QQQ vs VGT: Differences, Fees and Returns
VGT is cheaper: it charges 0.09% a year against 0.18% for QQQ. That is €9 less a year per 10,000 invested; over a plan of 10,000 up front plus 200 a month for 30 years, the accumulated cost gap comes to about €6,295.
They do not track the same thing: QQQ follows the NASDAQ-100 Index and VGT the MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index. Any difference in returns will come mainly from that exposure, not from the fee.
Over the last 10 years, VGT returned 24.48% a year against 20.78% for QQQ. That is past performance and may not repeat.
Head-to-head comparison
| QQQ | VGT | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Invesco QQQ Trust ETF | Vanguard Information Technology ETF |
| Provider | Invesco | Vanguard |
| Index | NASDAQ-100 Index | MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index |
| TER | 0.18% | 0.09% |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Domicile | United States | United States |
| Dividends | Distributing | Distributing |
| Launch date | March 10, 1999 | January 26, 2004 |
| Fund size | $489B | $171B |
| ISIN | — | — |
| Available to EU retail investors | No | No |
| Tax-free switch (Spain) | No | No |
Historical returns: QQQ vs VGT (Aug 2016 – Aug 2026)
10,000 invested in Aug 2016 would be worth $66,060 in QQQ and $89,353 in VGT today.
| QQQ | VGT | |
|---|---|---|
| Annualised return | 20.78% | 24.48% |
| Total return | 560.60% | 793.53% |
| Annual volatility | 18.99% | 20.87% |
| Maximum drawdown | -32.58% | -32.52% |
| Monthly correlation | 0.97 | |
Calendar-year returns
| Year | QQQ | VGT |
|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 16.95% | 28.17% |
| 2025 | 20.77% | 21.78% |
| 2024 | 25.58% | 29.31% |
| 2023 | 54.85% | 52.65% |
| 2022 | -32.58% | -29.70% |
| 2021 | 27.42% | 30.45% |
| 2020 | 48.62% | 46.00% |
| 2019 | 38.96% | 48.61% |
| 2018 | -0.12% | 2.46% |
| 2017 | 32.66% | 37.07% |
* Current year, to Aug 2026.
Month-end closing prices adjusted for dividends and net of fund costs. Broker fees and taxes are not included. Past performance does not guarantee future results.