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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VTEB −0.4%.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or VTEB?

VTEB 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 VTEB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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On Jul 31, 2026 GOVT's duration was 5.5 years and VTEB's 7.1; VTEB 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 $49.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF.

GOVT on its own →VTEB on its own →

At a glance

−1.5%

GOVT total return, 1 year

−0.4%

VTEB total return, 1 year

0.05%

GOVT expense ratio

0.03%

VTEB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VTEB costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.1 points; VTEB is 1.2 times larger.

GOVT vs VTEB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VTEB
Return
Measure	GOVT	VTEB
Total return, 1 year	−1.5%	−0.4%
Drawdown
Measure	GOVT	VTEB
Below its high	8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	GOVT	VTEB
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index	S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	GOVT	VTEB
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$41.4bn	$49.6bn
Holdings
Measure	GOVT	VTEB
Holdings in common	0%

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

What they share

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

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first GOVT VTEB

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 VTEB

NEW YORK CITY-F-1-REF, due Aug 1, 2034 0.12%

CA REGENTS UNIV-CD, due May 15, 2036 0.11%

IDAHO ST-TANS, due Jun 30, 2027 0.10%

CA REF, due Aug 1, 2032 0.10%

MARYLAND ST-GROUP 2, due Jun 1, 2038 0.09%

NY ST THRUWAY AUTH-A, due Sep 15, 2035 0.09%

TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE-A-1, due Feb 1, 2028 0.09%

DALLAS ISD-B, due Feb 15, 2056 0.08%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF VTEB Vanguard Tax-Exempt 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 Tax-Exempt Bond

Total return, 1 year −1.5% −0.4%

Expense ratio 0.05% 0.03%

Holdings 229 11155

Net assets, GOVT as of Oct 27, 2026 and VTEB as of Sep 30, 2026 $42.8bn $49.6bn

GOVT and VTEB 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.

VTEB

VTEB tracks an index of Tax-Exempt Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VTEB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VTEB −0.4%.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or VTEB?: VTEB 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 MUB GOVT vs HYMB GOVT vs IUSB GOVT vs VCSH IEF vs VTEB VGIT vs VTEB VGSH vs VTEB JAAA vs VTEB

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

GOVT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

GOVT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for GOVT ↗

VTEB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VTEB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VTEB ↗

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 VTEB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vteb

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