Compare Financial Products Side by Side
Pick up to three listings from the directory, then weigh them against each other on the attributes that decide the choice — fees, minimums, features, regulation and ratings.
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What you're comparing
You have 2 listings in the compare tray: Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFIAX) (S&P 500 index fund) and Fidelity 500 Index Fund (FXAIX) (S&P 500 index fund). Below, each row shows the attribute, what it measures, and which listing leads when the value can be ranked numerically.
| Rating | 4.8 (300) | 4.8 (280) |
|---|---|---|
Expense ratio (lower is better) The fee floor for index investing now sits near 0.00%–0.04% — anything materially higher needs a reason. | 0.04% | 0.015% |
Index tracked (higher is better) The benchmark the fund mirrors — methodology decides which stocks make it in and at what weight. | S&P 500 | S&P 500 |
Minimum (lower is better) Initial investment required to open the fund — $0 at Fidelity, $3,000 typical at Vanguard Admiral. | $3,000 | $0 |
Type Mutual fund vs ETF wrapper changes tax efficiency, intra-day liquidity and minimums. | Mutual fund | Mutual fund |
| Regulation | SEC, Investment Company Act 1940 | SEC, Investment Company Act 1940 |
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| Headquarters | Valley Forge, PA, United States | Boston, MA, United States |
| Founded | 2000 | 2011 |
| License | — | — |
| Experience level | Beginner | Beginner |
| Visit | — | — |
Bottom line
Across the attributes that can be ranked numerically: Fidelity 500 Index Fund (FXAIX) leads on expense ratio (0.015%); Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFIAX) leads on index tracked (S&P 500); Fidelity 500 Index Fund (FXAIX) leads on minimum ($0). Use this as a starting point — your own situation (account type, deposit size, jurisdiction) decides which of those leads actually matters.
How to use this comparison
Side-by-side comparisons make trade-offs visible — but only if you compare on the dimensions that actually drive the decision. A 0.10% expense-ratio difference between two near-identical broad-market ETFs is real, but rarely the deciding factor for a $5,000 investment. A 5-year track record difference between two robo-advisors usually matters less than whether they support the account type you need.
Before you commit to one option, write down two or three deal-breakers. Maybe it's "must support a SEP IRA". Maybe it's "must have a no-fee checking account included". Filter against those first, then look at marginal differences.
Where possible, every numeric attribute in the table is sourced from the business's own disclosures or a regulator filing. We refresh claimed and verified listings on at least a quarterly cycle; unclaimed listings rely on our last editor review, and we mark the date so you can judge how recent the information is.