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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BNDX returned −0.9% and TLT −7.9%.

Which is cheaper, BNDX or TLT?

BNDX is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

BNDX vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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BNDX's duration was 6.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and TLT's 15.1 on Aug 31, 2026; BNDX charges 0.07% to TLT's 0.15%.

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Net assets: $82.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total International Bond ETF, and $47.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF.

BNDX on its own →TLT on its own →

At a glance

−0.9%

BNDX total return, 1 year

−7.9%

TLT total return, 1 year

0.07%

BNDX expense ratio

0.15%

TLT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

BNDX costs 0.08 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.0 points; BNDX is 1.8 times larger.

BNDX vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BNDX	TLT
Return
Measure	BNDX	TLT
Total return, 1 year	−0.9%	−7.9%
Drawdown
Measure	BNDX	TLT
Below its high		42.6%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	BNDX	TLT
What it tracks	Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD Float Adjusted RIC Capped Index (USD Hedged)	ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	BNDX	TLT
Expense ratio	0.07%	0.15%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$82.9bn	$46.2bn
Holdings
Measure	BNDX	TLT
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Jun 14, 2013 to Oct 23, 2026 · 697 weekly returns

BNDX TLT

Return

Total return edge BNDX +35.1% +4.3%

Annualized edge BNDX +2.3% +0.3%

Price return edge BNDX −5.5% −28.5%

Risk

Volatility edge BNDX 3.8% 13.7%

Max drawdown edge BNDX −16.0% −47.8%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge BNDX 0.11 −0.05

Sortino edge BNDX 0.15 −0.07

Calmar edge BNDX 0.14 0.01

Reading

BNDX returned more: +35.1% to +4.3%. BNDX swung less: 3.8% to 13.7%. BNDX fell less at its worst: −16.0% to −47.8%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: BNDX vs TLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BNDX	TLT	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+35.1%	+4.3%	BNDX	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+2.3%	+0.3%	BNDX	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−5.5%	−28.5%	BNDX	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	3.8%	13.7%	BNDX	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	2.8%	10.1%	BNDX	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−16.0%	−47.8%	BNDX	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.11	−0.05	BNDX	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.15	−0.07	BNDX	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.14	0.01	BNDX	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 697 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, BNDX and TLT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first BNDX TLT

Only in one fund ↓

Only in BNDX

UK TSY GILT, due Mar 7, 2031 0.41%

FRANCE O.A.T., due Feb 25, 2031 0.37%

FRANCE O.A.T., due Feb 25, 2029 0.36%

UK TSY GILT, due Mar 7, 2030 0.36%

UK TSY GILT, due Mar 7, 2028 0.35%

UK TSY GILT, due Jul 22, 2029 0.34%

FRANCE O.A.T., due Nov 25, 2035 0.33%

FRANCE O.A.T., due Nov 25, 2032 0.33%

Only in TLT

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2055 4.46%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2054 4.40%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2053 4.18%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2054 4.03%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2056 3.94%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2054 3.94%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2053 3.92%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2055 3.80%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

BNDX Vanguard Total International Bond ETF TLT iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer Vanguard iShares

What it is Tracks an index of Total International Bond Tracks an index of 20+ year Treasuries

Total return, 1 year −0.9% −7.9%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −7.8% (BBLB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.1 pts vs BBLB

Expense ratio 0.07% 0.15%

Holdings 6840 47

Net assets, BNDX as of Sep 30, 2026 and TLT as of Oct 27, 2026 $82.9bn $47.4bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-C34F69B68B

BNDX and TLT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. BNDX follows Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD Float Adjusted RIC Capped Index (USD Hedged) and TLT follows ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index.
Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BNDX returned −0.9% and TLT −7.9% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 7.0 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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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.

TLT

TLT tracks an index of 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −7.9% with distributions reinvested, against −7.8% for its benchmark, the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 42.6% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, BNDX or TLT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BNDX returned −0.9% and TLT −7.9%.
Which is cheaper, BNDX or TLT?: BNDX is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BNDX vs EDV BNDX vs VGLT BNDX vs IUSB BNDX vs IEF TLH vs TLT SPTL vs TLT TLT vs ZROZ GOVI vs TLT

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

BNDX filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

BNDX prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for BNDX ↗

TLT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

TLT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for TLT ↗

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

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.