VTI vs VTSAX
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares vs Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares
Buy VTI if…
- •You want the lowest possible fees
- •You have less than $3,000 to start
- •You prefer the flexibility of intraday trading
Buy VTSAX if…
- •You want automatic investing with exact dollar amounts
- •You have $3,000+ ready to invest
- •You prefer the simplicity of mutual funds
Key Metrics
Cost Calculator
Annualized Returns
Top 10 Holdings
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ETF or Mutual Fund?
VTI is the ETF—trades like a stock throughout the day, no minimum investment.
VTSAX is the mutual fund—trades once daily at market close, $3,000 minimum to get started .
They track the exact same index (CRSP U.S. Total Market) and hold the same stocks. They're literally two share classes of the same fund. Performance is virtually identical.
VTI trades in real-time with bid-ask spreads, VTSAX settles at net asset value once daily. VTSAX makes automatic investing easier since you can invest exact dollar amounts, while VTI requires buying whole shares (unless your broker supports fractional shares).
Vanguard's unique structure makes both equally tax-efficient through their patented "heartbeat trades"—unusual since ETFs typically have the tax advantage.
