Data as of Nov 4, 2026.
DFAE vs FRDM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, DFAE returned +14.7% to FRDM's +33.5%; 27% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $9.5bn on Jul 31, 2026 for Dimensional Emerging Core Equity Market ETF, and $3.6bn on Jun 30, 2026 for Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF.
Pair scorecard
DFAE costs 0.20 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 18.8 points.
| Measure | DFAE | FRDM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.7% | +33.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 12.4%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | 17.7%, high on Jun 22, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | not read by ETFIQ |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.29% | 0.49% |
| Net assets, DFAE as of Jul 31, 2026 and FRDM as of Jun 30, 2026 | $9.5bn | $3.6bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 27% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 30.5% | 56.6% |
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, DFAE and FRDM hold 27% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.
half
27% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
DFAE and FRDM on the fields both publish, as of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
Client brief:
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DFAE
DFAE is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 it returned +14.7% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.29% a year. By its holdings filed for Jul 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 6,272 positions, with the top ten at 30.5%. It sat 12.4% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Nov 4, 2026.
FRDM
FRDM tracks an index. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 it returned +33.5% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the Solactive GBS Emerging Markets Large & Mid Cap Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 126 positions, with the top ten at 56.6%. It sat 17.7% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Nov 4, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, DFAE or FRDM?
- In the year to Nov 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DFAE returned +14.7% and FRDM +33.5%.
- Which is cheaper, DFAE or FRDM?
- DFAE is cheaper, by 0.20 percentage points a year. That is about $20 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.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, DFAE against FRDM, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfae-vs-frdm
ETFIQ. (Nov 4, 2026). DFAE against FRDM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfae-vs-frdm
[DFAE against FRDM (ETFIQ, Nov 4, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfae-vs-frdm)
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