Investing in growth stocks can produce substantial returns for your portfolio. But picking individual stocks isn't for everyone. Growth stocks are generally harder to evaluate because their valuations are based largely on their long-term potential, which creates a lot of uncertainty for investors.
Six best growth ETFs in 2025
Many investors interested in growth stocks could benefit from investing in growth exchange-traded funds (ETFs). A growth ETF is a fund that will invest in a large basket of growth stocks. That gives investors exposure to the types of investments with massive potential for big capital returns without needing to analyze individual companies. Here are six growth ETFs to consider.
Fund Name | Expense Ratio | Net Assets |
|---|---|---|
Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VUG) | 0.04% | $342.0 billion |
Vanguard Mega-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:MGK) | 0.07% | $31.3 billion |
iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:IWP) | 0.23% | $20.7 billion |
Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VBK) | 0.07% | $39.1 billion |
iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:EFG) | 0.36% | $9.5 billion |
ARK Innovation ETF (NYSEMKT:ARKK) | 0.75% | $8.3 billion |
1. Vanguard Growth ETF
The Vanguard Growth ETF is a large-cap growth stock ETF. The fund aims to replicate the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index, which constitutes half of the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Index.
NYSEMKT: VUG
Key Data Points
The latter, the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Index, comprises the top 85% of U.S. stocks weighted by market capitalization, including companies with market caps as small as $2.1 billion. So, while the index is primarily comprised of large-cap stocks, it also includes some mid-cap stocks.
While weighting the fund by market capitalization keeps fees and asset turnover low, it results in heavy allocations toward the market's biggest companies. The three largest holdings account for more than 34% of the portfolio. Likewise, over 60% of the portfolio is invested in technology companies.
With an expense ratio of just 0.04%, the Vanguard Growth ETF is one of the most efficient ways to gain additional exposure to growth stocks in your portfolio.
2. Vanguard Mega-Cap Growth ETF
For those who believe the big winners will keep winning, the Vanguard Mega-Cap Growth ETF may be a good option to add growth stocks to your portfolio. The ETF tracks the CRSP U.S. Mega Cap Growth Index, which is based on the CRSP US Mega Cap Index. The latter collects stocks in the top 70% of market capitalization.
NYSEMKT: MGK
Key Data Points
The smaller stock universe means the Vanguard Mega-Cap Growth ETF is even more concentrated in the biggest names in the stock market. The top 10 holdings account for roughly two-thirds of the portfolio.
It's even more heavily weighted toward technology growth stocks than the Vanguard Growth ETF. Despite the smaller index, Vanguard manages to keep its asset turnover roughly the same as the Vanguard Growth ETF. If you'd like greater exposure to the biggest growth stocks in the market, the Vanguard Mega-Cap Growth ETF has a very low expense ratio of just 0.07%.
3. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF
Mid-cap stocks may offer more room for capital appreciation without taking on the risk of small-cap stocks. For those looking to strike a balance, the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF may be for you.
NYSEMKT: IWP
Key Data Points
The ETF tracks the Russell Midcap Growth Index, which tracks half of the mid-cap market with strong earnings-growth expectations and high price-to-book ratios. The mid-cap index comprises the smallest 800 stocks within the Russell 1000 Index.
The iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF holds a much more diversified portfolio than its large- and mega-cap counterparts. The top 10 holdings typically account for about 15% to 20% of the portfolio.
Consumer discretionary stocks account for the biggest portion of the portfolio but still make up less than 25% of the index. Technology and industrial stocks are the next biggest sectors represented in the ETF.
The nature of the smaller companies in the index leads to greater turnover, but management keeps turnover relatively low for a mid-cap growth index fund. If you want to diversify away from the big tech names that dominate growth stocks, the iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF is a good option.
4. Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF
Small-cap growth stocks offer the biggest potential for capital appreciation. Since they're small companies, it takes relatively little increased buying interest to move the stocks significantly higher. The Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF offers a simple way to gain exposure to this sector without having to dig for individual stocks.
NYSEMKT: VBK
Key Data Points
The ETF tracks the CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth Index, which selects the top 50% of stocks with the best earnings growth outlooks and strong returns on assets from the universe of stocks that fall within the 2nd through 15th percentile based on market cap.
The size of the index, combined with the relative parity in size of its components, makes this small-cap growth ETF much more diversified than its peers investing in larger companies. Investors looking for more small caps should consider the Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF.
5. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF
Some of the biggest growth opportunities are in international markets. The iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF provides exposure to growth stocks in developed markets outside of the U.S. and Canada.
The ETF tracks the MSCI EAFE Growth Index, which includes large- and mid-cap companies based outside the U.S. and Canada. The stocks are filtered based on earnings growth history and outlook.
The ETF is more diversified than its U.S. large-cap growth counterparts. A little less than 20% of the portfolio is invested in the top 10 holdings. The index includes companies from Japan, the U.K., France, Switzerland, Germany, and others. If you're looking for additional international stock exposure in your portfolio, the iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF is a great option.
6. ARK Innovation ETF
Cathie Wood's ARK Funds rose to prominence in 2020 when shares of the ETF more than doubled. However, shares faltered in 2021 and 2022 and languished through mid-2024. At that point, Ark's strategy of investing in innovative growth companies started to outperform once again.
The ARK Innovation ETF is an actively managed fund that invests in companies producing what it deems "disruptive innovation." The team defines the term as "the introduction of a technologically enabled new product or service that potentially changes the way the world works."
It invests across industries, including biotechnology, automotive, energy, information technology, and finance. Although it maintains a global outlook, it's heavily concentrated in the U.S., with more than 90% of the portfolio held in stocks of North American companies.
About 55% of the ETF's portfolio remains invested in its top 10 holdings since Wood often lets its winners run and isn't afraid of betting big on her highest-conviction stock picks. For example, Tesla (TSLA -0.87%) accounted for more than 11% of the portfolio in late 2025.
As an actively managed ETF, the ARK Innovation ETF has a relatively high expense ratio of 0.75%. However, if you believe in Cathie Wood and her team's ability to find the most innovative companies and manage a portfolio for optimal long-term growth, it's worth the price.
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How to choose a growth ETF
Before investing in a growth ETF, it's important to consider what type of growth stocks you want to own.
- Small-cap growth stocks notably hold a lot of potential for massive gains but tend to underperform as a group.
- International growth stocks can provide portfolio exposure to innovative companies outside of the U.S. but come with additional sociopolitical risks.
- An actively managed growth fund has the potential to outperform the market, thanks to the insights of a smart investment manager, but could also end up on the other side of the coin.
Once you've determined what kind of growth stocks you want to own, you can select the one that best fits your criteria from the list above or develop your own list. Be sure to consider the expense ratio. And if the ETF tracks an index, look at its record of index tracking. A small tracking error can be worth more than a low expense ratio for those investing on a regular cadence.
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