara Appino has positions in Apple and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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