Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GDX vs VBR: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GDX returned +19.0% to VBR's +17.6%, and VBR charges 0.05% to GDX's 0.51%.
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Net assets: $25.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for VanEck Gold Miners ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF.
Pair scorecard
VBR costs 0.46 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.4 points.
| Measure | GDX | VBR |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +19.0% | +17.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 27.5%, high on Feb 27, 2026 | |
| Below its high | 3.9%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Gold miners | Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index |
| Against its benchmark, 1 year | ahead by 5.6 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.51% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, GDX as of Oct 27, 2026 and VBR as of Sep 30, 2026 | $25.6bn | $35.1bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 100% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60% | 5.9% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GDX and VBR hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GDX and VBR on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GDX
By weight, 12% of GDX's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 60% of the fund across 59 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +19.0% with distributions reinvested against +13.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI Index, so a holder was ahead by 5.6 pts. It sits 27.5% below its all-time high of Feb 27, 2026.
VBR
VBR tracks an index of Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 822 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are GDX and VBR in the same category?
- GDX is a thematic ETF and VBR is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, GDX or VBR?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GDX returned +19.0% and VBR +17.6%.
- Which is cheaper, GDX or VBR?
- VBR is cheaper, by 0.46 percentage points a year. That is about $46 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, GDX against VBR, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-vbr
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GDX against VBR. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-vbr
[GDX against VBR (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gdx-vs-vbr)
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