VUG vs QQQ: Differences, Fees and Returns
VUG is cheaper: it charges 0.03% a year against 0.18% for QQQ. That is €15 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 €10,572.
They do not track the same thing: VUG follows the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index and QQQ the NASDAQ-100 Index. Any difference in returns will come mainly from that exposure, not from the fee.
Over the last 10 years, QQQ returned 20.78% a year against 17.76% for VUG. That is past performance and may not repeat.
Head-to-head comparison
| VUG | QQQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Vanguard Growth ETF | Invesco QQQ Trust ETF |
| Provider | Vanguard | Invesco |
| Index | CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index | NASDAQ-100 Index |
| TER | 0.03% | 0.18% |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Domicile | United States | United States |
| Dividends | Distributing | Distributing |
| Launch date | January 26, 2004 | March 10, 1999 |
| Fund size | $385B | $489B |
| ISIN | — | — |
| Available to EU retail investors | No | No |
| Tax-free switch (Spain) | No | No |
Historical returns: VUG vs QQQ (Aug 2016 – Aug 2026)
10,000 invested in Aug 2016 would be worth $51,297 in VUG and $66,060 in QQQ today.
| VUG | QQQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Annualised return | 17.76% | 20.78% |
| Total return | 412.97% | 560.60% |
| Annual volatility | 18.44% | 18.99% |
| Maximum drawdown | -33.15% | -32.58% |
| Monthly correlation | 0.98 | |
Calendar-year returns
| Year | VUG | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 8.77% | 16.95% |
| 2025 | 19.40% | 20.77% |
| 2024 | 32.69% | 25.58% |
| 2023 | 46.83% | 54.85% |
| 2022 | -33.15% | -32.58% |
| 2021 | 27.34% | 27.42% |
| 2020 | 40.22% | 48.62% |
| 2019 | 37.03% | 38.96% |
| 2018 | -3.30% | -0.12% |
| 2017 | 27.72% | 32.66% |
* 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.