Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
ESML vs GSSC: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, ESML returned +17.7% to GSSC's +17.1%; 30% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $2.7bn for iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF and $1.1bn for GS ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF.
Pair scorecard
ESML costs 0.03 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.6 points; ESML is 2.5 times larger.
| Measure | ESML | GSSC |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.7% | +17.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 5.3%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 4.9%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index | Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.17% | 0.20% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $2.7bn | $1.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 30% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.2% | 3.5% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, ESML and GSSC hold 30% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
30% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
ESML and GSSC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
ESML and GSSC are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. ESML follows MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index and GSSC follows Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Small Cap Equity Index.
- Holdings in common. 30% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026).
- One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 ESML returned +17.7% and GSSC +17.1% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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ESML
ESML tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.7% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.17% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 12% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 903 positions, with the top ten at 5.2%. It sat 5.3% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.1% with distributions reinvested, against +13.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 3000 Index.
GSSC tracks an index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.20% a year. By its holdings filed for Aug 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,410 positions, with the top ten at 3.5%. It sat 4.9% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ESML or GSSC?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ESML returned +17.7% and GSSC +17.1%.
- Which is cheaper, ESML or GSSC?
- ESML is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 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, ESML against GSSC, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-gssc
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). ESML against GSSC. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-gssc
[ESML against GSSC (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/esml-vs-gssc)
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