Wealthy PotSPYM vs VTI: 88% the Same Stocks, a One-Basis-Point Fee Gap
SPYM owns the S&P 500, about 500 large US companies. VTI owns the whole investable US market, about 3,500 companies. On a holdings match at 30 June 2026, 88.1% of VTI's money sat in the same stocks SPYM holds, and 99.7% of SPYM's money sat in stocks VTI holds. Cost is close to a tie: SPYM charges 0.02% a year and VTI 0.03%. So the real choice is the index, not the fund: the S&P 500 alone, or the S&P 500 plus a slice of mid and small companies. Over the five years to 30 June 2026 the S&P 500 side won, 13.37% a year for SPYM against 12.24% for VTI. If you searched for SPLG: it is the same fund, renamed SPYM on 31 October 2025.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
- Overlap: 88.1%. At 30 June 2026, 88.1% of VTI's weight was in companies SPYM also held, across 498 shared companies. Nearly all of SPYM (99.7%) is inside VTI.
- Fees: SPYM 0.02%, VTI 0.03%. On $10,000 that is $2 a year against $3. Over ten years, each prospectus's standard cost example comes to $26 against $39.
- Returns to 30 June 2026: VTI led over one year (23.16% against 22.28%). SPYM led over three years (20.58% against 20.43%) and five years (13.37% against 12.24%).
- SPYM's ten-year number is not a pure S&P 500 record. The fund tracked the Russell 1000 until November 2017 and an SSGA large-cap index until January 2020.
- VTI is less top-heavy. Its ten largest companies were 33.4% of the fund against 37.9% for SPYM.
- Do not hold both. SPYM adds nothing VTI does not already own except extra weight in large companies.
How Much of VTI Is Already SPYM
"VTI holds 3,000 more stocks" is true, but both funds weight by company size, so the giants dominate both. Our Portfolio Overlap Checker matches the holdings each fund reports to the SEC and adds up the smaller weight of every stock they share. For this pair both filings are dated 30 June 2026.
| Portfolios at 30 June 2026 | Result |
|---|---|
| Overlap (sum of the smaller shared weights) | 88.1% |
| Share of VTI's weight in companies SPYM holds | 88.1% |
| Share of SPYM's weight in companies VTI holds | 99.7% |
| Companies shared | 498 |
Nine dollars in ten inside VTI go to S&P 500 companies, at slightly lower weights than SPYM gives them. The remaining tenth is spread over a couple of thousand mid, small and micro-cap companies.
| Weight in the fund, 30 June 2026 | SPYM | VTI |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | 7.51% | 6.36% |
| Apple | 6.58% | 5.87% |
| Alphabet (both share classes) | 5.83% | 5.18% |
| Microsoft | 4.29% | 3.83% |
| Amazon.com | 3.62% | 3.19% |
| Ten largest companies | 37.85% | 33.44% |
VTI turns the mega-caps down by about four points. It does not remove them. If concentration in a few technology giants is your worry, an equal-weight fund such as the one in RSP vs VOO addresses it more directly.
SPYM vs VTI Side by Side
| SPYM | VTI | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF |
| Former ticker or name | SPLG (until 31 October 2025) | Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (until 29 July 2026) |
| Index | S&P 500 (since 24 January 2020) | Morningstar US Total Market Index (CRSP US Total Market Index until 29 July 2026) |
| Expense ratio | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Prospectus cost example, $10,000 over 10 years | $26 | $39 |
| Holdings | 506 (1 Oct 2026) | 3,531 stocks (30 Jun 2026) |
| Ten largest companies | 37.85% (30 Jun 2026) | 33.44% (30 Jun 2026) |
| Size | $173.9 billion (1 Oct 2026) | ETF class $663.5 billion; whole fund $2.30 trillion (30 Jun 2026) |
| Portfolio turnover, last fiscal year | 3% | 3% |
| How it tracks | Sampling; may hold a subset or substantially all of the index | Sampling |
| Legal form | Series of SPDR Series Trust, an open-end fund | ETF share class of a Vanguard mutual fund |
| Inception | 8 November 2005 | 24 May 2001 |
On fees the gap is $1 a year per $10,000. That is too small to decide anything; pick on the index. On plumbing the two are similar too: both are open-end funds that sample their index, and both turned over 3% of the portfolio last year.
About VTI's new name. Morningstar bought the Center for Research in Security Prices, and Vanguard renamed the fund and its index effective 29 July 2026. Vanguard's supplement says each fund's "investment objective, strategies, and polices remain unchanged." Same ticker, same 0.03% fee.
SPLG Is Now SPYM
A State Street supplement announced that, effective 31 October 2025, "the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF's exchange ticker symbol will change". The table in that filing lists the current ticker as SPLG and the new one as SPYM. The fund's annual report for the year to June 2026 adds that the accompanying name change "did not result in any changes to the Fund's Investment Objective, Principal Investment Strategies or Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund."
So any "SPLG vs VTI" article written before November 2025 is about this same fund. If you hold SPLG in an older account, your broker now shows SPYM. The fee was 0.02% before and after.
The rename does not change one detail that matters for this comparison. SPYM's annual report says its benchmark was the Russell 1000 until 15 November 2017, the SSGA Large Cap Index until 23 January 2020, and the S&P 500 from 24 January 2020. Its ten-year record is a blend of all three. The five-year period to June 2026 is pure S&P 500.
Returns to 30 June 2026
Both issuers publish NAV returns for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, so this table uses one date for both funds.
| Average annual NAV return to 30 Jun 2026 | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPYM | 22.28% | 20.58% | 13.37% | 15.50%* |
| VTI | 23.16% | 20.43% | 12.24% | 15.04% |
| SPYM minus VTI | -0.88 | +0.15 | +1.13 | not like-for-like |
| S&P 500 | 22.32 | 20.61 | 13.41 | 15.51 |
| VTI's benchmark (spliced total market index) | 23.16 | 20.42 | 12.25 | 15.04 |
Both funds tracked their indexes closely. SPYM trailed the S&P 500 by 0.04 points a year over five years; VTI trailed its benchmark by 0.01. The gaps between the funds come from the indexes, not from the managers.
Who wins depends on the window. Large companies led over five years, so the S&P 500 fund came out ahead. Over the most recent year the broader market did slightly better, and VTI led. Neither result tells you which will lead next.
| Hypothetical $10,000 held for 5 years | Ending value |
|---|---|
| At VTI's 5-year return (12.24%) | $17,813 |
| At SPYM's 5-year return (13.37%) | $18,728 |
| Difference | about $915 |
This is educational information, not personalized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and all investing carries the risk of loss.
Which One Fits You
If you want one US stock fund to hold for decades: VTI. It owns the whole market, so you never have to decide whether small and mid caps deserve a place. Its prospectus sets no minimum beyond anything your broker imposes.
If you specifically want the S&P 500: SPYM is one of the cheapest ways to get it. At 0.02% it costs less than VOO and IVV (0.03% each) and far less than SPY (0.0945%). See SPYM vs VOO and SPY vs SPYM.
If you hold VTSAX or another Vanguard fund: VTI is a share class of the same fund as VTSAX, and the prospectus lists no Vanguard fee for converting mutual fund shares to the ETF. See VTSAX vs VTI.
At Fidelity or Schwab: both ETFs trade like any stock. If you prefer a mutual fund with automatic investing, look at that broker's own index funds; we compare them in FXAIX vs VTI and SCHB vs VTI.
In a 401(k): you usually cannot buy either ETF. Use the plan's S&P 500 or total-market index fund; the same index logic applies.
If you already own one in a taxable account: selling realizes capital gains. Point new contributions at the fund you prefer and leave the old shares alone. In an IRA or Roth IRA, switching has no tax cost. Check your 2026 tax bracket before selling anything in a taxable account.
Should you own both? Usually not. Adding SPYM to VTI only raises your large-cap weight. If you want that tilt, set the percentages on purpose.
Sources & Methodology
- SPYM Summary Prospectus, 31 October 2025 as revised 3 February 2026: the 0.02% fee table, cost example, 3% turnover and sampling strategy.
- SPDR Series Trust supplement dated 21 October 2025: the SPLG to SPYM ticker change effective 31 October 2025.
- SPDR Series Trust Form N-CSR, year ended 30 June 2026: SPYM's returns, index history and the name-change statement.
- State Street SPYM page: 3-year return, holdings and assets.
- Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Summary Prospectus, 28 April 2026 and supplement dated 29 July 2026: VTI's 0.03% fee, cost example, turnover, minimums and the Morningstar renaming.
- Vanguard VTI fact sheet as of 30 June 2026: returns, stock count, assets and top ten.
- SPYM Form N-PORT and VTI Form N-PORT, both for 30 June 2026: the holdings behind the overlap and concentration tables.
How the overlap was computed. The Portfolio Overlap Checker sums, for every company both funds hold, the smaller of its two weights, using each fund's N-PORT filing with share classes combined.
What we left out. We did not compare sector weights: State Street uses one classification system and Vanguard another, so the labels do not line up. We quote no trading volume or bid-ask spread figures, and no tax-cost comparison, because the two issuers do not publish after-tax returns for a common date.
This article is for general education and is not investment, tax or legal advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results, index returns cannot be invested in directly, and all investing carries the risk of loss. Figures were checked against the sources above on 5 October 2026; verify current data with each issuer before acting.
FAQ: SPYM vs VTI
Is SPYM or VTI better?
Neither wins on cost: 0.02% against 0.03%. VTI owns the whole US market; SPYM owns the S&P 500. Over five years to June 2026 SPYM returned 13.37% a year and VTI 12.24%, because large companies led. Over one year VTI was ahead.
How much do SPYM and VTI overlap?
88.1% at 30 June 2026. That is the share of VTI's weight in companies SPYM also holds. Looked at the other way, 99.7% of SPYM is inside VTI.
Is SPLG the same as SPYM?
Yes. State Street changed the ticker from SPLG to SPYM on 31 October 2025. The fund, its index and its 0.02% fee did not change.
Should I own both SPYM and VTI?
Generally no. VTI already contains almost all of SPYM. Holding both just tilts you further toward large companies.
Which is better in a Roth IRA?
Taxes do not apply inside a Roth, so the choice is about the index. Both are low-cost and broadly diversified; choose VTI for the whole market or SPYM for the S&P 500 alone.
Is VTI more diversified than SPYM?
By count, far more: 3,531 stocks against about 506. By money, modestly: VTI's top ten were 33.4% of the fund against 37.9% for SPYM at 30 June 2026.
Which index does VTI track now?
The Morningstar US Total Market Index. It was called the CRSP US Total Market Index until 29 July 2026, when Vanguard renamed the fund and the index after Morningstar acquired CRSP.
Cite This Page
Journalists, educators and bloggers are welcome to cite this comparison. Please link back so readers can reach the underlying filings.
"SPYM vs VTI: 88% the Same Stocks, a One-Basis-Point Fee Gap." Wealthy Pot, 2026. https://wealthypot.com/spym-vs-vti/
Related comparisons: SPY vs SPYM · SPYM vs VOO · SPY vs VTI · VTI vs VOO · IVV vs VTI · VTSAX vs VTI · All ETF comparisons
