Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
DFUS vs VIG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, DFUS returned +13.8% to VIG's +13.9%; 38% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $20.9bn on Jul 31, 2026 for Dimensional U.S. Equity Market ETF, and $109.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Div Appreciation ETF.
Pair scorecard
VIG costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.1 points.
| Measure | DFUS | VIG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.8% | +13.9% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | No index, actively managed | S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | 0.04% |
| Net assets, DFUS as of Jul 31, 2026 and VIG as of Sep 30, 2026 | $20.9bn | $109.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 38% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 34.6% | 34.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jun 25, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 278 weekly returnsDFUS returned more: +87.6% to +73.5%. VIG swung less: 13.6% to 16.2%. VIG fell less at its worst: −20.2% to −24.2%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | DFUS | VIG | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +87.6% | +73.5% | DFUS | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +12.5% | +10.9% | DFUS | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +76.2% | +57.6% | DFUS | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 16.2% | 13.6% | VIG | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 10.8% | 9.1% | VIG | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −24.2% | −20.2% | VIG | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.58 | 0.56 | DFUS (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.87 | 0.83 | DFUS (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.52 | 0.54 | VIG (slight) | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 278 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, DFUS and VIG hold 38% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026.
half
38% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
DFUS and VIG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
DFUS and VIG are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. DFUS follows No index, actively managed and VIG follows S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index.
- Holdings in common. 38% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- Number of holdings. DFUS holds 2,236 positions and VIG holds 335.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.8% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 3000 Index.
DFUS is actively managed and tracks no index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for Jul 31, 2026, 89% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2,236 positions, with the top ten at 34.6%.
VIG
VIG tracks an index of Dividend growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.9% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 93% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 335 positions, with the top ten at 34.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, DFUS or VIG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, DFUS returned +13.8% and VIG +13.9%.
- Which is cheaper, DFUS or VIG?
- VIG is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 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, DFUS against VIG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfus-vs-vig
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). DFUS against VIG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfus-vs-vig
[DFUS against VIG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dfus-vs-vig)
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