SQS vs VTI

SQS vs VTI

Which is better, SQS or VTI?

VTI costs less.

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI is less concentrated, with 33.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 56.4%.

Lower Fees: VTILess Concentrated: VTI

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricSQSVTI
Expense Ratio0.80%0.03%Best
AUM$1.4B$689.2B
Dividend Yield0.00%1.06%
Holdings743,524
YTD Return+10.26%+13.02%Best
1Y Return-+16.63%
3Y Return (annualized)-+21.97%
5Y Return (annualized)-+11.99%
Top 10 Weight56.4%33.5%Best
Fund FamilySapient Capital, LLCVanguard (US)
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap BlendLarge Cap Blend
InceptionMar 13, 2026May 24, 2001

Not shown on this pair: Volatility (annualized), Max Drawdown, $10,000 over the window.

SQS vs VTI growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view is available from the range buttons; it is not the opening view here because over the whole period one of these two funds moves so much further than the other that its line would sit flat on the axis.

SQS vs VTI Performance

Sapient Quality Select ETF (SQS) is an ETF from Sapient Capital, LLC and Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Year to date, SQS is up 10.26% versus a gain of 13.02% for VTI.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Fees and Cost Over Time

SQS charges 0.80% per year while VTI charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $80 vs $3 annually, a gap of $77 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, SQS currently yields 0.00% against 1.06% for VTI.

Holdings Overlap

SQS already in VTI92.4%
VTI already in SQS38.2%

92.4% of SQS's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 38.2% of VTI's money is in holdings SQS also owns.

Most of SQS is already inside VTI. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.

32 positions in common, counted across the 36 positions we hold weights for in SQS and 3,441 in VTI, against full books of 74 and 3,524.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 1,124 positions for VTI that do not appear in our book for SQS (59.4% of the fund), and 3 for SQS that do not appear in VTI (5.2%).

Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in SQSWeight in VTIDifference
NVDANvidia Corp10.20%6.88%3.32%
AAPLApple, Inc7.57%6.30%1.27%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp5.67%5.11%0.56%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc7.40%2.70%4.70%
AMZNAmazon.Com Inc5.27%3.41%1.86%
AVGOBroadcom Inc3.75%2.38%1.37%
LLYEli Lilly & Co.4.78%1.33%3.45%
MUMicron Technology, Inc.4.62%1.46%3.16%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.13%1.70%1.43%
JPMJpmorgan Chase3.16%1.29%1.87%

92.4% of SQS is already inside VTI.

You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.

SQSVTI

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, SQS or VTI?

SQS has an expense ratio of 0.80% while VTI charges 0.03%. VTI is the cheaper option, by $77 a year on a $10,000 investment.

What is the holdings overlap between SQS and VTI?

92.4% of SQS's money is in holdings VTI also owns. 38.2% of VTI's is in holdings SQS also owns. They hold 32 positions in common, counted across the 36 positions we hold weights for in SQS and 3,441 in VTI.

Which pays a higher dividend, SQS or VTI?

SQS yields 0.00% while VTI yields 1.06%, so VTI currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VTI better than SQS?

VTI has a lower expense ratio. VTI is less concentrated, with 33.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 56.4%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.