Get the weekly note

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

IAU vs VGT: how they differ

IAU is a commodity fund and VGT an equity index fund, and over the year VGT returned more, +35.4% against +19.2%.

iShares Gold Trust and Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund.

IAU and VGT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IAU
iShares Gold Trust
VGT
Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesVanguard
What it isGoldInformation technology
Total return, 1 year+19.2%+35.4%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500+1.7 pts+17.9 pts
Expense ratio0.25%0.09%
Holdingsnot filed317

IAU in plain words

IAU is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.25% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

VGT in plain words

VGT is an index equity fund tracking the Information technology. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +35.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 87% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 317 positions, with the top ten at 59.5%. It sat 3.6% below its high of Jun 2, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IAU or VGT?
In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IAU returned +19.2% and VGT returned +35.4%, so VGT returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, IAU or VGT?
IAU charges 0.25% a year and VGT charges 0.09%, so VGT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

IAU against VGT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, IAU against VGT, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iau-vs-vgt Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources