DFAX vs VXUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
DFAX and VXUS hold 58% of their weight in the same names, and DFAX returned +20.9% over the year. Net assets: $12.0bn on Jul 31, 2026 for Dimensional World ex U.S. Core Equity 2 ETF, and $163.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total International Stock ETF.
VXUS costs 0.23 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.1 points; VXUS is far larger, $645.9bn against $12.0bn.
| DFAX | VXUS | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.28% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Jul 31, 2026 | $12.0bn | $645.9bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +20.9% | +17.8% |
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index |
| Holdings in common | 58% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 8.2% | 14.1% |
| Below its high | 3.4%, high on Sep 4, 2026 | 3.9%, high on Sep 4, 2026 |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, DFAX and VXUS hold 58% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.
half
58% in common
On the same fields
DFAX and VXUS on the fields both publish, as of Oct 9, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
DFAX in plain words
DFAX is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +20.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.3% for the S&P 500. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.28% 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 10,481 positions, with the top ten at 8.2%. It sat 3.4% below its high of Sep 4, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
VXUS in plain words
VXUS tracks an index of Total International Stock. Over the year to Oct 9, 2026 it returned +17.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.3% for the S&P 500. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Aug 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 8,802 positions, with the top ten at 14.1%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Sep 4, 2026 on Oct 9, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, DFAX or VXUS?
- In the year to Oct 9, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DFAX returned +20.9% and VXUS +17.8%.
- Which is cheaper, DFAX or VXUS?
- VXUS is cheaper, by 0.23 percentage points a year. That is about $23 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure; a link is not an endorsement. 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, DFAX against VXUS, data as of Oct 9, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfax-vs-vxus
ETFIQ. (Oct 9, 2026). DFAX against VXUS. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfax-vs-vxus
[DFAX against VXUS (ETFIQ, Oct 9, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfax-vs-vxus)
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