SPY vs VEFA

SPY vs VEFA

Which is better, SPY or VEFA?

SPY costs less.

SPY has a lower expense ratio. VEFA is less concentrated, with 23.3% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.8%.

Lower Fees: SPYLess Concentrated: VEFA

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

MetricSPYVEFA
Expense Ratio0.09%Best0.30%
AUM$804.7B$4M
Dividend Yield0.98%0.74%
Holdings505101
YTD Return+12.22%+15.97%Best
1Y Return+16.97%-
3Y Return (annualized)+21.16%-
5Y Return (annualized)+13.00%-
Top 10 Weight37.8%23.3%Best
Fund FamilyState Street Investment ManagementVanEck
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap BlendLarge Cap Blend
InceptionJan 22, 1993Apr 1, 2026

Not shown on this pair: Volatility (annualized), Max Drawdown, $10,000 over the window.

SPY vs VEFA 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 is available from the range buttons; it is not the opening view here because over the whole period one of these two funds moves so much further than the other that its line would sit flat on the axis.

SPY vs VEFA Performance

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management and VanEck MSCI EAFE Analyst Sentiment ETF (VEFA) is an ETF from VanEck. Year to date, SPY is up 12.22% versus a gain of 15.97% for VEFA.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Fees and Cost Over Time

SPY charges 0.09% per year while VEFA charges 0.30%. On a $10,000 position that is $9 vs $30 annually, a gap of $21 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPY currently yields 0.98% against 0.74% for VEFA.

Holdings Overlap

We hold position weights for 504 holdings in SPY and 100 in VEFA, totalling 99.9% and 99.7% of the two funds. The two books name no position in common, so there is no overlap percentage to show.

0 positions in common, counted across the 504 positions we hold weights for in SPY and 100 in VEFA, against full books of 505 and 101.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 1 positions for VEFA that do not appear in our book for SPY (0.4% of the fund), and 497 for SPY that do not appear in VEFA (99.3%).

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 SPY and VEFA you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

SPYVEFA

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, SPY or VEFA?

SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% while VEFA charges 0.30%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $21 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which pays a higher dividend, SPY or VEFA?

SPY yields 0.98% while VEFA yields 0.74%, so SPY currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VEFA better than SPY?

SPY has a lower expense ratio. VEFA is less concentrated, with 23.3% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.8%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.