Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
BOXX vs HYG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to HYG's +1.3%, and BOXX charges 0.19% to HYG's 0.49%.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about BOXX and HYG
Net assets: $14.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF, and $17.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF.
Pair scorecard
BOXX costs 0.30 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.7 points; HYG is 1.2 times larger.
| Measure | BOXX | HYG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +4.0% | +1.3% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.49% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 23, 2026 | $14.4bn | $16.6bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Side by side
BOXX and HYG 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.
HYG
HYG tracks an index of US high yield bonds. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.3% with distributions reinvested, against −1.2% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or HYG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and HYG +1.3%.
- Which is cheaper, BOXX or HYG?
- BOXX is cheaper, by 0.30 percentage points a year. That is about $30 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, BOXX against HYG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-hyg
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). BOXX against HYG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-hyg
[BOXX against HYG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-hyg)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.