The FTSE 100 and Dow Jones are both stock market indices that are designed to track the performance of markets. In the case of the FTSE 100, it comprises the largest stocks on the London Stock Exchange, while the Dow Jones is made up of 30 large cap stocks in the US. These indices are different in the way the stocks are picked, their value, size and diversification.
The FTSE 100 is a collection of the largest 100 stocks on the London Stock Exchange when you order the companies by market capitalisation, which is the value of all the company’s shares added together. The Dow Jones is slightly different – it’s a price weighted index of 30 companies listed on US exchanges. “Price weighted” simply means that companies on the index with a higher share price have a proportionate impact on the Dow Jones.
There are a few different interpretations of “bigger” – it could be the one with the higher number of stocks regardless of value or it could be by market capitalisation, which is the value of the stocks. When referring to the number of stocks that the index holds, the FTSE 100 is bigger, holding an additional 70 companies.
The FTSE 100 has a market cap of just £1.996 trillion, against Dow Jones’ market cap of $10.35 trillion (about £8.25 trillion). The company with the largest weighting in the Dow Jones is UnitedHealth, which has a market cap of $463 billion (£369 billion). The largest weighting in the FTSE 100 is Shell, with a market cap of £177 billion.
The FTSE 100 has slightly more diversification because it has more stocks in it than the Dow Jones and has a fairly even distribution of stocks across different sectors, with a slight weighting towards financial services and consumer staples companies. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones is a little heavy towards technology and financial services.
If you’re looking for diversification, there’s no reason why you couldn’t invest in both – this way you get additional global diversification with both UK and US shares.
These trading apps allow you to invest in companies within the indexes directly or to invest in funds/ETFs.
Best for 0% commission stocks
Capital at risk. Fees apply. T&Cs apply
Best for active investing
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply
Best for trading tools
Capital at risk. T&Cs apply
Here are some of the best-performing Dow Jones and FTSE 100 funds according to JustETF:
| Icon | Fund | 5-year performance (to Feb. ’24) | 1-year performance (to Feb. ’24) | Link to invest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lyxor Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJEL) | 68.82% | 10.45% | Invest with IGCapital at risk |
 | iShares Dow Jones industrial average (CIND) | 68.67% | 10.07% | Invest with eToroCapital at risk |
| Fund | Icon | 5-year performance (to July 2024) | 1-year performance (to July ’24) | Link to invest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Core FTSE 100 (CUKX) | | 28.82% | 12.49% | Invest with eToroCapital at risk |
| Xtrackers FTSE 100 (XDUK) |  | 28.66% | 12.42% | Invest with HLCapital at risk |
| Invesco FTSE 100 (S100) |  | 28.41% | 12.19% | Invest with HLCapital at risk |
| HSBC FTSE 100 (HUKX) |  | 7.30% | 8.35% | Invest with XTBCapital at risk |
| Vanguard FTSE 100 (VUKE) |  | 6.27% | 7.89% | Invest with XTBCapital at risk |
| iShares Core FTSE 100 (Dist)(ISF) | | 6.21% | 7.94% | Invest with XTBCapital at risk |
| Amundi FTSE 100 (100D) |  | 6.14% | 8.81% | Invest with HLCapital at risk |
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
"The Dow Jones has historically performed better than the FTSE 100, although this doesn’t guarantee that it always will. As it’s only got 30 stocks, the Dow Jones wouldn’t create as much diversification as you might be looking for in an investment, while the FTSE 100 has plenty of diversification available.
There’s also no reason why you couldn’t invest in both, which would give you a diverse set of stocks, including some stocks from across the globe."
| Dow Jones | FTSE 100 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Apple |  | AstraZeneca | ||
 | Microsoft |  | Unilever | ||
 | Johnson & Johnson | | HSBC Holdings | ||
 | UnitedHealth |  | Diageo | ||
 | Visa |  | GlaxoSmithKline |
We chose Saxo as our top pick because:
Need to know: Opening a Saxo share dealing account requires a high minimum investment (£500).
Read our review of Saxo.
These trading apps allow you to invest in companies within the indexes directly or to invest in funds/ETFs.
To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Costs, features, ease and range of investments across 30+ platforms are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the platform – simple.
Read the full methodologyThe Dow Jones can give you access to some big players in the US, with the combined market capitalisation of the 30 companies listed outweighing the entire FTSE 100. Investing in the Dow Jones would give you a high proportion of technology stocks, with 20% of the index in this sector.
Meanwhile the FTSE 100 hasn’t performed quite so well, but it would give you more diversification.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Learn how to invest in the Nasdaq 100 from the UK, including where to access it and some of the best funds and ETFs available to investors.
Here’s your ultimate guide to navigating the world of global investing from the comfort of your sofa or even on your phone on the go.
The three best-known US indices go head to head. Search by company, review performance over time and understand key differences.
Learn how to invest in the Euro Stoxx 50 from the UK and discover some of the best Euro Stoxx 50 index funds and where you can invest in them.
Find out the key differences between the Dow Jones and the S&P 500.
Find out how to invest in DAX, the 40 largest companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. We’ve compiled some ETFs and other ways you can invest.
Find out how you can invest in the FTSE 250 with exchange traded funds (ETFs). See which 250 companies on the London Stock Exchange are in the FTSE 250.
In a nutshell, an index fund is a low-cost portfolio of shares and other assets that tracks a financial or stock market index. They’re a popular investment choice in the UK and worldwide.
Learn how to invest in the S&P 500 from the UK and discover some of the best S&P 500 index funds and where you can invest in them.
The FTSE 100 is the UK’s most famous stock index. Here’s how you can invest in it today.
