VOO vs QQQ vs SCHD: Which ETF Fits Your Portfolio?
Contents
TL;DR / Key Takeaways
- VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) is the lowest-cost broad market option at 0.03% — the default choice for most long-term investors
- QQQ (Invesco Nasdaq-100 ETF) delivered roughly 18% annualized over the past decade, but carries concentrated tech risk and a 0.20% fee
- SCHD (Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF) yields around 3.3% in dividends — built for income-focused investors willing to accept lower growth
- SPY and VOO track the same index; VOO is cheaper for buy-and-hold investors
- QQQM is QQQ's cheaper sibling at 0.15% — better for most retail investors
- No single ETF wins for every investor; the right choice depends on your income needs, risk tolerance, and time horizon
The Short Answer First
If you are starting out and have a 20-year horizon, VOO. If you want aggressive growth and can stomach a 35%+ drawdown, QQQ. If you are building an income stream or approaching retirement, SCHD. That is the blunt version. The rest of this article explains why, with the actual numbers.
How We Analyzed These ETFs
The data used here pulls from Vanguard, Invesco, and Schwab fund fact sheets, with performance figures cross-referenced against Morningstar and ETF Database. All return figures are total returns (dividends reinvested) through end of 2024 unless noted. Expense ratios, AUM figures, and yield data reflect early 2026 values. This comparison focuses on long-term buy-and-hold suitability, not short-term trading signals.
Full Comparison Table
Sources: Vanguard, Invesco, Schwab fund fact sheets; Morningstar; ETF Database. Data as of early 2026.
VOO: The Balanced Default
VOO tracks the S&P 500 — 500 of the largest US companies weighted by market cap. At 0.03% annually, you are paying $3 per year on a $10,000 investment. That is essentially free.
The 10-year annualized return sits around 13%, which includes both the 2022 bear market and the sharp recovery that followed. Unlike QQQ, VOO holds meaningful positions in financials, healthcare, energy, and consumer staples alongside its tech exposure, which cushions drawdowns somewhat.
Where VOO falls short: The top 10 holdings make up roughly 35% of the fund, with Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia dominating. So while it feels diversified, VOO has significant concentration at the top. A prolonged tech correction would hurt more than many investors expect. Also, the S&P 500 only includes US companies — if emerging markets or international stocks outperform over the next decade, VOO captures none of that.
For most long-term investors building wealth, VOO is the benchmark others get judged against. It is boring. That is mostly a feature.
QQQ: Growth Machine With Real Risks
QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100 — the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange. In practice, this means tech and tech-adjacent companies: Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet collectively represent well over 40% of the fund.
The 10-year annualized return of around 18.3% is genuinely impressive. A $10,000 investment in QQQ a decade ago would be worth roughly $53,000 today with dividends reinvested, compared to around $34,000 for VOO.
But the risk picture is different. During the 2022 interest rate hike cycle, QQQ fell around 33% from peak to trough. In the 2000-2002 dot-com bust, the Nasdaq-100 dropped over 80% — it took more than 15 years to recover. These are not hypothetical risks; they happened. A retired investor who cannot wait out a multi-year drawdown has no business putting a significant chunk of savings into QQQ.
The expense ratio of 0.20% is also seven times VOO's cost. On a $100,000 position, that is $200 per year in fees vs $30. Not catastrophic, but noticeable over decades thanks to compounding.
SCHD: The Dividend Investor's Choice
SCHD tracks the Dow Jones US Dividend 100 Index, which screens for companies with at least 10 consecutive years of paying dividends, plus filters for financial health and dividend growth. The result is roughly 100 companies skewed toward financials, industrials, consumer staples, and healthcare — industries that actually generate cash.
The dividend yield sits around 3.3%, and importantly, SCHD has grown its dividend over time rather than just maintaining it. For an investor relying on portfolio income — think someone in or near retirement — that consistency matters more than the headline yield number.
The downside is straightforward: In a roaring bull market led by tech, SCHD lags badly. Over the 10 years through 2024, SCHD returned around 11% annualized against VOO's 13% and QQQ's 18%. The opportunity cost of owning SCHD during the AI boom of 2023-2024 was significant. Also, SCHD excludes real estate (REITs) and has minimal tech exposure — so investors who want to benefit from technology growth need to pair it with something else.
SCHD is not a growth vehicle. It is an income vehicle that also appreciates over time. Buying it expecting QQQ-like returns will lead to disappointment.
SPY vs VOO: Why Both Exist and Which to Pick
SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) and VOO track the same index. Both give you exposure to 500 large US companies. The meaningful difference is cost and structure.
SPY charges 0.0945% — about three times VOO's 0.03%. On $500,000, that difference costs you roughly $325 more per year. Compounded over 30 years, the drag adds up to tens of thousands of dollars.
So why does SPY still exist and hold over $600B in assets? Liquidity. SPY has the highest trading volume of any ETF in the world — institutional traders, hedge funds, and options traders use it constantly because of its tight bid-ask spreads. For someone buying a $5,000 position and holding it for 20 years, that liquidity advantage is irrelevant. For a fund manager executing a $50M block trade, it matters.
For individual investors: buy VOO. There is no sensible reason for a retail buy-and-hold investor to pay SPY's higher fee. The index is identical, the returns will be essentially identical, and you save money over time.
The one exception: if you are already in a tax-advantaged account that only offers SPY, the cost difference shrinks in importance relative to the tax benefits. Check what your brokerage or 401(k) plan offers.
You can read more about how ETFs work and how to pick between them in our US Stock ETF Beginner Guide.
QQQ vs QQQM: An Easy Call
Invesco launched QQQM in 2020 as a retail-friendly alternative to QQQ. Both track the Nasdaq-100. The difference:
- QQQ: 0.20% expense ratio
- QQQM: 0.15% expense ratio
That is a 25% reduction in fees for the same underlying index. QQQ trades far more volume daily — roughly $20-30B per day — making it the preferred vehicle for institutional traders and options strategies. QQQM trades much lower volume but is perfectly adequate for someone buying monthly and holding long-term.
If you are an individual investor doing dollar-cost averaging into Nasdaq-100 exposure, QQQM saves you $50 per year on a $100,000 position for zero difference in index exposure. The choice is obvious. The only reason to use QQQ over QQQM as an individual is if you are actively trading options on the position, where QQQ's superior liquidity and options market depth matter.
Which ETF for Which Investor
The goal here is not to declare a winner. These funds serve different functions.
Choose VOO if:
- You want broad market exposure with minimum cost
- You have a 10+ year time horizon and want a core holding that tracks the overall US economy
- You prefer not to bet on any single sector outperforming
- You are comfortable with around 1% in annual dividends and prioritize total return
Choose QQQ (or QQQM) if:
- You believe technology and innovation companies will continue outperforming
- You have a long horizon and high risk tolerance — you can genuinely sit through a 30-40% drawdown without panic selling
- You want the highest historical growth rate among these three options
- Growth matters more than income
Choose SCHD if:
- You need income from your portfolio — dividends to cover living expenses or supplement other income
- You are in or near retirement and want lower volatility alongside a meaningful yield
- You prefer companies with consistent dividend growth over pure capital appreciation
- A 3%+ yield matters more to you than chasing the top of the market
Combining them: Many investors run two or three of these together. A common approach is VOO or SCHD as a core position, with a smaller allocation to QQQ or QQQM for growth tilt. There is no rule against owning all three in proportions that match your goals.
For international investors looking to access these ETFs, platforms like moomoo offer commission-free trading on US ETFs with support for investors outside the US. To monitor ETF price action and compare performance charts, TradingView is the tool most retail investors use — it's free to start and lets you overlay VOO, QQQ, and SCHD on a single chart for direct comparison.
If you use dollar-cost averaging to build your ETF positions over time, our DCA Investment Strategy guide walks through the mechanics and why it suits ETF investing particularly well.
FAQ
Q: Can I hold all three — VOO, QQQ, and SCHD — at the same time?
Yes, and many investors do. The overlap is real (all three hold Apple and Microsoft in their top holdings), but the overall portfolio behavior differs. QQQ adds a growth tilt, SCHD adds income, and VOO provides the broad market baseline. The proportions depend on your income needs and risk tolerance.
Q: Is QQQ too risky for a beginner investor?
Not necessarily, but a beginner needs to understand what they are buying. The Nasdaq-100 can fall 30% or more in a bad year. If that prospect would cause you to sell, QQQ is the wrong choice. The average investor historically sells near market bottoms, destroying the returns that QQQ's long-term holders enjoy. Start with VOO, understand how you react to volatility, then decide if you want a growth tilt.
Q: Is SCHD a good replacement for bonds in a retirement portfolio?
It is not a direct substitute. Bonds provide capital preservation and tend to rise when equities fall — SCHD is still an equity fund that will fall alongside the broader market in a crash. SCHD can complement a bond allocation by providing dividend income, but it should not replace bonds entirely for someone who genuinely needs capital stability.
Q: How much does the expense ratio difference actually matter?
More than most people expect. At 0.20% vs 0.03% difference, on a $200,000 portfolio held for 25 years at 10% annual returns, you end up with roughly $40,000 more by choosing the cheaper fund. Compounding works on fees the same way it works on returns — slowly, then all at once. This is why the power of compound interest matters so much in the fee discussion.
Q: Do these ETFs pay dividends, and how often?
VOO and QQQ pay quarterly dividends. SCHD also pays quarterly but at a significantly higher yield. None of these are monthly dividend ETFs. If you need monthly income, you would need to plan your withdrawals or look at different vehicles.
Putting It Together
Three ETFs, three different philosophies. VOO bets on the entire US economy staying productive. QQQ bets specifically on technology and innovation continuing to lead. SCHD bets on financially strong companies that reliably return cash to shareholders.
None of them require you to pick winning stocks, time the market, or spend hours reading earnings reports. That is the point of index ETFs — they transfer the work of stock selection to a rules-based index methodology, and decades of data suggest most active managers cannot beat that approach consistently anyway.
The practical move for most investors: start with VOO as a core position, add SCHD if income matters to you, consider QQQM if you want a growth tilt and can handle the volatility. Review the allocation once a year and rebalance if your proportions drift significantly.
Related Reading: US Stock ETF Beginner Guide for HK Investors · Dividend ETF Passive Income Strategy · Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) Explained · HK Stock Broker Comparison
Figures cited reflect data as of early 2026. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This article is educational and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a licensed financial advisor for guidance specific to your situation.
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