Growth and Tech ETFs

Dates differ by provider and are shown in brackets. QQQ and QQQM net assets are third-party figures; XLK and SCHG come from the issuer. The technology weight for QQQ and QQQM uses Invesco’s technology sector label, which is not identical to the other providers’ labels. VUG and VGT figures marked Sep 30 come partly from a third-party compilation of Vanguard data.

The Nasdaq-100 funds, QQQ and QQQM, hold about one hundred of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq. The index is not limited to technology, but technology and internet companies carry most of the weight. In the lists used here, technology was 68.0% of the fund and the ten largest positions made up about 49.6%.

The large growth funds, VUG and SCHG, screen the whole U.S. large-company universe for growth traits. They include companies from several sectors, so technology is smaller than in the Nasdaq-100 funds, at 59.9% for VUG and 54.1% for SCHG. Their top ten holdings are bigger shares of the fund, at about 63.1% and 61.3%.

The technology sector funds, VGT and XLK, hold technology only. VGT is broader, with 318 stocks across semiconductors, hardware and software. XLK is narrower, with 74 stocks. Because a few companies dominate the sector, the top ten still made up about 63.6% of VGT and 64.5% of XLK.

When a Nasdaq-100 fund fits: you want a famous index with a long history and some non-technology exposure. When a large growth fund fits: you want growth across sectors at the lowest cost. When a technology fund fits: you want to bet on the sector itself and accept sharp swings.

The same companies lead almost every fund in this group. NVIDIA and Apple appear in the top ten of all six, and Microsoft appears in all six as well. Alphabet appears in the Nasdaq-100 funds, VUG and SCHG, and is absent from the two technology funds. The weights differ a lot: NVIDIA was 8.36% of QQQ, 13.49% of VUG and 17.58% of VGT on Sep 30, 2026.

The technology funds add names the growth funds lack, such as Micron, Intel, Cisco and Lam Research, while the growth funds add Amazon, Meta, Tesla and, in SCHG, Eli Lilly. The Nasdaq-100 funds also list Space Exploration Technologies among their ten largest holdings in the dated list used here.

Every comparison page shows the ten largest holdings of each fund side by side, marks the names both funds share, and lists the names that appear in only one. That makes it easy to see how much two funds repeat each other before you hold both.

Each page below puts two funds side by side on cost, holdings, sectors, overlap, returns and payouts. Pairs that mix a Nasdaq-100 fund with a growth fund show how different index rules change the weights. Pairs that mix a growth fund with a technology fund show what the other sectors add. Pairs of technology funds compare a broad sector fund with a narrow one. Start with the pair that matches the two funds you are choosing between, then read the overlap section.

• 1. IndexCheck whether the fund follows the Nasdaq-100, a large growth index or a technology sector index. That decides what it can hold.
• 2. CostCompare expense ratios. These funds range from 0.03% to 0.18%. Then add the bid/ask spread and, for Canadians, currency conversion.
• 3. Technology weightLook at how much of the fund is technology. It ranges from about 54% to 100% across these six.
• 4. ConcentrationCheck the ten largest positions. Here they range from about 49.6% to 64.5% of the fund.
• 5. OverlapCompare top-ten holdings. If most of the top ten matches what you own, a second fund adds little.
• 6. Dates and sourcesIssuers publish on different dates, so compare figures with the date beside them, and do not rank funds on mismatched return periods.

Each comparison page lists the issuer source and the date for every figure it shows.

The expense ratio is the annual fee taken from the fund. On a $100,000 balance, 0.03% is $30 a year and 0.18% is $180 a year. The $150 difference compounds over decades. Use the ETF Fee Calculator to test your own numbers.

Trading costs come from the bid/ask spread, which is the gap between what buyers pay and sellers receive. Large funds usually trade with small spreads, but check the live spread before you trade, use limit orders for larger amounts, and avoid the first and last minutes of the trading day.

Tax costs depend on your account. Yields here are low, so most of the return is price change, which is taxed when you sell in a taxable account. Canadians should read the Canada section below and confirm the details with a tax professional.

You want the Nasdaq-100 specifically: QQQ or QQQM. The two hold the same companies, and QQQM lists a lower fee. See QQQ vs QQQM.

You want growth at the lowest cost across sectors: VUG or SCHG, which list 0.03% and 0.04%. Compare them on the VUG vs SCHG page.

You want a technology bet: VGT or XLK. VGT holds many more stocks, while XLK is narrower and more concentrated. See VGT vs XLK.

You already own the S&P 500: that fund already carries a large technology weight, so check the overlap before adding any of these. Use the Diversification Calculator, and see VOO vs QQQ. Size any position against your whole portfolio. This is general education, not advice.

Owning several funds that are one bet. QQQ, VUG and VGT all lean on the same few companies. Three tickers can still be one idea.

Treating a sector fund as diversified. VGT and XLK hold only technology. A fall in the sector hits the whole fund, and neither holds bonds or other sectors.

Comparing returns over different dates. Issuers report to different dates, so a table that mixes them can mislead. Compare returns only when the dates match.

Chasing last year. Technology funds can lead in one year and fall sharply in the next. The 2022 calendar-year NAV return was about -32.5% for QQQ, -33.2% for VUG and -29.7% for VGT in the issuer figures captured.

Ignoring cost differences. A gap between 0.03% and 0.18% is small in any one year and large over decades. Cost is not the only factor, but it is one you can control.

U.S.-listed funds such as QQQ, QQQM, VUG, SCHG, VGT and XLK trade in U.S. dollars. Buying them from a Canadian account usually involves converting Canadian dollars, which adds a cost. Some brokers offer a way to hold U.S. dollars, which can reduce repeated conversions.

U.S. dividends paid to Canadian residents are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax, reduced under the tax treaty. The treatment depends on the account type: it often differs between an RRSP, a TFSA and a non-registered account. Yields on these funds are low, so the withholding is small in dollar terms on a given balance.

This is general education, not tax advice. Confirm the rules for your accounts with a qualified tax professional, and see how to build an ETF portfolio for how a growth fund fits inside an allocation.

Figures come from the issuer pages and files for each fund: Invesco for QQQ and QQQM, Vanguard for VUG and VGT, Schwab for SCHG and State Street for XLK. Each comparison page lists the date next to each figure, because issuers publish on different schedules. Where a number could not be confirmed on an issuer page, the page says so instead of estimating it.

Some Vanguard figures for VUG and VGT come from a third-party compilation of Vanguard data and are graded that way in each comparison. The pages are educational research, not personal advice, and they do not recommend a particular fund for your situation.