SPY vs VSDB
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust vs Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF
Which is better, SPY or VSDB?
Large Cap Blend against Short Term Mid Quality.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window.
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 | SPY | VSDB |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.09%Best | 0.15% |
| AUM | $804.7B | $920M |
| Dividend Yield | 0.98% | 4.22% |
| Holdings | 505 | 1,413 |
| YTD Return | +11.45%Best | -1.78% |
| 1Y Return | +15.87%Best | -0.51% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +20.93% | - |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +12.59% | - |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.3% | 2.2%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -8.9% | -2.5%Best |
| $10,000 over 1.5 years | $14,485Best | $10,418 |
| Fund Family | State Street Investment Management | Vanguard (US) |
| Category | Equity | Fixed Income |
| Style | Large Cap Blend | Short Term Mid Quality |
| Inception | Jan 22, 1993 | Apr 1, 2025 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.5 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Apr 3, 2025 to Sep 15, 2026 (1.5 years).
SPY vs VSDB 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 1.5 years both funds cover.
SPY vs VSDB Performance
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management and Vanguard Short Duration Bond ETF (VSDB) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year SPY returned +15.87% while VSDB returned -0.51%. Year to date, SPY is up 11.45% versus a loss of 1.78% for VSDB.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 12.3% compared with 2.2% for VSDB. 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 -8.9% for SPY and -2.5% for VSDB. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.48. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
SPY charges 0.09% per year while VSDB charges 0.15%. On a $10,000 position that is $9 vs $15 annually, a gap of $6 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SPY currently yields 0.98% against 4.22% for VSDB.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.2% of SPY's money is in holdings VSDB also owns.
Stated as a floor: for VSDB, our book for it covers 42.4% of that fund, so a holding it does not list is one we cannot count as shared. The real figure is this or higher.
We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.
2 positions in common, counted across the 504 positions we hold weights for in SPY and 620 in VSDB, against full books of 505 and 1,413.
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of SPY and VSDB 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, SPY or VSDB?
SPY has an expense ratio of 0.09% while VSDB charges 0.15%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $6 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, SPY or VSDB?
Over the past year SPY returned +15.87% vs -0.51% for VSDB, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), SPY annualized +28.02% vs +2.77% for VSDB. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, SPY or VSDB?
SPY has been the more volatile fund at 12.3% annualized versus 2.2% for VSDB. Worst drawdown: SPY -8.9% vs VSDB -2.5%.
Should I hold both SPY and VSDB?
SPY and VSDB have a monthly-return correlation of 0.48, 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, SPY or VSDB?
SPY yields 0.98% while VSDB yields 4.22%, so VSDB currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is VSDB better than SPY?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. SPY led over 1Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.