Most Popular ETFs by AUM

The most popular ETFs are generally those with the highest assets under management (AUM), which is the total value of assets that an ETF manages on behalf of its investors. Funds with the highest AUM are also among the best ETFs because of their high liquidity and low expense ratios. 

Why Some of the Best ETFs Have the Highest AUM 

When it comes to choosing the best ETFs, AUM is a critical metric that investors should consider. 

Reasons why it's important to choose ETFs with high AUM include: 

• Liquidity 
• Diversification 
• Lower costs 
• Stability  
• Transparency 

Liquidity 

ETFs with high AUM tend to have more liquidity than those with low AUM. Liquidity is the ease with which an investor can buy or sell an ETF without affecting its price. ETFs with high AUM have a higher trading volume, which means there are more buyers and sellers in the market, making it easier for investors to buy or sell shares.  

Conversely, ETFs with low AUM may have a lower trading volume, which can lead to wider bid/-ask spreads and lower liquidity. 

Diversification 

Diversification is the practice of spreading investments across various asset classes to reduce risk. ETFs with high AUM typically hold more securities from various sectors and regions, which can reduce an investor's exposure to any single security. This diversification can help mitigate risk and improve overall portfolio performance. 

Lower Costs 

ETFs with high AUM can benefit from economies of scale, resulting in lower management fees. As the ETF grows in size, fixed expenses such as legal and administrative costs become a smaller percentage of the fund's total expenses. As a result, ETF providers can reduce management fees, making the fund more attractive to investors. 

Stability 

High AUM is often an indicator of a fund's popularity and investor confidence in its performance. Popular ETFs attract more investors, which can lead to a more stable asset base. This stability can help reduce the risk of large redemptions or liquidations, which can be disruptive to an ETF's performance. 

Transparency 

Transparency is the degree to which an ETF provider discloses information about its holdings, performance, and strategy. High-AUM ETFs often have more resources to devote to investor education and transparency efforts. This transparency can help investors better understand the fund's strategy and make more informed investment decisions. 

Most Popular ETFs by AUM 

The most popular ETFs can be found by searching for ETFs with the highest assets under management. To choose our list of most popular ETFs, we used our ETF screener and began with the entire ETF universe of more than 3,000 ETFs, then simply sorted them by AUM from highest to lowest.

Data as of Nov. 1, 2024. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust 

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) seeks to track the performance of the S&P 500 index, which is a cap-weighted basket of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. SPY is the oldest ETF listed on a U.S. exchange and is the largest ETF as measured by AUM. In 2024, SPY became the first ETF to cross $600 billion in assets under management.

• Expense ratio: 0.095% 
• Assets under management: $590.7B 
• 1-year return: 36.94% 

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF 

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) seeks to track the performance of the S&P 500 index and is on pace to surpass SPY as the largest ETF on the market in 2025, thanks to its popularity among cost-conscious retail investors. 

• Expense ratio: 0.03% 
• Assets under management: $540.8B 
• 1-year return: 37.07% 

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF 

The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) Launched in 2000, IVV is not only one of the largest ETFs on the market, it’s also one of the oldest to track the S&P 500 with one of the lowest expense ratios. 

• Expense ratio: 0.03% 
• Assets under management: $540.7B 
• 1-year return: 37.07%

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF 

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) seeks to track the performance of the CRSP US Total Market Index, which is a cap-weighted index that measures the investable U.S. equities market, encompassing the entire market-cap spectrum. VTI can be a good choice for investors looking for comprehensive market equity exposure that leans more toward large caps than mid and small caps. 

• Expense ratio: 0.03% 
• Assets under management: $438.6B 
• 1-year return: 37.09%

Invesco QQQ Trust

The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) tracks a modified -market-cap-weighted index of 100 NASDAQ-listed stocks. Often referred to as “the triple Q’s,” the fund only invests in nonfinancial stocks listed on NASDAQ, which makes this ETF’s portfolio lean heavily toward technology stocks. 

• Expense ratio: 0.20% 
• Assets under management: $294.7B
• 1-year return: 37.49%

Vanguard Growth ETF

The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) seeks to track the performance of the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index, which consists of stocks based on six growth factors: expected long-term growth in earnings per share (EPS), expected short-term growth in EPS, 3-year historical growth in EPS, 3-year historical growth in sales per share, current investment-to-assets ratio, and return on assets.

• Expense ratio: 0.04% 
• Assets under management: $143.1B
• 1-year return: 42.90%

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF

The Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA) seeks to track the investment performance of the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index, providing exposure to the developed market equity space outside the US, including Canada and major markets in Europe and the Pacific. The index may include large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks.

• Expense ratio: 0.05% 
• Assets under management: $137.6B 
• 1-year return: 21.36%

Vanguard Value ETF

The Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) tracks the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index, which includes stocks from the top 85% of market capitalization based on multiple value factors. To determine value, VTV's index uses P/B, forward P/E, historic P/E, dividend-to-price and sales-to-price ratios.  

• Expense ratio: 0.04% 
• Assets under management: $127.3B 
• 1-year return: 30.89%

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF 

The iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) tracks a market-cap-weighted index of developed-market stocks in Europe, Australasia and the Far East, and excludes North America. It covers about 98% of investable markets. This means that IEFA offers broad, unbiased coverage of equities in developed international countries, excluding U.S. and Canada. 

• Expense ratio: 0.07% 
• Assets under management: $121.3B 
• 1-year return: 21.30%

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF 

The iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) seeks to track the performance of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which is composed of the total U.S. bond market. Thus, AGG offers investors a low-cost broadly diversified fund that averages investment-grade credit risk and intermediate-term duration in the holdings. 

• Expense ratio: 0.03% 
• Assets under management: $117.7B 
• 1-year return: 8.89%

Bottom Line Top ETFs by AUM

Choosing ETFs with high AUM can offer several benefits to investors, including increased liquidity, diversification, lower costs, stability and transparency. However, investors should not rely solely on AUM as a metric to evaluate ETFs. Other factors, such as the ETF's investment strategy and performance history, should also be considered when researching ETFs. 

Ultimately, investors should do their due diligence and choose ETFs that align with their investment goals, risk tolerance, and overall portfolio strategy.