QQQ vs VGT Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
QQQ and VGT both offer heavy technology exposure but with important composition differences. QQQ includes consumer tech giants (Amazon, Alphabet, Meta) excluded from VGT's pure IT sector classification, while VGT is cheaper and more concentrated in hardware, software, and semiconductors. Neither is strictly 'better' — the choice depends on whether you want Nasdaq-100 breadth or pure GICS IT sector exposure.
QQQ is the right choice for investors who want broad tech-growth exposure including consumer and communication giants; VGT suits those who want cost-efficient pure IT sector exposure within the GICS framework.
VGT holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. VGT has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+15.31% vs +8.78% for QQQ).
- want broad Nasdaq-100 exposure including Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta alongside pure tech
- value QQQ's options liquidity for income strategies or portfolio hedging
- prefer tracking a widely known and referenced index benchmark
- are willing to pay a 0.20% expense ratio for the brand recognition and liquidity
- want pure GICS Information Technology sector exposure at half the cost of QQQ
- prefer concentration in semiconductors, software, and IT services over consumer tech
- value lower expense ratio for long-term buy-and-hold portfolios
- are using VGT in a sector allocation strategy alongside separate communication or consumer ETFs
| Metric | QQQ | VGT |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 29.1 | 29.5 |
| Latest closei | $681.09 | $113.83 |
| 1M returni | -9.14% | -11.29% |
| 3M returni | -2.61% | -1.02% |
| 6M returni | +1.44% | +8.72% |
| 1Y returni | +8.78% | +15.31% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | QQQ | VGT |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $10.88K (+8.8%) started 2025-11-03 | $11.54K (+15.4%) started 2025-11-03 |
| 5Y ago | $18.39K (+83.9%) started 2021-11-03 | $22.06K (+120.6%) started 2021-11-03 |
| 10Y ago | $68.54K (+585.4%) started 2016-11-03 | $92.98K (+829.8%) started 2016-11-03 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | QQQ | VGT |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.18% | 0.09% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $498.95B | $177.93B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.42% | 0.38% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 26.24 | 28.73 |
| Betai | 1.26 | 1.39 |
| 52-week change | 8.78% | 15.31% |
| Metric | QQQ | VGT |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +8.78% | +15.31% |
| 6M returni | +1.44% | +8.72% |
| 3M returni | -2.61% | -1.02% |
| 1M returni | -9.14% | -11.29% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.27 | 0.50 |
| Betai | 1.26 | 1.39 |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.42% | 0.38% |
| 5Y CAGR | +12.29% | +16.40% |
Over the past year, QQQ and VGT have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.96), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | QQQ | VGT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +8.26% | +14.91% |
| CAGRi | +8.29% | +14.97% | |
| Volatilityi | 20.32% | 25.50% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.27 | 0.50 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.39 | 0.71 | |
| Max drawdowni | 11.72% | 15.81% | |
| Current drawdowni | 10.34% | 12.30% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 3.29% | 5.25% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 4.13% | 6.24% | |
| Max daily dropi | 4.80% | 6.14% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 6.79% | 9.34% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +78.48% | +113.56% |
| CAGRi | +12.29% | +16.40% | |
| Volatilityi | 23.11% | 26.18% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.42 | 0.54 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.61 | 0.78 | |
| Max drawdowni | 35.12% | 35.07% | |
| Current drawdowni | 10.34% | 12.30% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 9.23% | 9.34% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 13.61% | 13.23% | |
| Max daily dropi | 6.21% | 7.24% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 11.98% | 14.00% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +539.04% | +749.52% |
| CAGRi | +20.39% | +23.87% | |
| Volatilityi | 22.64% | 25.12% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.74 | 0.80 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.04 | 1.14 | |
| Max drawdowni | 35.12% | 35.07% | |
| Current drawdowni | 10.34% | 12.30% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.25% | 6.40% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 10.39% | 10.27% | |
| Max daily dropi | 11.98% | 13.49% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.20% | 17.57% |
| Category | QQQ | VGT |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | Invesco QQQ Trust | Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.18% | 0.09% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $498.95B | $177.93B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.42% | 0.38% |
- Tracks the most widely followed technology-growth index globally with excellent liquidity
- Includes consumer and communications companies not in VGT (Amazon, Alphabet, Meta)
- Robust options market enabling income generation and hedging strategies
- 0.10% expense ratio is half of QQQ's 0.20% cost for long-term holders
- Purer Information Technology sector exposure using GICS classification
- Vanguard's fund structure and scale keeps costs competitive
- 0.20% expense ratio is significantly more expensive than VGT's 0.10% and IVV/VOO's 0.03%
- Exclusion of financial companies from Nasdaq-100 is a feature or bug depending on market environment
- QQQ's overlap with SPY is very high for top holdings — investors may be doubling tech exposure
- Excludes Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta — meaningful omissions for investors who want full tech ecosystem exposure
- More concentrated in semiconductors and software versus QQQ's broader Nasdaq-100 basket
- Lower liquidity than QQQ for large institutional trades
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