SPY vs ARKK — 11-Year Performance Comparison
S&P 500 vs ARK Innovation — backtested 2014–2024
SPY wins$38,386 vs $30,519 on $10,000 over 11 years
SPYS&P 500
Final value$38,386
CAGR+13.0%
Max drawdown-18.2%
Best year+31% (2019)
Years won5 of 11
ARKKARK Innovation
Final value$30,519
CAGR+10.7%
Max drawdown-74.7%
Best year+152% (2020)
Years won6 of 11
Growth of $10,000
2014–2024SPYARKK
SPY$38,386
ARKK$30,519
50/50 mix$43,644
50/50 blend: $43,644 (+14.3%/yr CAGR)
Splitting equally between SPY and ARKK would have outperformed both individually — diversification smoothed the ride. Try a custom split →
Year-by-year: SPY vs ARKK
| Year | SPY | ARKK | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +23.3% | +8.4% | SPY |
| 2023 | +26.3% | +67.6% | ARKK |
| 2022 | -18.2% | -67.0% | SPY |
| 2021 | +28.7% | -23.4% | SPY |
| 2020 | +18.4% | +151.9% | ARKK |
| 2019 | +31.5% | +35.1% | ARKK |
| 2018 | -4.4% | +3.5% | ARKK |
| 2017 | +21.8% | +87.3% | ARKK |
| 2016 | +12.0% | -2.0% | SPY |
| 2015 | +1.4% | +3.8% | ARKK |
| 2014 | +13.7% | -1.1% | SPY |
More comparisons
Build your portfolio
Mix SPY + ARKK with custom allocations
Try a 70/30 or 40/60 split — or add up to 3 more ETFs. See exactly how your custom portfolio would have performed.
Open Portfolio Builder →Past performance does not guarantee future results.