ESSC vs QQQ
Eventide Small Cap ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Which is better, ESSC or QQQ?
Small Cap Blend against Large Cap Growth.
QQQ has a lower expense ratio. QQQ led over 1Y and the full window. ESSC is less concentrated, with 7.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 47.2%.
MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | ESSC | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.49% | 0.18%Best |
| AUM | $35M | $498.6B |
| Dividend Yield | 0.41% | 0.42% |
| Holdings | 1,117 | 321 |
| YTD Return | +11.69% | +21.44%Best |
| 1Y Return | +15.42% | +23.58%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | - | +27.86% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | - | +16.25% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.3%Best | 21.0% |
| Max Drawdown | -9.8%Best | -12.0% |
| $10,000 over 1 years | $11,570 | $12,412Best |
| Top 10 Weight | 7.5%Best | 47.2% |
| Fund Family | Eventide | Invesco (US) |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Small Cap Blend | Large Cap Growth |
| Inception | Sep 30, 2025 | Mar 10, 1999 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 30, 2025 to Oct 1, 2026 (1 years).
ESSC vs QQQ growth
Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 1 years both funds cover.
ESSC vs QQQ Performance
Eventide Small Cap ETF (ESSC) is an ETF from Eventide and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) is an ETF from Invesco (US). Over the past year ESSC returned +15.42% while QQQ returned +23.58%. Year to date, ESSC is up 11.69% versus a gain of 21.44% for QQQ.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
QQQ has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 21.0% compared with 15.3% for ESSC. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.
The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -9.8% for ESSC and -12.0% for QQQ. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.64. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
ESSC charges 0.49% per year while QQQ charges 0.18%. On a $10,000 position that is $49 vs $18 annually, a gap of $31 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, ESSC currently yields 0.41% against 0.42% for QQQ.
Holdings Overlap
0.5% of ESSC's money is in holdings QQQ also owns. 0.3% of QQQ's money is in holdings ESSC also owns.
We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.
2 positions in common, counted across the 372 positions we hold weights for in ESSC and 102 in QQQ, against full books of 1,117 and 321.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 94 positions for QQQ that do not appear in our book for ESSC (97.4% of the fund), and 350 for ESSC that do not appear in QQQ (98.0%).
Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of ESSC and QQQ you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, ESSC or QQQ?
ESSC has an expense ratio of 0.49% while QQQ charges 0.18%. QQQ is the cheaper option, by $31 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, ESSC or QQQ?
Over the past year ESSC returned +15.42% vs +23.58% for QQQ, so QQQ leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), ESSC annualized +15.70% vs +24.12% for QQQ. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, ESSC or QQQ?
QQQ has been the more volatile fund at 21.0% annualized versus 15.3% for ESSC. Worst drawdown: ESSC -9.8% vs QQQ -12.0%.
Should I hold both ESSC and QQQ?
ESSC and QQQ have a monthly-return correlation of 0.64, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which pays a higher dividend, ESSC or QQQ?
ESSC yields 0.41% while QQQ yields 0.42%, so QQQ currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is QQQ better than ESSC?
QQQ has a lower expense ratio. QQQ led over 1Y and the full window. ESSC is less concentrated, with 7.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 47.2%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.