Compare: SPY, QQQ
Compare the total return of up to six tickers from the same start date. SPY is always in the race; add a benchmark (QQQ by default) and up to four stocks, ETFs or crypto, pick a period and an amount, and see each one’s growth with dividends reinvested and without.
Comparison matrix
| Metric | SPY | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Trend Signal |  SPY has a Trend Signal — Oct 16 '26 (22 days ago) |
QQQ has a Trend Signal — Oct 16 '26 (22 days ago) |
| Start Value | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Start Shares | 14.9 | 16.4 |
| Start Price | $670.97 | $609.74 |
| Last Price | $735.40 | $656.29 |
| RETURNS WITH DRIP: Nov 07, 2025 – Nov 06, 2026 | ||
| Final Value | $11,075 | $10,816 |
| End Shares | 15.1 | 16.5 |
| Total Dividends | $113 | $51 |
| CAGR | 10.8% | 8.2% |
| Total Return | 10.8% | 8.2% |
| NO-DRIP RETURNS | SPY | QQQ |
| Final Value | $11,070 | $10,814 |
| Total Dividends | $113 | $51 |
| CAGR | 10.7% | 8.1% |
| Total Return | 10.7% | 8.1% |
Earnings Charts
No earnings data available for the selected stocks.
Total DRIP Payouts
| Date | SPY | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-22 |
$30
(14.9 shares) |
-
(16.4 shares) |
| 2025-12-24 |
-
(14.9 shares) |
$13
(16.4 shares) |
| 2026-03-23 |
$27
(15.0 shares) |
-
(16.4 shares) |
| 2026-03-25 |
-
(15.0 shares) |
$12
(16.4 shares) |
| 2026-06-22 |
$29
(15.0 shares) |
-
(16.4 shares) |
| 2026-06-24 |
-
(15.0 shares) |
$13
(16.5 shares) |
| 2026-09-21 |
$28
(15.1 shares) |
-
(16.5 shares) |
| 2026-09-23 |
-
(15.1 shares) |
$12
(16.5 shares) |
| Total | $114 | $51 |
Dividends Per Share
| Date | SPY | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-22 | $1.993 | - |
| 2025-12-24 | - | $0.794 |
| 2026-03-23 | $1.797 | - |
| 2026-03-25 | - | $0.733 |
| 2026-06-22 | $1.904 | - |
| 2026-06-24 | - | $0.813 |
| 2026-09-21 | $1.889 | - |
| 2026-09-23 | - | $0.751 |
| Total | $7.583 | $3.092 |
Summary of Returns for SPY, QQQ:
This tool allows you to compare total returns of SPY, QQQ with or without dividend reinvestment (DRIP).
Starting from 2025-11-07, the results show:
- SPY: 10.75% with DRIP, 10.7% without DRIP.
- QQQ: 8.16% with DRIP, 8.14% without DRIP.
With dividend reinvestment (DRIP):
- SPY earned $113.
- QQQ earned $51.
Without DRIP:
- SPY earned $113.
- QQQ earned $51.
This comparison highlights the performance of individual stocks against SPY and QQQ, allowing investors to evaluate growth and income potential.
How the Total Return Comparison Works
Same day, same dollars. Every ticker gets the amount you enter (default $10,000) on the same start date, so the race is fair.
Start and end dates. If a ticker began trading after your start date, everyone starts on its first trading day. The end is the last day all tickers have a price.
With DRIP vs No DRIP. With DRIP, each dividend buys more shares at the closing price on its pay date. With No DRIP, the same dividends are kept as cash.
Prices. Real daily closes, adjusted for splits. No taxes or fees.
Reading the comparison
- Chart tabs: With DRIP, No DRIP and Prices. Stock 3 and Stock 4 start hidden; tap their names in the legend to show them.
- Comparison matrix: start value, start and last price, end shares, total dividends, CAGR and total return, with DRIP and without. The higher of each ticker’s two total returns is green.
- Total DRIP Payouts / Dividends Per Share: every payment date, with the shares each payout bought.
- Earnings charts: revenue, EPS, net income, shares outstanding and free cash flow for the last 12 quarters (companies only; ETFs have none).
Buying a little every month instead of one lump sum? Use the DCA calculator.
Total Return Calculator FAQ
What is total return?
Total return is the share price change plus the dividends paid along the way. With DRIP, each dividend buys more shares, so later dividends are paid on a bigger share count. This calculator shows both for every ticker: total return with DRIP and total return with dividends kept as cash.
How do I compare the total return of two or more stocks?
Type up to four tickers in Stock 1–4, keep or change the benchmark, pick a start date or a period from YTD to 10 years, and press Compare. Every ticker gets the same dollars on the same day, so the chart and the matrix compare like with like. SPY is always included as the market yardstick.
Does the comparison include reinvested dividends?
Yes. The With DRIP tab reinvests each dividend at the closing price on its pay date. The No DRIP tab adds the same dividends as cash. The Total DRIP Payouts table lists every payment and the shares it bought.
Why did my comparison start later than the date I picked?
All tickers start on the same day. If one of them began trading after your start date, the comparison starts on that ticker’s first trading day. The end date is the last day every ticker has a price.
Why is CAGR bigger than total return for short periods?
CAGR turns the total return into a yearly rate. For periods shorter than a year (YTD, 3 or 6 months) it annualizes the gain, so the CAGR comes out bigger than the gain itself. Over exactly one year the two match; over longer periods CAGR is the smaller number, because the total gain is spread across the years. In the comparison above (Nov 07, 2025 – Nov 06, 2026), SPY’s total return with DRIP is 10.8% and its CAGR is 10.8%.
Nathan
I’m a little skeptical about some of the numbers I’m seeing from b i t o, BTC, crsh, f i a x, u l t y, plty over a 10 year with just an initial investment of one share and a compound interest being in the billions or trillion dollars is anybody else getting this?
Leo DRIPCalc
Nathan,
This 6-way compare tool checks actual total returns, not forward looking.
The stocks you mention, you can’t go back 10 years if you do them all at once. Tool limits comparison to the inception date of newest stock.
Ex: PLTY is less than 1 y/o, so if you do them all at once, tool will limit you to about Sep/Oct of 2024 as starting point.
Please provide exactly the inputs that you used, so I can check.