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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and VNLA +3.6%.

Which is cheaper, BOXX or VNLA?

BOXX is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

BOXX vs VNLA: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, BOXX returned +4.0% to VNLA's +3.6%, and BOXX charges 0.19% to VNLA's 0.23%.

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Net assets: $14.5bn on Oct 28, 2026 for Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF, and $3.3bn on Jul 31, 2026 for Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF.

BOXX on its own →VNLA on its own →

At a glance

+4.0%

BOXX total return, 1 year

+3.6%

VNLA total return, 1 year

0.19%

BOXX expense ratio

0.23%

VNLA expense ratio

Pair scorecard

BOXX costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.4 points.

BOXX vs VNLA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BOXX	VNLA
Return
Measure	BOXX	VNLA
Total return, 1 year	+4.0%	+3.6%
Benchmark
Measure	BOXX	VNLA
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	BOXX	VNLA
Expense ratio	0.19%	0.23%
Net assets, BOXX as of Oct 28, 2026 and VNLA as of Jul 31, 2026	$14.5bn	$3.3bn
Holdings
Measure	BOXX	VNLA
Holdings in common	report dates differ

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

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

BOXX VNLA

Return

Total return edge VNLA +18.9% +21.9%

Annualized edge VNLA +4.6% +5.3%

Price return edge BOXX +18.6% +2.5%

Risk

Volatility edge BOXX 0.2% 0.8%

Max drawdown edge BOXX −0.1% −0.5%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge VNLA −0.25 0.75

Sortino edge VNLA −0.35 1.08

Calmar Not measured 11.12

Reading

VNLA returned more: +21.9% to +18.9%. BOXX swung less: 0.2% to 0.8%. BOXX fell less at its worst: −0.1% to −0.5%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: BOXX vs VNLA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	BOXX	VNLA	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+18.9%	+21.9%	VNLA	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.6%	+5.3%	VNLA	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+18.6%	+2.5%	BOXX	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	0.2%	0.8%	BOXX	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	0.2%	0.6%	BOXX	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−0.1%	−0.5%	BOXX	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.25	0.75	VNLA	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.35	1.08	VNLA	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	Not measured	11.12		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 VNLA Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer Alpha Architect Janus Henderson

What it is Actively managed Actively managed

Total return, 1 year +4.0% +3.6%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.4% (AGG)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +5.0 pts vs AGG

Expense ratio 0.19% 0.23%

Holdings not counted 336

Net assets, BOXX as of Oct 28, 2026 and VNLA as of Jul 31, 2026 $14.5bn $3.3bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-00FED1AA46

BOXX and VNLA are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

What each follows (similar). Both follow No index, actively managed.
One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 BOXX returned +4.0% and VNLA +3.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.4 points.
Cost (similar). BOXX charges 0.19% of assets a year and VNLA 0.23%, a gap of 0.04 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.

VNLA

VNLA is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.6% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.23% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, BOXX or VNLA?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and VNLA +3.6%.
Which is cheaper, BOXX or VNLA?: BOXX is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BOXX vs FLRN BOXX vs FLTR BOXX vs BSCQ BOXX vs TBLL FTSM vs VNLA DUSB vs VNLA VNLA vs VRIG TBUX vs VNLA

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

BOXX filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

BOXX prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Alpha Architect website ↗

VNLA filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VNLA prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Janus Henderson website ↗

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

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.