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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and VGIT −1.5%.

Which is cheaper, BOXX or VGIT?

VGIT is cheaper, by 0.16 percentage points a year. That is about $16 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

BOXX vs VGIT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to VGIT's −1.5%, and VGIT charges 0.03% 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 $39.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF.

BOXX on its own →VGIT on its own →

At a glance

+4.0%

BOXX total return, 1 year

−1.5%

VGIT total return, 1 year

0.19%

BOXX expense ratio

0.03%

VGIT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VGIT costs 0.16 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.5 points.

BOXX vs VGIT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BOXX	VGIT
Return
Measure	BOXX	VGIT
Total return, 1 year	+4.0%	−1.5%
Drawdown
Measure	BOXX	VGIT
Below its high		3.5%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	BOXX	VGIT
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3-10 Year Index
Cost and size
Measure	BOXX	VGIT
Expense ratio	0.19%	0.03%
Net assets, BOXX as of Oct 28, 2026 and VGIT as of Sep 30, 2026	$14.5bn	$39.7bn
Holdings
Measure	BOXX	VGIT
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Risk and return

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

BOXX VGIT

Return

Total return edge BOXX +18.9% +10.1%

Annualized edge BOXX +4.6% +2.6%

Price return edge BOXX +18.6% −3.4%

Risk

Volatility edge BOXX 0.2% 4.7%

Max drawdown edge BOXX −0.1% −5.5%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge BOXX −0.25 −0.42

Sortino edge BOXX −0.35 −0.59

Calmar Not measured 0.46

Reading

BOXX returned more: +18.9% to +10.1%. BOXX swung less: 0.2% to 4.7%. BOXX fell less at its worst: −0.1% to −5.5%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: BOXX vs VGIT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BOXX	VGIT	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+18.9%	+10.1%	BOXX	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.6%	+2.6%	BOXX	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+18.6%	−3.4%	BOXX	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	0.2%	4.7%	BOXX	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	0.2%	3.4%	BOXX	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−0.1%	−5.5%	BOXX	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.25	−0.42	BOXX	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.35	−0.59	BOXX	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	Not measured	0.46		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 VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer Alpha Architect Vanguard

What it is Actively managed Tracks an index of Intermediate-Term Treasury

Total return, 1 year +4.0% −1.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.5% (SCHR)

Gap to its benchmark not measured 0.0 pts vs SCHR

Expense ratio 0.19% 0.03%

Holdings not counted 103

Net assets, BOXX as of Oct 28, 2026 and VGIT as of Sep 30, 2026 $14.5bn $39.7bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-8DE3084286

BOXX and VGIT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. BOXX follows No index, actively managed and VGIT follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3-10 Year Index.
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BOXX returned +4.0% and VGIT −1.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 5.5 points.
Cost. BOXX charges 0.19% of assets a year and VGIT 0.03%, a gap of 0.16 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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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.

VGIT

VGIT tracks an index of Intermediate-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.5% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3-10 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.5% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or VGIT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and VGIT −1.5%.
Which is cheaper, BOXX or VGIT?: VGIT is cheaper, by 0.16 percentage points a year. That is about $16 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BOXX vs GOVT BOXX vs IEF BOXX vs MBB BOXX vs JAAA VBIL vs VGIT MINT vs VGIT USFR vs VGIT PULS vs VGIT

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

BOXX filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

BOXX prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Alpha Architect website ↗

VGIT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VGIT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VGIT ↗

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

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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