Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or FTSM?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and FTSM +3.5%.

Which is cheaper, BOXX or FTSM?

BOXX is cheaper, by 0.10 percentage points a year. That is about $10 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

BOXX vs FTSM: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share on X Download as PDF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to FTSM's +3.5%, and BOXX charges 0.19% to FTSM's 0.29%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about BOXX and FTSM

Net assets: $14.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF, and $6.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF.

BOXX on its own →FTSM on its own →

At a glance

+4.0%

BOXX total return, 1 year

+3.5%

FTSM total return, 1 year

0.19%

BOXX expense ratio

0.29%

FTSM expense ratio

Pair scorecard

BOXX costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points; BOXX is 2.1 times larger.

BOXX vs FTSM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BOXX	FTSM
Return
Measure	BOXX	FTSM
Total return, 1 year	+4.0%	+3.5%
Benchmark
Measure	BOXX	FTSM
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	BOXX	FTSM
Expense ratio	0.19%	0.29%
Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026	$14.4bn	$6.8bn
Holdings
Measure	BOXX	FTSM
Holdings in common	report dates differ

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Jan 6, 2023 to Oct 23, 2026 · 198 weekly returns

BOXX FTSM

Return

Total return edge Tie +18.9% +18.8%

Annualized edge Tie +4.6% +4.6%

Price return edge BOXX +18.6% +0.4%

Risk

Volatility edge BOXX 0.2% 0.4%

Max drawdown edge BOXX −0.1% −0.1%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge FTSM −0.25 −0.18

Sortino edge FTSM −0.35 −0.25

Calmar Not measured 39.72

Reading

BOXX and FTSM returned about the same: +18.9% and +18.8%. BOXX swung less: 0.2% to 0.4%. BOXX fell less at its worst: −0.1% to −0.1%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: BOXX vs FTSM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BOXX	FTSM	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+18.9%	+18.8%	Tie	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.6%	+4.6%	Tie	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+18.6%	+0.4%	BOXX	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	0.2%	0.4%	BOXX	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	0.2%	0.3%	BOXX	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−0.1%	−0.1%	BOXX	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.25	−0.18	FTSM	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.35	−0.25	FTSM	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	Not measured	39.72		Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 198 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Side by side

BOXX Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF FTSM First Trust Enhanced Short Maturity ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer Alpha Architect First Trust

What it is Actively managed Actively managed

Total return, 1 year +4.0% +3.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.4% (AGG)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +4.9 pts vs AGG

Expense ratio 0.19% 0.29%

Holdings not counted 743

Net assets, BOXX as of Oct 28, 2026 and FTSM as of Oct 27, 2026 $14.5bn $6.8bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-CAC8B03FBF

BOXX and FTSM are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

Cost. BOXX charges 0.19% of assets a year and FTSM 0.29%, a gap of 0.10 points.
What each follows (similar). Both follow No index, actively managed.
One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BOXX returned +4.0% and FTSM +3.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.5 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.

Your saved page · Privacy.

Alert

About each fund

BOXX

BOXX is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +4.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% a year.

FTSM

FTSM is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.29% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or FTSM?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and FTSM +3.5%.
Which is cheaper, BOXX or FTSM?: BOXX is cheaper, by 0.10 percentage points a year. That is about $10 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BOXX vs TFLO BOXX vs TBIL BOXX vs GBIL BOXX vs FLOT FTSM vs VBIL FLOT vs FTSM FTSM vs VUSB FTSM vs ICSH

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

BOXX filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

BOXX prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Alpha Architect website ↗

FTSM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FTSM prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

First Trust page for FTSM ↗

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

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, BOXX against FTSM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-ftsm

Open data →

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