Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
BOXX vs GDX: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to GDX's +19.0%, and BOXX charges 0.19% to GDX's 0.51%.
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Net assets: $14.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF, and $25.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Gold Miners ETF.
Pair scorecard
BOXX costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 15.0 points; GDX is 1.7 times larger.
| Measure | BOXX | GDX |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +4.0% | +19.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Gold miners |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.51% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 23, 2026 | $14.4bn | $24.7bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 12% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | |
Side by side
BOXX and GDX on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
GDX
By weight, 12% of GDX's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 60% of the fund across 59 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +19.0% with distributions reinvested against +13.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI Index, so a holder was ahead by 5.6 pts. It sits 27.5% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are BOXX and GDX in the same category?
- BOXX is a bond ETF and GDX is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or GDX?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and GDX +19.0%.
- Which is cheaper, BOXX or GDX?
- BOXX is cheaper, by 0.32 percentage points a year. That is about $32 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, BOXX against GDX, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-gdx
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). BOXX against GDX. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-gdx
[BOXX against GDX (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-gdx)
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