DIA vs VOO: Which ETF Is Better in 2026?
Short answer
DIA (SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust) tracks Dow Jones Industrial Average at 0.16%; VOO (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF) tracks S&P 500 at 0.03%. They give you different exposure, so pick by what you want to own: DIA for Dow Jones Industrial Average, VOO for S&P 500. Neither is universally better.
DIA vs VOO at a glance
| DIA | VOO | |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF |
| Tracks | Dow Jones Industrial Average | S&P 500 |
| Expense ratio | 0.16% | 0.03% |
| Dividend yield | ~1.6% | ~1.3% |
| AUM | ~$38 billion | ~$1.2 trillion |
| Top holding | GS | MSFT |
| Issuer | State Street SPDR | Vanguard |
Approximate as of early 2026; verify with each issuer.
What is DIA?
Tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average, 30 large, established US companies. Unusually, the index is price-weighted rather than market-cap-weighted, so higher-priced shares carry more influence. More concentrated and less technology-heavy than the S&P 500. Verify current figures on the issuer's site.
What is VOO?
Tracks the S&P 500 Index, the standard measure of US large-cap equity. Effectively identical exposure to SPY and IVV at a 0.03% expense ratio. Used as a core building block in most diversified portfolios.
DIA or VOO: which should you pick?
- Pick DIA if you want Dow Jones Industrial Average exposure at 0.16%.
- Pick VOO if you want S&P 500 exposure at 0.03%.
- Overlap: they share top holdings (MSFT), so owning both adds less diversification than it appears.
- Cost: 0.16% vs 0.03%, a small but compounding difference.
The bottom line: DIA vs VOO
DIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) and VOO (S&P 500) give you different exposure, so pick by what you want to own, not by which is "better". They are different enough to hold together if you want both. Walnut can show the overlap against your real portfolio before you decide.
Build a portfolio around DIA with Walnut
Walnut connects your real brokerage so you can see how DIA and VOO overlap with what you already own, analyze either by chatting through Claude or ChatGPT, and place any trade yourself.
FAQ
What is the difference between DIA and VOO?
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DIA tracks Dow Jones Industrial Average (0.16% expense ratio); VOO tracks S&P 500 (0.03%). They track different indexes, so they give you different exposure.
Is DIA or VOO cheaper?
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DIA charges 0.16% and VOO charges 0.03% as of early 2026. Over decades the cheaper fund keeps more of your return, but verify current figures with each issuer.
Do DIA and VOO hold the same stocks?
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They overlap meaningfully: shared top holdings include MSFT. Owning both can mean less diversification than it looks.
Which has a higher dividend yield, DIA or VOO?
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DIA yields about ~1.6% and VOO about ~1.3% (early 2026, approximate). If income matters, that gap is one input, but total return and cost matter more for most long-term investors.
Should you own both DIA and VOO?
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It can make sense if they give you genuinely different exposure, but check the overlap first so you are not paying two fees for one bet. Walnut can show the overlap against your real portfolio.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. ETF figures are approximations stamped to early 2026; verify current data with each issuer before deciding. Nothing here is a recommendation.