Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
BOXX vs VGUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to VGUS's +3.6%, and VGUS charges 0.07% 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 $1.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGUS costs 0.12 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.4 points.
| Measure | BOXX | VGUS |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +4.0% | +3.6% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | Bloomberg Short Treasury Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.07% |
| Net assets, BOXX as of Oct 28, 2026 and VGUS as of Sep 30, 2026 | $14.5bn | $1.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
Risk and return
Feb 21, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026 · 87 weekly returnsBOXX returned slightly more: +7.0% to +6.6%. BOXX swung slightly less: 0.2% to 0.2%. BOXX fell slightly less at its worst: 0.0% to 0.0%.
Full scorecard
8 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | BOXX | VGUS | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +7.0% | +6.6% | BOXX (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +4.1% | +3.9% | BOXX (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +7.0% | +0.6% | BOXX | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 0.2% | 0.2% | BOXX (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 0.1% | 0.1% | BOXX | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | 0.0% | 0.0% | BOXX (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.33 | −0.78 | BOXX | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.48 | −1.03 | BOXX | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 87 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
Side by side
BOXX and VGUS on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
BOXX and VGUS are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. BOXX follows No index, actively managed and VGUS follows Bloomberg Short Treasury Index.
- Cost. BOXX charges 0.19% of assets a year and VGUS 0.07%, a gap of 0.12 points.
- One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BOXX returned +4.0% and VGUS +3.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.4 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
VGUS
VGUS tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or VGUS?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and VGUS +3.6%.
- Which is cheaper, BOXX or VGUS?
- VGUS is cheaper, by 0.12 percentage points a year. That is about $12 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.
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ETFIQ, BOXX against VGUS, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-vgus
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). BOXX against VGUS. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-vgus
[BOXX against VGUS (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/boxx-vs-vgus)
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