RSP vs SPY: Yield, Cost and Returns Compared
As of Nov 5, 2026, RSP yields more: 1.45% (dividend yield) against 1.02% for SPY. SPY is cheaper to own at 0.09% a year vs 0.20%. Over the same 18 years (Dec 2007 to Oct 2026), SPY returned 11.1% a year with distributions reinvested, and RSP 10.6%.
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust1.02%dividend yield| Compared | RSP | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| YieldDividend yield | 1.45% | 1.02% |
| Expense ratio | 0.20% | 0.09% |
| Total return, 1 yr | +18.0% | +12.0% |
| Total return, 3 yr (a year) | +19.0% | +23.3% |
| Total return, 5 yr (a year) | +8.5% | +12.0% |
| Total return, 10 yr (a year) | +12.2% | +15.3% |
| Worst drop since Dec 2007 | -51.2% | -48.2% |
| Share price since Dec 2007 | +363% | +417% |
| Pays | Quarterly | Quarterly |
| Issuer | Invesco | State Street Investment Management |
| Assets | $100.7B | $796.9B |
| Started | 2003 | 1993 |
| Type | Large Blend | Large Blend |
Higher yield
RSP
1.45%
Lower cost
SPY
0.09%
Better total return
SPY
11.1%/yr
Smaller worst drop
SPY
-48.2%
Key facts: RSP vs SPY
Data as of · Source: SmarterDividends data
- As of Nov 5, 2026, RSP yields 1.45% (dividend yield) and SPY yields 1.02% (dividend yield).
- RSP's expense ratio is 0.20% and SPY's is 0.09%: $20 vs $9 a year on $10,000.
- From Dec 2007 to Oct 2026, $10,000 in RSP grew to $66,155 (10.6% a year) and $10,000 in SPY to $72,756 (11.1% a year), distributions reinvested.
- Their worst month-end drops over that time: -51.2% for RSP and -48.2% for SPY.
- 0 of RSP's top ten holdings are also in SPY's top ten.
Cite this page
SmarterDividends, "RSP vs SPY: Yield, Cost and Returns Compared," updated Nov 5, 2026, https://smarterdividends.com/compare/rsp-vs-spy
$10,000 in each, Dec 2007 to Oct 2026
Distributions reinvested, month-end values, with the S&P 500 for reference.
RSP became
$66,155
10.6% a year
SPY became
$72,756
11.1% a year
Year by year
| Year | RSP | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +11.2% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +12.8% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +13.7% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −11.6% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +29.4% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +12.7% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +28.9% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −7.8% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +18.5% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +14.5% | +12.0% |
| 2015 | −1.7% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | +15.1% | +13.5% |
| 2013 | +36.7% | +32.3% |
| 2012 | +18.6% | +16.0% |
| 2011 | +0.2% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | +21.5% | +15.1% |
| 2009 | +44.7% | +26.4% |
| 2008 | −40.0% | −36.8% |
Total return each calendar year, distributions reinvested.
Top holdings
No overlap in the top ten.
RSP
- MRNA Moderna Inc0.3%
- PTC PTC Inc0.3%
- ACN Accenture PLC Class A0.3%
- IT Gartner Inc0.3%
- HAS Hasbro Inc0.3%
- P Everpure Inc Class A0.3%
- MTD Mettler-Toledo International Inc0.3%
- CRL Charles River Laboratories International Inc0.3%
- CCL Carnival Corporation Ltd0.2%
- RVTY Revvity Inc0.2%
SPY
- AAPL Apple Inc7.7%
- NVDA NVIDIA Corp7.6%
- MSFT Microsoft Corp5.9%
- AMZN Amazon.com Inc3.6%
- GOOGL Alphabet Inc Class A2.5%
- AVGO Broadcom Inc2.4%
- META Meta Platforms Inc Class A2.1%
- GOOG Alphabet Inc Class C2.0%
- LLY Eli Lilly and Co1.7%
- TSLA Tesla Inc1.7%
RSP vs SPY: questions
Is RSP or SPY better?
It depends on the job. RSP pays more today (1.45% vs 1.02%), SPY costs less, and SPY has the better total return over Dec 2007 to Oct 2026, with SPY holding up better in its worst stretch. For income, look at yield and whether the payouts hold up; for growth, total return and drawdowns.
Which pays a higher dividend, RSP or SPY?
RSP, at 1.45% against 1.02% for SPY as of Nov 5, 2026. On $10,000 that's about $145 vs $102 a year at today's rates.
Which has the better total return?
SPY. From Dec 2007 to Oct 2026, it returned 11.1% a year with distributions reinvested, against 10.6% for RSP. $10,000 became $72,756 vs $66,155.
Which is cheaper, RSP or SPY?
SPY, with a 0.09% expense ratio against 0.20%.
Do RSP and SPY hold the same things?
Not at the top: none of their top ten holdings match.
Related comparisons
Yields, costs and holdings as each fund reports them (via Yahoo Finance), updated daily; returns from month-end prices with distributions reinvested. SPY leads on 6 of 8 measures above. For information only, not investment advice. Last fund data: Nov 5, 2026.