Data as of Sep 4, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IWM vs VUG
iShares Russell 2000 ETF and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.
| IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core fund | Core fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Russell 2000 | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +26.4% | +14.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +20.0% | +20.0% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +6.5 pts | −5.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 2014 | 147 |
IWM in plain words
IWM is a index equity fund tracking Russell 2000. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 it returned +26.4% with distributions reinvested, against +20.0% for the S&P 500 and +25.6% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2014 positions, with the top ten at 3.4%.
VUG in plain words
VUG is a index equity fund tracking US growth. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 it returned +14.9% with distributions reinvested, against +20.0% for the S&P 500 and +25.6% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IWM or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IWM returned +26.4% and VUG returned +14.9%, so IWM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IWM or VUG?
- IWM charges 0.19% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IWM and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IWM and 97% of VUG by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Cite this page. ETFIQ, IWM against VUG, data as of Sep 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IWM-VUG.html Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. ETFIQ publishes the same fields for every fund and suggests no allocation. Standards and sources