Get the weekly note

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

IAU vs MAGS: how they differ

IAU is a commodity fund and MAGS an equity index fund, and over the year IAU returned more, +19.2% against +14.4%.

iShares Gold Trust and Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF.

IAU and MAGS on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IAU
iShares Gold Trust
MAGS
Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesRoundhill
What it isGoldMagnificent Seven
Total return, 1 year+19.2%+14.4%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500+1.7 pts−3.1 pts
Expense ratio0.25%0.30%
Holdingsnot filed9

IAU in plain words

IAU is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.25% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

MAGS in plain words

MAGS is an index equity fund tracking the Magnificent Seven. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +14.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.30% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 26% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 9 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IAU or MAGS?
In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned +19.2% and MAGS returned +14.4%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, IAU or MAGS?
IAU charges 0.25% a year and MAGS charges 0.30%, so IAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

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.

IAU against MAGS, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, IAU against MAGS, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IAU-MAGS Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources