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

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

Which is cheaper, GOVT or VGIT?

VGIT 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 VGIT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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GOVT's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VGIT's 4.7 on May 31, 2026; VGIT 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 $39.7bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF.

GOVT on its own →VGIT on its own →

At a glance

−1.5%

GOVT total return, 1 year

−1.5%

VGIT total return, 1 year

0.05%

GOVT expense ratio

0.03%

VGIT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VGIT costs 0.02 points a year less; both returned −1.5% over a year.

GOVT vs VGIT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VGIT
Return
Measure	GOVT	VGIT
Total return, 1 year	−1.5%	−1.5%
Drawdown
Measure	GOVT	VGIT
Below its high	8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020	3.5%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	GOVT	VGIT
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index	Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3-10 Year Index
Cost and size
Measure	GOVT	VGIT
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$41.4bn	$39.7bn
Holdings
Measure	GOVT	VGIT
Holdings in common	41%

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

Risk and return

Mar 2, 2012 to Oct 23, 2026 · 764 weekly returns

GOVT VGIT

Return

Total return edge VGIT +18.4% +22.3%

Annualized edge VGIT +1.2% +1.4%

Price return edge GOVT −10.6% −12.3%

Risk

Volatility edge VGIT (slight) 4.5% 4.1%

Max drawdown edge VGIT −18.7% −15.6%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge VGIT −0.11 −0.07

Sortino edge VGIT −0.15 −0.10

Calmar edge VGIT 0.06 0.09

Reading

VGIT returned more: +22.3% to +18.4%. VGIT swung slightly less: 4.1% to 4.5%. VGIT fell less at its worst: −15.6% to −18.7%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: GOVT vs VGIT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VGIT	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+18.4%	+22.3%	VGIT	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+1.2%	+1.4%	VGIT	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−10.6%	−12.3%	GOVT	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	4.5%	4.1%	VGIT (slight)	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.3%	2.9%	VGIT (slight)	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−18.7%	−15.6%	VGIT	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.11	−0.07	VGIT	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.15	−0.10	VGIT	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.06	0.09	VGIT	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 764 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

41%

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VGIT hold 41% 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

41% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first GOVT VGIT

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2031 5.28% 1.56%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2030 1.01% 1.12%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 0.99% 1.87%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2030 0.94% 1.65%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2034 0.92% 1.87%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2033 0.84% 1.52%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 0.83% 1.92%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2033 0.82% 1.84%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2032 0.82% 1.47%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 0.80% 1.89%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Dec 31, 2029 0.78% 1.09%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2029 0.77% 1.05%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in GOVT

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%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2027 1.38%

Only in VGIT

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 31, 2030 1.10%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 30, 2030 1.08%

US TREASURY N/B, due May 31, 2031 0.74%

US TREASURY N/B, due Apr 30, 2031 0.74%

US TREASURY N/B, due Oct 31, 2031 0.72%

US TREASURY N/B, due Nov 30, 2031 0.71%

US TREASURY N/B, due Sep 30, 2031 0.70%

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 31, 2031 0.69%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

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

Total return, 1 year −1.5% −1.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.5% (SCHR)

Gap to its benchmark not measured 0.0 pts vs SCHR

Expense ratio 0.05% 0.03%

Holdings 229 103

Net assets, GOVT as of Oct 27, 2026 and VGIT as of Sep 30, 2026 $42.8bn $39.7bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-02EC4CE53F

GOVT and VGIT are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

What each follows. GOVT follows ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index and VGIT follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3-10 Year Index.
Holdings in common. 41% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and May 31, 2026).
One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 GOVT returned −1.5% and VGIT −1.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.0 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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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.

VGIT

VGIT tracks an index of Intermediate-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.5% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 3-10 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.5% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VGIT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VGIT −1.5%.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or VGIT?: VGIT 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 IEF FLGV vs GOVT GOVT vs VTG GOVT vs SCHR VGIT vs VTG IEF vs VGIT SCHR vs VGIT SPTI vs VGIT

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

GOVT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

GOVT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for GOVT ↗

VGIT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VGIT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VGIT ↗

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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