βš”οΈ Head to head

QUS vs SPY: Which ETF Is Better?

A side-by-side comparison of fees, size, returns and holdings, using data to 30 September 2026.

SPY comes out ahead on 8 of 10 measures. Which matters most depends on you.

The short answer

πŸ’ΈLower feeSPY wins
QUS
0.29%
SPY
0.09%

Worth about $13,986 on $100,000 over 20 years.

🏦Bigger fundQUS wins
QUS
$1.4bn
SPY
$403m

Bigger funds usually trade more cheaply and are less likely to close.

πŸ“ˆ1-year returnSPY wins
QUS
+6.6%
SPY
+7.4%
πŸ“Š3-year returnSPY wins
QUS
+12.0% a yr
SPY
+18.3% a yr
🏁5-year returnSPY wins
QUS
+7.9% a yr
SPY
+12.9% a yr
βš–οΈCheaper to tradeSPY wins
QUS
0.06%
SPY
0.03%

A tighter gap between the buy and sell price.

QUS vs SPY side by side

QUS leads on 2, SPY on 8QUSBetashares S&P 500 Equal Weight ETFSPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF
The basics
Index trackedS&P 500 Equal Weight IndexS&P 500 Index
Fund managerBetasharesState Street (SPDR)
Asset classInternational sharesInternational shares
ListedDec 2014Oct 2014
Cost and size
MERyearly fee, lower is better0.29%0.09%βœ“
AUMfund size$1.4bnβœ“$403m
Net flows (Sep)new money in, last month$21mβœ“$0.0m
Bid/ask spreadtrading cost, lower is better0.06%0.03%βœ“
Total returns
1 monthβˆ’1.6%+0.1%βœ“
1 year+6.6%+7.4%βœ“
3 years p.a.+12.0%+18.3%βœ“
5 years p.a.+7.9%+12.9%βœ“
$10,000 invested
1 year ago$10,655$10,742βœ“
5 years ago$14,607$18,334βœ“

βœ“ marks the better figure on each measure. Returns include distributions, to 30 September 2026.

QUS vs SPY price chart

Both ETFs on one chart as % change. Use the 1D to All buttons to change the period. Price only, so it leaves out distributions Β· TradingView

πŸ“ˆ Growth

What $10,000 invested is worth now

$10,000 put into QUS 5 years ago is worth $14,607 today, against $18,334 in SPY. That is $3,727 more in SPY.

QUSSPY$10,000 invested
$0k$6k$12k$18k$24k$10.7k$10.7k1 year agoSPY +$87$14.1k$16.5k3 years agoSPY +$2,478$14.6k$18.3k5 years agoSPY +$3,727

Total returns to 30 September 2026, with distributions reinvested, before tax and brokerage. The price chart above leaves out distributions, so it can look worse. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

πŸ’Έ Cost

What the fees cost you

SPY's lower fee leaves about $13,986 more in your pocket over 20 years.

QUS charges 0.29% a yearSPY charges 0.09% a year
🧾 Fees paid on $100,000Saving
5 years
QUS
βˆ’$1,890
SPY
βˆ’$589
You keep$1,302more with SPY
10 years
QUS
βˆ’$5,267
SPY
βˆ’$1,648
You keep$3,619more with SPY
20 years
QUS
βˆ’$20,444
SPY
βˆ’$6,458
You keep$13,986more with SPY

Total fees paid on a $100,000 investment, assuming a 7% a year return before fees. Illustration only: it ignores tax, brokerage and differences in returns.

QUS and SPY overlap

33%portfolio overlap (moderate)

321 companies appear in both funds. Overlap is the share of the portfolio that is the same in both, counting the smaller weight of each shared company.

Biggest shared holdings% of QUS% of SPY
0.25%1.65%
0.24%0.43%
0.24%0.24%
0.23%0.40%
0.23%0.37%
0.23%1.05%
0.23%0.77%
0.28%0.23%
0.23%0.31%
0.23%0.81%
0.22%0.37%
0.22%0.39%

Add more ETFs and see the overlap in Compare ETFs β†’

Best-endeavours estimate. Built from each issuer's published holdings, which may be weeks or months old, may cover only part of a fund (some publish only their top 10) and are matched by company name. Figures may be incomplete or inaccurate. Check the issuer's website and PDS before relying on them. General information only.

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  • Every holding of each ETF: the top 50 companies, with sectors and countries
  • Exactly which companies they share, and how much of each
  • Fees in dollars over 10, 20 and 30 years
  • Every metric side by side, including the index each tracks
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Joshua Stega
etfadviserExchange traded fund specialist adviser Β· 20 years’ experience
Keep in touch with the marketsWeekly ETF research, the Market Health-O-Meter and our model portfolio.Try it free for 30 days β†’

FAQs

Which is better, QUS or SPY?

It depends on what you need. On our numbers QUS wins on 2 measures and SPY on 8. SPY is cheaper, with a management fee of 0.09% vs 0.29%. On $100,000 over 20 years that difference is worth about $13,986. QUS is the larger fund at $1.4bn vs $403m. SPY has the better 1-year return: +7.4% vs +6.6%.

Which is cheaper, QUS or SPY?

QUS charges 0.29% a year and SPY charges 0.09% a year.

Can I hold both QUS and SPY?

You can, but check how much they overlap. QUS is a international shares fund and SPY is a international shares fund.

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Add more ETFs to this comparison β†’

General information only, not a recommendation. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.