DIA vs SPY: which was the better investment?
SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF against SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Jan 20, 1998 to Jul 13, 2026.
Set up your comparison
What are you comparing?
Pick one investment — or add several to build a portfolio.
Compare against
The benchmark your investment has to beat.
Time & money
When the money goes in, and how much.
Leave empty for earliest
Leave empty for today
0 for a one-time investment
Daily total-return data — dividends reinvested. Monthly additions buy on the first trading day.
Track your entire portfolio in one free Google Sheet
Enter your trades once and values update automatically. We'll send it straight to your inbox.
Related comparisons
Browse all match-ups on the comparison hub, build your own in the Compare Investments tool, or check a single asset's exact-date returns with the Investment Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Did DIA beat SPY?
No — measured from Jan 20, 1998 to Jul 13, 2026 with dividends reinvested, SPY came out ahead: $125,071 versus $120,564 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 9.3% annual return against 9.1%.
What would $10,000 in DIA be worth today?
$10,000 invested in SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) on Jan 20, 1998 would be worth about $120,564 as of Jul 13, 2026, a total return of 1105.6% (9.1% per year). The same $10,000 in SPY would be worth $125,071.
Which was riskier — DIA or SPY?
DIA swung with an annualized volatility of 18.5% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -51.9%; SPY ran at 19.4% volatility with a -55.2% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.38 for DIA vs 0.38 for SPY.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering Jan 20, 1998 through Jul 13, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with DIA vs SPY. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.