The best index funds, according to hackers
11 index funds were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 3 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended index funds with the badge. Each figure is 2 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Beats stock picking and crypto
Recommended as a simple, low-cost way to hold hundreds of large US companies long term. Critics call its rules flawed and its top holdings too concentrated.
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF
11 recommend, 4 criticize, 73% approval
Shares rank 2 of 11 by recommenders
Covers whole market, not few giants
Recommended as a simple, broad core holding that covers the whole US stock market instead of a few large companies, and that people have held for years.
Simple buy and hold
People recommend VOO as a low-effort way to hold a broad basket of US stocks over a long period.
All 11 index funds, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S&P 500 index fund | 28 | 13 | 68% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Tied 2 | Invesco QQQ Trust | 11 | 10 | 52% | 7 | — | — |
| Tied 2 | Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | 11 | 4 | 73% | 7 | — | Approved |
| 4 | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | 10 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | Approved |
| 5 | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | 9 | 2 | 82% | 7 | — | — |
| 6 | Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund | 7 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
| Tied 7 | Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | 6 | 1 | 86% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 7 | Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | 6 | 2 | 75% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 7 | Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | 6 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 10 | Vanguard Total World Stock ETF | 5 | 1 | 83% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 10 | SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 5 | 4 | 56% | 3 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same index fund in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to index funds that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.