IVV vs SPY: iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust compared

Near-identical rides: over the past five years, $10,000 became $18,724 in IVV and $18,670 in SPY. What separates them is cost and structure, not performance.

etf head-to-headdividends reinvesteddata through Oct 2026

growth of $10,000
as of Oct 2026IVV $18,724SPY $18,670

the gap between themIVV ahead by $55

IVV solid · SPY dashed · weekly closes, dividends reinvested

who comes out aheadIVV 1 · 0 SPY

IVV wins 1 of 4. Which matters depends on what you need it for.

  • Grew more over five yearsIVV +87% · SPY +87%tie
  • Fell less at its worstIVV −24% · SPY −24%tie
  • Calmer rideIVV 16% vol · SPY 16% voltie
  • Cheaper to holdIVV 0.03% a year · SPY 0.09% a yeariShares Core S&P 500 ETF logoIVV

near twins · correlation 1.00

01The numbers

Side by side, line by line

head to head11 lines
IVV and SPY compared on price, size, returns, risk and cost
MetriciShares Core S&P 500 ETF logoIVVSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust logoSPY
Price$781.97$778.57
Fund size$881.27B$809.22B
1-year return+20.6% (ahead)+20.5%
3-year return, a year+23.3% (ahead)+23.2%
5-year return, a year+13.4% (ahead)+13.3%
Volatility, a year16%16%
Worst drawdown−24%−24%
Worst week−9.1%Mar 2025−9.1%Mar 2025
Beta1.001.00
Dividend yield1.10%0.99%
Expense ratio0.03% (ahead)0.09%
marks the side ahead on lines with a direction: higher return, lower volatility, shallower fall, lower fee
02Together

Do IVV and SPY move together?

correlationnear twins
1.00Near twins: they rise and fall in lockstep, so holding both adds almost no diversification.

Correlation compares IVV’s and SPY’s weekly returns from Oct 2021 to Oct 2026. Two holdings near +1 fall on the same weeks, so owning both doesn’t cushion anything. Your portfolio has more than two lines, and Portfolio Terminal runs this check across every pair you hold.

Pearson correlation of weekly returns|+1 always together, 0 unrelated, −1 always opposite
03Drawdowns

How far each one fell

drawdownsbelow each one’s previous high
as of Oct 2026IVV 0.0%SPY 0.0%

IVV

−24%

From its Dec 2021 high to Sep 2022. Back at that high by Dec 2023.

SPY

−24%

From its Dec 2021 high to Sep 2022. Back at that high by Dec 2023.

Worst peak-to-trough fall on weekly closes · dividends reinvested

04Holdings

How much of it is the same money

overlapfull holdings, by weight
100%of each fund is money the other holds at the same weight, across 502 shared companies.
IVV
100%
SPY
100%
  • same money
  • same companies, extra weight
  • only in this fund
Overlap = the sum, over companies both funds hold, of the smaller of the two weights. Cash and derivatives excluded.
Every shared holding, company by company →
05Questions

IVV vs SPY: what people ask

questions6 answered

Is IVV better than SPY?

Over the past five years, IVV delivered the higher return: +13.4% a year against +13.3% for SPY, dividends reinvested. Both fell about as far at their worst (−24% and −24%). Which is better depends on the job it does in your portfolio, and past returns don’t predict future ones.

What is the difference between IVV and SPY?

IVV is iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, a fund with $881.27B in assets. SPY is SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, a fund with $809.22B in assets. IVV charges 0.03% a year and SPY 0.09%.

Should I own both IVV and SPY?

Their weekly returns had a correlation of 1.00 over the past five years. They rise and fall in lockstep, so holding both adds almost no diversification. Whether that suits you depends on everything else you hold, which is the check Portfolio Terminal runs across a whole portfolio.

Which is riskier, IVV or SPY?

IVV swung more: 16% annual volatility against 16% for SPY. At their worst, IVV fell 24% and SPY 24% from a previous high. Against the broad market, their betas are 1.00 and 1.00.

Which pays a higher dividend, IVV or SPY?

IVV currently yields 1.10%, against 0.99% for SPY. Yields move with price, so a higher yield can also mean a falling price.

Which is cheaper to hold, IVV or SPY?

IVV charges 0.03% a year and SPY 0.09%. On $10,000, that is $6.45 a year in favor of IVV. Left for 30 years at 7% a year before fees, $10,000 would end $1,447 higher in IVV.

Compare something else

Any two stocks or ETFs. Keep IVV or swap both.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF logo
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Returns use weekly closes adjusted for dividends and splits, from Oct 2021 to Oct 2026. Quotes, fees and holdings come from public market data and refresh daily. This page describes what happened; it is not investment advice, and past performance doesn’t predict future returns.