Dividend comparison

QQQH vs QQQI: Which Is Better for Income?

Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for NEOS Nasdaq-100 Hedged Equity Income ETF and NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.

Start freeOpen interactive compareSee pricing
QQQH vs QQQI: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. Both charge about 0.68% a year, so cost is not what separates them.
  • Income. QQQI pays more income, yielding 14.11% over the last twelve months versus 9.00% for QQQH. That is about $510 more a year on $10,000. Both pay monthly.
  • Performance. Over the last 1 year, QQQI returned 0.7% versus 0.7% for QQQH, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $10,069 in QQQI and $10,066 in QQQH.
  • Risk. QQQH has been the bumpier ride. Its worst peak-to-trough decline over the last 1 year was -61.1%, against -20.0% for QQQI.
  • Diversification. QQQH holds 10 positions and QQQI holds 10. The ten largest positions make up 49.4% of QQQH and 47.0% of QQQI.
  • Overlap. 98% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 97 shared holdings. Owning both adds little diversification.
  • Size. QQQI is the larger fund with $15.1 billion in assets, against $398 million for QQQH.

Bottom line: QQQI has the edge on these figures, with more income today and smaller drawdowns. QQQH does not lead on any of the measures compared here. With 98% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both.

Side-by-side snapshot
Trailing twelve-month figures where available. Higher yield is highlighted — not a buy recommendation.
MetricQQQH
NEOS Nasdaq-100 Hedged Equity Income ETF
QQQI
NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)9.00%14.11%
Dividend / share (TTM)$4.91$7.64
Payout frequencyMonthlyMonthly
Last dividend$0.4190 on Sep 25, 2026$0.6339 on Sep 18, 2026
Ex-dividend dateSep 23, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Dividend growth (CAGR)1.6% over 4 yrs—
Price$54.55$54.16
Dividend growth streak2 years—
Beta0.780.93
Max drawdown (5Y)-61.1%-20.0%
Market cap$395.7M$14.89B
ExchangeNASDAQNASDAQ
Expense ratio0.68%0.68%
Assets under management$398.3M$15.08B
Number of holdings1010
Top 10 concentration49.4%47.0%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

QQQH

$75.04/mo

$900 /yr at 9.00% yield

QQQI

$117.57/mo

$1411 /yr at 14.11% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. QQQH pays monthly; QQQI pays monthly.
YearQQQHQQQI
2025$4.6160$7.4435
2024$3.9219—
2023$3.2157—
2022$3.3471—
2021$4.3378—
Strategy: Options income
These funds own equities and sell call options against them, converting a share of future price appreciation into cash paid out now. How much upside is surrendered depends on the design: writing at the money on the whole portfolio pays the most and keeps the least, while writing on a partial slice or using purchased offsets keeps more of a rally. Distributions come mainly from option premium rather than from company dividends, so the headline yield is not comparable to a dividend fund's.

Payouts are variable rather than contractual, are often taxed as ordinary income, and a fund that pays out more than the strategy earns will see its net asset value drift down over time.

What QQQH vs QQQI actually do

QQQI
The Nasdaq-100 counterpart to NEOS's S&P 500 income fund, holding the index and writing NDX index options for monthly distributions.

It owns Nasdaq-100 constituents and applies the same call strategy of sold and purchased index options, sized actively rather than as a fixed full overwrite. Nasdaq-100 volatility is structurally higher, so the option premium collected is larger and the monthly distribution is bigger than the S&P 500 version. NDX options are also section 1256 contracts, so the same 60/40 tax treatment and loss-harvesting mechanics apply.

Suits someone who wants technology-heavy exposure converted into monthly cash with attention paid to tax character. A poor fit if you are holding the Nasdaq-100 specifically to compound growth, because the call overlay gives away the tail of exactly the rallies that index is bought for.

Aggressive tax-aware income

Performance
Total returns with dividends reinvested, from the adjusted closing price series. $10,000 invested on Jan 30, 2024 would now be worth $12,908 in QQQH and $14,126 in QQQI.
PeriodQQQHQQQI
1 month-0.75%-0.42%
3 months0.24%-0.09%
Year to date0.46%0.56%
1 year0.66%0.69%
3 years48.52%—
5 years7.47%—
  • QQQH
  • QQQI
4199157202420252026129141

Both series indexed to 100 on 2024-01-30 using the adjusted closing price series. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Sector allocation
Weight of each sector within the fund. Sectors are aligned on the same row so the two funds can be read against each other directly.
  • QQQH
  • QQQI
0%15%31%46%61%Technology57.8%61.2%Communication Services12.1%12.7%Consumer Cyclical10.2%10.1%Consumer Defensive6.3%5.6%Healthcare4.4%3.9%Industrials4.2%3.8%Utilities1.2%1.0%Cash & Others2.0%0.0%Basic Materials1.0%0.9%Energy0.5%0.5%Other0.3%0.3%
QQQH vs QQQI holdings overlap
98% overlap by weight, with 97 holdings in common. Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for every stock both funds own, so 100% would mean identical portfolios.
Largest shared holdingsQQQH weightQQQI weight
NVDANVIDIA Corp8.06%8.20%
AAPLApple Inc7.69%7.81%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp6.10%6.11%
AMZNAmazon.com Inc4.39%4.47%
MUMicron Technology Inc4.32%4.40%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc3.70%3.81%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.19%3.25%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc3.09%3.13%
TSLATesla Inc3.00%2.96%
GOOGAlphabet Inc2.88%2.90%
Top 10 holdings
Largest positions by portfolio weight.

QQQH10 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA Corp8.06%
AAPLApple Inc7.69%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp6.10%
NDX 260821P28775000NDX US 08/21/26 P287755.82%
AMZNAmazon.com Inc4.39%
MUMicron Technology Inc4.32%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc3.70%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.19%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc3.09%
TSLATesla Inc3.00%

QQQI10 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA Corp8.20%
AAPLApple Inc7.81%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp6.11%
AMZNAmazon.com Inc4.47%
MUMicron Technology Inc4.40%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc3.81%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.25%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc3.13%
TSLATesla Inc2.96%
GOOGAlphabet Inc2.90%

Quick verdict

QQQI has the edge on these figures, with more income today and smaller drawdowns. QQQH does not lead on any of the measures compared here. With 98% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.

Still deciding? Compare them in your portfolio
Forecast dividend income, track payouts, and see how QQQH vs QQQI fits with the rest of your holdings. Free to start — no credit card required for the trial.
Start freeInteractive DRIP compare

Frequently asked questions

Is QQQH or QQQI better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. QQQH currently yields 9.00% Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) while QQQI yields 14.11%. Higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, but may come with different risk, growth, or NAV characteristics. Compare total return and payout sustainability — not just the headline yield.
What is the difference between QQQH and QQQI?
NEOS Nasdaq-100 Hedged Equity Income ETF (QQQH) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF (QQQI) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Side-by-side metrics on this page cover yield, fees, returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history when available.
Which is cheaper, QQQH or QQQI?
They cost about the same: QQQH charges 0.68% a year and QQQI charges 0.68%.
Which has performed better, QQQH or QQQI?
Over the last 1 year, QQQI has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: QQQH returned 0.7% and QQQI returned 0.7%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, QQQH or QQQI?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, QQQH has been riskier: QQQH fell as much as 61.1% and QQQI as much as 20.0%. Their betas are 0.78 and 0.93.
How much do QQQH and QQQI overlap?
About 98% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 97 shared holdings. The largest shared positions are NVDA, AAPL, MSFT. Holding both adds little diversification.
How often do QQQH and QQQI pay dividends?
Both pay monthly. The most recent payments were $0.4190 for QQQH and $0.6339 for QQQI.
How much income does $10,000 in QQQH vs QQQI generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in QQQH would generate roughly $75.04 per month ($900 annually). The same amount in QQQI would produce about $117.57 per month ($1411 annually). Actual payouts vary with distribution changes and reinvestment.
Can I hold both QQQH and QQQI?
Yes. Many income investors hold both to diversify strategy or index exposure. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on overlapping holdings and factor exposure. Model both inside Dividend Wealth to see combined income, sector mix, and forecast impact.
Where can I compare QQQH vs QQQI with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how QQQH and QQQI fit alongside the rest of your portfolio. A 14-day free trial of Standard is available with no credit card required; a limited Free plan is also available.

Related comparisons

For informational and educational purposes only. Not investment advice. Past performance and current yields do not guarantee future results. Verify figures independently before making investment decisions.