IPAY vs. VGT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ETFMG Prime Mobile Payments ETF (IPAY) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT).

IPAY and VGT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IPAY is a passively managed fund by ETFMG that tracks the performance of the Prime Mobile Payments Index. It was launched on Jul 15, 2015. VGT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Information Technology 25/50 Index. It was launched on Mar 25, 2004. Both IPAY and VGT are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

IPAY vs. VGT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ETFMG Prime Mobile Payments ETF (IPAY) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IPAY vs. VGT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IPAY ETFMG Prime Mobile Payments ETF	-17.75%	-9.55%	25.88%	18.21%	-32.38%	-12.72%	34.22%	41.80%	0.17%	36.34%
VGT Vanguard Information Technology ETF	-7.34%	21.77%	29.30%	52.66%	-29.70%	30.45%	46.04%	48.62%	2.46%	37.08%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IPAY achieves a -17.75% return, which is significantly lower than VGT's -7.34% return. Over the past 10 years, IPAY has underperformed VGT with an annualized return of 6.12%, while VGT has yielded a comparatively higher 21.35% annualized return.

IPAY

• 1D: 2.51%
• 1M: -5.29%
• YTD: -17.75%
• 6M: -24.46%
• 1Y: -18.94%
• 3Y*: 1.41%
• 5Y*: -8.65%
• 10Y*: 6.12%

VGT

• 1D: 4.34%
• 1M: -3.89%
• YTD: -7.34%
• 6M: -6.36%
• 1Y: 29.19%
• 3Y*: 22.58%
• 5Y*: 14.54%
• 10Y*: 21.35%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

IPAY vs. VGT - Expense Ratio Comparison

IPAY has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than VGT's 0.09% expense ratio.

IPAY

ETFMG Prime Mobile Payments ETF

VGT

Vanguard Information Technology ETF

Return for Risk

IPAY vs. VGT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

IPAY

IPAY Risk / Return Rank: 2
IPAY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
IPAY Sortino Ratio Rank: 2
IPAY Omega Ratio Rank: 2
IPAY Calmar Ratio Rank: 3
IPAY Martin Ratio Rank: 2

VGT

VGT Risk / Return Rank: 67
VGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
VGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
VGT Omega Ratio Rank: 66
VGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
VGT Martin Ratio Rank: 61

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

IPAY vs. VGT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ETFMG Prime Mobile Payments ETF (IPAY) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	IPAY	VGT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.69	1.08	-1.77
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.84	1.65	-2.49
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.89	1.23	-0.34
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.61	1.77	-2.37
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.45	5.47	-6.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IPAY vs. VGT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IPAY Sharpe Ratio is -0.69, which is lower than the VGT Sharpe Ratio of 1.08. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IPAY and VGT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IPAY	VGT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.69	1.08	-1.77
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.34	0.58	-0.92
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.24	0.88	-0.63
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.21	0.61	-0.40

Correlation

The correlation between IPAY and VGT is 0.74, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

IPAY vs. VGT - Dividend Comparison

IPAY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.96%, more than VGT's 0.44% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IPAY ETFMG Prime Mobile Payments ETF	0.96%	0.79%	0.77%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VGT Vanguard Information Technology ETF	0.44%	0.40%	0.60%	0.65%	0.91%	0.64%	0.82%	1.11%	1.29%	0.99%	1.31%	1.28%

Drawdowns

IPAY vs. VGT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IPAY drawdown since its inception was -51.75%, smaller than the maximum VGT drawdown of -54.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IPAY and VGT.

Drawdown Indicators

	IPAY	VGT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.75%	-54.63%	+2.88%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-31.31%	-16.40%	-14.91%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-51.75%	-35.07%	-16.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.75%	-35.07%	-16.68%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-40.45%	-12.77%	-27.68%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-16.35%	-8.00%	-8.35%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.05%	5.30%	+7.75%

Volatility

IPAY vs. VGT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for ETFMG Prime Mobile Payments ETF (IPAY) is 7.11%, while Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) has a volatility of 7.99%. This indicates that IPAY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VGT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IPAY	VGT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.11%	7.99%	-0.88%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.96%	16.31%	+1.65%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.48%	27.24%	+0.24%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.81%	25.07%	+0.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.19%	24.48%	+0.71%