Which returned more over the last year, IBTJ or VGSH?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBTJ returned +0.5% and VGSH +1.7%.

Which is cheaper, IBTJ or VGSH?

VGSH is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IBTJ vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees

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IBTJ's duration was 2.6 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VGSH's 1.8 on May 31, 2026; VGSH charges 0.03% to IBTJ's 0.07%.

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Net assets: $1.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBonds Dec 2029 Term Treasury ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.

IBTJ on its own →VGSH on its own →

At a glance

+0.5%

IBTJ total return, 1 year

+1.7%

VGSH total return, 1 year

0.07%

IBTJ expense ratio

0.03%

VGSH expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VGSH costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.2 points; VGSH is far larger, $35.1bn against $1.4bn.

IBTJ vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IBTJ	VGSH
Return
Measure	IBTJ	VGSH
Total return, 1 year	+0.5%	+1.7%
Drawdown
Measure	IBTJ	VGSH
Below its high	6.2%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	IBTJ	VGSH
What it tracks	ICE 2029 Maturity US Treasury Index	Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index
Cost and size
Measure	IBTJ	VGSH
Expense ratio	0.07%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$1.4bn	$35.1bn
Holdings
Measure	IBTJ	VGSH
Holdings in common	14%

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

Risk and return

Mar 6, 2020 to Oct 23, 2026 · 346 weekly returns

IBTJ VGSH

Return

Total return edge VGSH −3.5% +11.2%

Annualized edge VGSH −0.5% +1.6%

Price return edge VGSH −18.8% −6.7%

Risk

Volatility edge VGSH 5.2% 1.7%

Max drawdown edge VGSH −19.6% −5.5%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge IBTJ −0.65 −0.83

Sortino edge IBTJ −0.87 −1.13

Calmar edge VGSH −0.03 0.29

Reading

VGSH returned more: +11.2% to −3.5%. VGSH swung less: 1.7% to 5.2%. VGSH fell less at its worst: −5.5% to −19.6%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IBTJ vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IBTJ	VGSH	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	−3.5%	+11.2%	VGSH	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	−0.5%	+1.6%	VGSH	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−18.8%	−6.7%	VGSH	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	5.2%	1.7%	VGSH	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.9%	1.2%	VGSH	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−19.6%	−5.5%	VGSH	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.65	−0.83	IBTJ	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.87	−1.13	IBTJ	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	−0.03	0.29	VGSH	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 346 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

14%

By the books each fund has filed, IBTJ and VGSH hold 14% 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

14% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IBTJ VGSH

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2029 4.10% 1.40%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2029 3.70% 1.31%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Mar 31, 2029 3.88% 1.30%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2029 3.51% 1.19%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 15, 2029 3.31% 1.16%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2029 3.21% 1.14%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 15, 2029 3.34% 1.10%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Mar 15, 2029 3.20% 1.10%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2029 3.31% 1.02%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2029 2.87% 0.97%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2029 2.65% 0.93%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Mar 31, 2029 2.60% 0.86%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IBTJ

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 30, 2029 4.07%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2029 4.05%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Oct 31, 2029 4.03%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2029 4.02%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jul 31, 2029 4.02%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 31, 2029 3.99%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Sep 30, 2029 3.97%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 15, 2029 3.32%

Only in VGSH

US TREASURY N/B, due Jan 31, 2028 2.24%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 31, 2027 1.35%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 15, 2027 1.29%

US TREASURY N/B, due May 15, 2027 1.26%

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 15, 2027 1.26%

US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 15, 2028 1.25%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 15, 2028 1.25%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jan 15, 2028 1.25%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IBTJ iShares iBonds Dec 2029 Term Treasury ETF VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index Tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury

Total return, 1 year +0.5% +1.7%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +1.8% (SCHO)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.1 pts vs SCHO

Expense ratio 0.07% 0.03%

Holdings 37 93

Net assets, IBTJ as of Oct 27, 2026 and VGSH as of Sep 30, 2026 $1.5bn $35.1bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-93C7AA9015

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

What each follows. IBTJ follows ICE 2029 Maturity US Treasury Index and VGSH follows Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index.
Holdings in common. 14% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and May 31, 2026).
Size. IBTJ has $1.4bn in net assets and VGSH $35.1bn (net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026); VGSH is 25.1 times larger.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

IBTJ

IBTJ tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +0.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. It sat 6.2% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

VGSH

VGSH tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against +1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IBTJ or VGSH?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBTJ returned +0.5% and VGSH +1.7%.
Which is cheaper, IBTJ or VGSH?: VGSH is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IBTJ vs SPTS IBTJ vs IBTK IBTJ vs SHY IBTJ vs IEI IBTK vs VGSH SHY vs VGSH IBTI vs VGSH SPTS vs VGSH

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IBTJ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IBTJ prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IBTJ ↗

VGSH filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VGSH prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VGSH ↗

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, IBTJ against VGSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ibtj-vs-vgsh

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