Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
BND vs VBR: how they differ
BND is a bond index fund and VBR an equity index fund, and over the year VBR returned more, +16.3% against −0.7%.
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund and Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund.
| BND Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund | VBR Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| What it is | US aggregate bonds | Small-Cap Value |
| Total return, 1 year | −0.7% | +16.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.2 pts | −1.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.05% |
| Holdings | not filed | 840 |
BND in plain words
BND is a bond fund tracking the US aggregate bonds. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 6, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
VBR in plain words
VBR is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 840 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BND or VBR?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BND returned −0.7% and VBR returned +16.3%, so VBR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, BND or VBR?
- BND charges 0.03% a year and VBR charges 0.05%, so BND is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, BND against VBR, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/BND-VBR Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources