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

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

Which is cheaper, GOVT or VTG?

VTG 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 VTG: Differences, Returns & Fees

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GOVT's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VTG's 5.5 on Jun 30, 2026; VTG 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 $228m on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total Treasury ETF.

GOVT on its own →VTG on its own →

At a glance

−1.5%

GOVT total return, 1 year

−1.5%

VTG total return, 1 year

0.05%

GOVT expense ratio

0.03%

VTG expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VTG costs 0.02 points a year less; both returned −1.5% over a year; GOVT is far larger, $41.4bn against $228m.

GOVT vs VTG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VTG
Return
Measure	GOVT	VTG
Total return, 1 year	−1.5%	−1.5%
Drawdown
Measure	GOVT	VTG
Below its high	8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	GOVT	VTG
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index	Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Total Return Unhedged USD Index
Cost and size
Measure	GOVT	VTG
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$41.4bn	$228m
Holdings
Measure	GOVT	VTG
Holdings in common	60%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Jul 18, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026 · 66 weekly returns

GOVT VTG

Return

Total return edge Tie +2.3% +2.3%

Annualized edge Tie +1.8% +1.8%

Price return edge VTG (slight) −2.2% −2.2%

Risk

Volatility edge Tie 3.4% 3.4%

Max drawdown edge Tie −4.3% −4.4%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge Tie −0.60 −0.59

Sortino edge Tie −0.78 −0.77

Calmar edge Tie 0.42 0.41

Reading

GOVT and VTG returned about the same: +2.3% and +2.3%. GOVT and VTG swung about the same: 3.4% and 3.4%. GOVT and VTG fell about the same at their worst: −4.3% and −4.4%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: GOVT vs VTG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	GOVT	VTG	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+2.3%	+2.3%	Tie	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+1.8%	+1.8%	Tie	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−2.2%	−2.2%	VTG (slight)	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	3.4%	3.4%	Tie	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	2.6%	2.6%	Tie	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−4.3%	−4.4%	Tie	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.60	−0.59	Tie	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.78	−0.77	Tie	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.42	0.41	Tie	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 66 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

60%

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VTG hold 60% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

60% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first GOVT VTG

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 0.99% 0.88%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2034 0.92% 0.85%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 0.83% 0.90%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2033 0.82% 0.85%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2030 0.94% 0.80%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 0.80% 0.91%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 0.77% 0.93%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2031 5.28% 0.74%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2036 0.73% 0.82%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2033 0.76% 0.69%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2031 0.73% 0.67%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2033 0.84% 0.66%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in GOVT

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

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2038 0.55%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2028 0.46%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2033 0.27%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2031 0.25%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2037 0.17%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2039 0.07%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2038 0.06%

Only in VTG

US TREASURY N/B, due Apr 30, 2029 0.58%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 30, 2030 0.53%

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 15, 2028 0.50%

US TREASURY N/B, due Dec 15, 2027 0.47%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jan 15, 2028 0.47%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 15, 2028 0.47%

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 31, 2030 0.47%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 15, 2028 0.46%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF VTG Vanguard Total 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

Total return, 1 year −1.5% −1.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.4% (AGG)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.1 pts vs AGG

Expense ratio 0.05% 0.03%

Holdings 229 287

Net assets, GOVT as of Oct 27, 2026 and VTG as of Sep 30, 2026 $42.8bn $228m

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-E85E243CCB

GOVT and VTG 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 VTG follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Total Return Unhedged USD Index.
Size. GOVT has $41.4bn in net assets and VTG $228m (net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026); GOVT is 181.6 times larger.
Holdings in common (similar). 60% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026).

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.

VTG

VTG tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

Questions people ask

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

FLGV vs GOVT GOVT vs SPTI GOVT vs VGIT GOVT vs IEF VGIT vs VTG BND vs VTG GOVT vs SCHR BINC vs GOVT

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

GOVT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

GOVT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for GOVT ↗

VTG filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VTG prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VTG ↗

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

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