Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) belongs to the Mid Cap Blend Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with VO. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VO
VO charges 0.03% annually. No ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category have lower expense ratios; the lowest-cost alternatives shown here go as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF | 0.03% | 18.14B | Nov 2005 | VO vs SPMD | |
| Schwab US Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 14.91B | Jan 2011 | VO vs SCHM | |
| iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% | 1.64B | Jun 2004 | VO vs IMCB | |
| Vanguard Extended Market ETF | 0.05% | 93.70B | Dec 2001 | VO vs VXF | |
| iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF | 0.05% | 122.37B | May 2000 | VO vs IJH |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VO
VO has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 46. There are 50 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 93.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 93 | — | Jun 2025 | VO vs CTEF | |
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 90 | 226.12M | Dec 2006 | VO vs CSD | |
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 90 | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | VO vs OPTZ | |
| Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF | 87 | 366.29M | Nov 2023 | VO vs CPAI | |
| iShares MSCI Peru ETF | 85 | 536.81M | Jun 2009 | VO vs EPU |
Top Performing VO Alternatives (YTD)
VO is at 12.19% YTD. There are 52 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 37.89%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF | 37.89% | 226.12M | Dec 2006 | VO vs CSD | |
| Castellan Targeted Equity ETF | 35.32% | — | Jun 2025 | VO vs CTEF | |
| Optimize Strategy Index ETF | 30.04% | 239.89M | Apr 2024 | VO vs OPTZ | |
| Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF | 28.40% | 366.29M | Nov 2023 | VO vs CPAI | |
| Vanguard U.S. Momentum Factor ETF | 23.35% | 1.70B | Feb 2018 | VO vs VFMO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VO
VO has 12.72% 1-year volatility. There are 16 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 8.77%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF | 8.77% | 426.50M | Feb 2018 | VO vs VFMV | |
| Invesco Dynamic Market ETF | 9.75% | 95.10M | May 2003 | VO vs PWC | |
| Invesco Bloomberg MVP Multi-factor ETF | 9.75% | 101.68M | May 2003 | VO vs BMVP | |
| ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF | 10.25% | 185.97M | May 2020 | VO vs SIXL | |
| Indexperts Quality Earnings Focused ETF | 11.00% | 34.97M | Dec 2024 | VO vs QIDX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VO
VO has a 1-year max drawdown of -8.17%. There are 24 ETFs in the Mid Cap Blend Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -6.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF | -6.00% | 426.50M | Feb 2018 | VO vs VFMV | |
| RiverNorth Patriot ETF | -6.25% | 3.97M | Feb 2022 | VO vs FLDZ | |
| SRH U.S. Quality ETF | -6.31% | 170.62M | Oct 2022 | VO vs SRHQ | |
| Invesco Dynamic Market ETF | -6.45% | 95.10M | May 2003 | VO vs PWC | |
| Invesco Bloomberg MVP Multi-factor ETF | -6.45% | 101.68M | May 2003 | VO vs BMVP |
Other ETFs from Vanguard
The 10 most viewed Vanguard ETFs shown here include VOO, VTI, VGT and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2T.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 67 | 10.87% | 1.70T | Sep 2010 | VO vs VOO | |
| Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 67 | 11.37% | 2.30T | May 2001 | VO vs VTI | |
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Technology Equities | 60 | 24.57% | 170.10B | Mar 2004 | VO vs VGT | |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Global Equities | 59 | 12.84% | 652.30B | Jan 2011 | VO vs VXUS | |
| Vanguard Growth ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 33 | 7.19% | 393.80B | Jan 2004 | VO vs VUG | |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | Global Equities | 65 | 11.81% | 95.30B | Jun 2008 | VO vs VT | |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | Dividend | 82 | 12.96% | 96.10B | Nov 2006 | VO vs VYM | |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | Total Bond Market | 34 | 0.11% | 394.40B | Apr 2007 | VO vs BND | |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | Dividend | 62 | 8.86% | 127.80B | Apr 2006 | VO vs VIG | |
| Vanguard Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 89 | 15.66% | 245.00B | Jan 2004 | VO vs VTV |
Often Compared With VO
Investors most often compare VO with VOT, VOE, VIMAX. These 20 comparison targets span 8 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VO with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VO with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VO with funds that move differently
Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VO.
Explore VO Diversifiers