EFA vs QEFA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 21, 2026, EFA returned +13.8% to QEFA's +16.1%; 69% of their weight is in the same names. Net assets on Oct 20, 2026: $76.9bn for iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and $1.0bn for State Street SPDR MSCI EAFE StrategicFactors ETF.
QEFA costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.3 points; EFA is far larger, $76.9bn against $1.0bn.
| EFA | QEFA | |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.30% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 20, 2026 | $76.9bn | $1.0bn |
| Total return, 1 year | +13.8% | +16.1% |
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE Index | MSCI EAFE Factor Mix A-Series Index |
| Holdings in common | 69% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 14.2% | 15.1% |
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 20, 2026.
EFA and QEFA are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. EFA follows MSCI EAFE Index and QEFA follows MSCI EAFE Factor Mix A-Series Index.
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 21, 2026 EFA returned +13.8% and QEFA +16.1% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.3 points.
- Size. EFA has $76.9bn in net assets and QEFA $1.0bn (net assets, as of Oct 20, 2026); EFA is 76.9 times larger.
Data as of Oct 21, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.
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What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and QEFA hold 69% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 20, 2026.
half
69% in common
On the same fields
EFA and QEFA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 21, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
About EFA
EFA tracks an index of Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Oct 21, 2026 it returned +13.8% with distributions reinvested, against +16.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 20, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 666 positions, with the top ten at 14.2%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 21, 2026.
About QEFA
QEFA tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 21, 2026 it returned +16.1% with distributions reinvested, against +16.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI All Country World ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.30% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 20, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 626 positions, with the top ten at 15.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or QEFA?
- In the year to Oct 21, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +13.8% and QEFA +16.1%.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or QEFA?
- QEFA is cheaper, by 0.02 percentage points a year. That is about $2 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, EFA against QEFA, data as of Oct 21, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-qefa
ETFIQ. (Oct 21, 2026). EFA against QEFA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-qefa
[EFA against QEFA (ETFIQ, Oct 21, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/efa-vs-qefa)
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