Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VCIT?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VCIT −1.8%.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or VCIT?

VCIT 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.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

GOVT vs VCIT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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GOVT's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VCIT's 6.0 on May 31, 2026; VCIT charges 0.03% to GOVT's 0.05%.

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Net assets: $42.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, and $66.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF.

GOVT on its own →VCIT on its own →

At a glance

−1.5%

GOVT total return, 1 year

−1.8%

VCIT total return, 1 year

0.05%

GOVT expense ratio

0.03%

VCIT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VCIT costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.3 points; VCIT is 1.6 times larger.

GOVT vs VCIT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VCIT
Return
Measure	GOVT	VCIT
Total return, 1 year	−1.5%	−1.8%
Drawdown
Measure	GOVT	VCIT
Below its high	8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020	3.2%, high on Feb 27, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	GOVT	VCIT
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index	Bloomberg U.S. 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	GOVT	VCIT
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$41.4bn	$66.6bn
Holdings
Measure	GOVT	VCIT
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VCIT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first GOVT VCIT

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2031 0.22% 0.18%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2033 0.38% 0.03%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2028 1.20% 0.01%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2028 0.72% 0.01%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in GOVT

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2031 5.28%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2029 2.95%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2028 2.63%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2028 2.08%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2028 1.62%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2046 1.48%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2042 1.46%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2051 1.46%

Only in VCIT

AMAZON.COM INC, due Mar 13, 2036 0.30%

BOEING CO/THE, due May 1, 2034 0.28%

META PLATFORMS, due Nov 15, 2035 0.27%

BANK OF AMER CRP, due Jul 22, 2033 0.27%

PFIZER INVSTMNT, due May 19, 2033 0.27%

ORACLE CORP, due Feb 4, 2036 0.27%

ANHEUSER-BUSCH, due Feb 1, 2036 0.27%

JPMORGAN CHASE, due Jul 25, 2033 0.25%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF VCIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond Tracks an index of Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond

Total return, 1 year −1.5% −1.8%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.8% (SCHI)

Gap to its benchmark not measured 0.0 pts vs SCHI

Expense ratio 0.05% 0.03%

Holdings 229 2340

Net assets, GOVT as of Oct 27, 2026 and VCIT as of Sep 30, 2026 $42.8bn $66.6bn

GOVT and VCIT on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

GOVT

GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

VCIT

VCIT tracks an index of Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.8% with distributions reinvested, against −1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.2% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VCIT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VCIT −1.8%.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or VCIT?: VCIT 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.

Other comparisons

GOVT vs LQD GOVT vs IGIB GOVT vs TLT GOVT vs VCLT VCIT vs VGIT IEF vs VCIT VCIT vs VGSH JAAA vs VCIT

Where to next

GOVT on its own →VCIT on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →GOVT dividend history →GOVT holdings →VCIT dividend history →VCIT holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

GOVT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

GOVT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for GOVT ↗

VCIT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VCIT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VCIT ↗

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, GOVT against VCIT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vcit

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.