Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IDEF vs VGT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IDEF returned −5.7% to VGT's +24.7%, and VGT charges 0.09% to IDEF's 0.55%.
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Net assets: $3.7bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares Defense Industrials and Tech Active ETF, and $154.5bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Information Tech ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGT costs 0.46 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 30.4 points; VGT is far larger, $154.5bn against $3.8bn.
| Measure | IDEF | VGT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −5.7% | +24.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its all-time high | 17.0%, high on Mar 2, 2026 | |
| Below its high | 4.8%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Defense | MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Information Technology 25/50 |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.55% | 0.09% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $3.8bn | $154.5bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 92% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 9% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 37% | 63.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IDEF and VGT hold 9% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
9% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IDEF and VGT on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IDEF
By weight, 42% of IDEF's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 92%. The top ten holdings are 37% of the fund across 155 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned −5.7% with distributions reinvested. It sits 17.0% below its all-time high of Mar 2, 2026.
VGT
VGT tracks an index of Information technology. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +24.7% with distributions reinvested, against +25.0% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Information Technology 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 87% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 320 positions, with the top ten at 63.6%. It sat 4.8% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Are IDEF and VGT in the same category?
- IDEF is a thematic ETF and VGT is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, IDEF or VGT?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IDEF returned −5.7% and VGT +24.7%.
- Which is cheaper, IDEF or VGT?
- VGT is cheaper, by 0.46 percentage points a year. That is about $46 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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.
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ETFIQ, IDEF against VGT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/idef-vs-vgt
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IDEF against VGT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/idef-vs-vgt
[IDEF against VGT (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/idef-vs-vgt)
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