Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
BOXX vs GOVT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to GOVT's −1.5%, and GOVT charges 0.05% to BOXX's 0.19%.
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Net assets: $14.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF, and $42.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF.
Pair scorecard
GOVT costs 0.14 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.5 points; GOVT is 3.0 times larger.
| Measure | BOXX | GOVT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +4.0% | −1.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026 | $14.4bn | $42.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Side by side
BOXX and GOVT 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.
GOVT
GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or GOVT?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and GOVT −1.5%.
- Which is cheaper, BOXX or GOVT?
- GOVT is cheaper, by 0.14 percentage points a year. That is about $14 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, BOXX against GOVT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-govt
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). BOXX against GOVT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-govt
[BOXX against GOVT (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-govt)
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