Which returned more over the last year, BNDX or IAU?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BNDX returned −0.9% and IAU +2.7%.

Which is cheaper, BNDX or IAU?

BNDX is cheaper, by 0.18 percentage points a year. That is about $18 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

BNDX vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees

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BNDX is a bond index fund and IAU a commodity fund, and over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IAU returned +2.7% against −0.9%.

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Net assets: $82.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total International Bond ETF, and $60.1bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares Gold Trust.

BNDX on its own →IAU on its own →

At a glance

−0.9%

BNDX total return, 1 year

+2.7%

IAU total return, 1 year

0.07%

BNDX expense ratio

0.25%

IAU expense ratio

Pair scorecard

BNDX costs 0.18 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.6 points; BNDX is 1.3 times larger.

BNDX vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BNDX	IAU
Return
Measure	BNDX	IAU
Total return, 1 year	−0.9%	+2.7%
Drawdown
Measure	BNDX	IAU
Below its high		24.6%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	BNDX	IAU
What it tracks	Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD Float Adjusted RIC Capped Index (USD Hedged)	Gold
Cost and size
Measure	BNDX	IAU
Expense ratio	0.07%	0.25%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$82.9bn	$62.2bn
Holdings
Measure	BNDX	IAU
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Side by side

BNDX Vanguard Total International Bond ETF IAU iShares Gold Trust

Where it sits Bond ETF Commodity ETF

Issuer Vanguard iShares

What it is Tracks an index of Total International Bond Holds gold

Total return, 1 year −0.9% +2.7%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +2.5% (GLD)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +0.2 pts vs GLD

Expense ratio 0.07% 0.25%

Holdings 6840 not counted

Net assets, BNDX as of Sep 30, 2026 and IAU as of Oct 28, 2026 $82.9bn $60.1bn

BNDX and IAU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

BNDX

BNDX tracks an index of Total International Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.9% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year.

IAU

Its expense ratio is 0.25% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

IAU holds gold. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.7% with distributions reinvested, against +2.5% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, BNDX or IAU?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BNDX returned −0.9% and IAU +2.7%.
Which is cheaper, BNDX or IAU?: BNDX is cheaper, by 0.18 percentage points a year. That is about $18 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

BNDX vs GLDM BNDX vs SLV BNDX vs GLD BNDX vs USO IAU vs VCSH IAU vs IEF GOVT vs IAU IAU vs VGIT

Where to next

BNDX on its own →IAU on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →BNDX dividend history →BNDX holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

BNDX filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

BNDX prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for BNDX ↗

iShares page for IAU ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, BNDX against IAU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/bndx-vs-iau

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