Best S&P 500 ETFs (2026)
Which fund to use for core S&P 500 exposure — 4 funds ranked on cost, yield, return, risk and ETFValuer's overall grade.
Every figure on this page is recalculated from market data each day, so the ranking reflects current conditions rather than whenever this page was written. Educational content — not financial advice.
Top Picks Right Now
- cheapest in the group at 0.03%
- largest and most liquid at $1.67T
- strongest 3-year return at +71.2%
Ranked by ETFValuer's overall score. Recalculated every day from live market data — these positions change as the underlying numbers move.
At a Glance
Each superlative is measured within this group of 4 funds, not across the whole market.
All 4 Funds Ranked
| Fund | Category | Cost | Yield | 1Y | 3Y | Volatility | Max DD | Sharpe | AUM | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETF | US Large Cap Blend | 0.03% | 0.80% | +17.7% | +71.2% | 12.6% | -18.7% | 1.00 | $1.67T | 74.7 | B |
| 2 IVViShares Core S&P 500 ETF | US Large Cap Blend | 0.03% | 0.77% | +17.7% | +71.2% | 12.7% | -18.8% | 1.00 | $888.1B | 74.5 | B |
| 3 SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | US Large Cap Blend | 0.09% | 0.77% | +17.6% | +70.8% | 12.7% | -18.8% | 0.99 | $781.2B | 73.4 | B |
| 4 RSPInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF | US Large Cap Blend | 0.20% | 0.93% | +17.9% | +49.7% | 11.8% | -17.8% | 1.10 | $93.7B | 72.0 | B |
Max DD is the deepest peak-to-trough fall over the measurement window. Sharpe ratio measures return per unit of volatility — higher is better. Every figure is recalculated daily.
What Makes a Good Fund Here
Every S&P 500 fund holds the same 500 companies, so performance differences come almost entirely from fee, tracking accuracy and trading costs rather than from stock selection. The cheapest fund with enough liquidity usually wins.
The ETFValuer score blends trailing return, risk-adjusted return, expense ratio, maximum drawdown, fund size and volatility, each percentile-ranked against the full tracked universe, into a single 0-100 figure graded A+ to F. It is a systematic summary of past data, not a forecast — read it alongside the individual columns rather than instead of them.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Full metric-by-metric breakdowns for the closest calls in this group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best S&P 500 ETF?
VOO currently ranks highest on ETFValuer's model among the 4 S&P 500 funds tracked, scoring 74.7 with a grade of B. VOO is the cheapest at 0.03%. Because all of these funds hold the same index, the practical difference between the leaders is small.
Is VOO or SPY better?
They track the same index. VOO is structured as a Vanguard ETF share class and typically carries a lower expense ratio, while SPY is the oldest and most heavily traded ETF in the world, which matters mainly to active traders and options users. For long-term buy-and-hold, the cheaper fund is usually the better default.
How many S&P 500 ETFs do I need?
One. Holding two S&P 500 funds gives you no additional diversification whatsoever — they own identical portfolios — while doubling the number of positions you have to track and rebalance.
Compare any of these funds directly
Side-by-side metrics, holdings overlap and return correlation for any pair.