Which returned more over the last year, IEF or IEI?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEF returned −3.2% and IEI −1.1%.

Which is cheaper, IEF or IEI?

Neither: IEF and IEI both charge 0.15% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IEF vs IEI: Differences, Returns & Fees

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On Aug 31, 2026 IEF's duration was 7.0 years and IEI's 4.3; both charge 0.15%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $43.5bn for iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF and $17.0bn for iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF.

IEF on its own →IEI on its own →

At a glance

−3.2%

IEF total return, 1 year

−1.1%

IEI total return, 1 year

0.15%

IEF expense ratio

0.15%

IEI expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.15% a year; their one-year returns differ by 2.1 points; IEF is 2.6 times larger.

IEF vs IEI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IEF	IEI
Return
Measure	IEF	IEI
Total return, 1 year	−3.2%	−1.1%
Drawdown
Measure	IEF	IEI
Below its high	13.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
Measure	IEF	IEI
What it tracks	ICE U.S. Treasury 7-10 Year Bond Index	ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	IEF	IEI
Expense ratio	0.15%	0.15%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$43.5bn	$17.0bn
Holdings
Measure	IEF	IEI
Holdings in common	2%

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

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, IEF and IEI hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

2% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IEF IEI

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2033 1.06% 2.17%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jul 31, 2033 2.47% 0.98%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IEF

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2036 9.31%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2035 8.74%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 8.63%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2035 8.52%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 8.31%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 8.25%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2035 8.21%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 8.12%

Only in IEI

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 30, 2030 2.90%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2032 2.30%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 28, 2030 2.29%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2031 2.26%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 31, 2030 2.24%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2031 2.11%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2033 2.10%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2031 2.10%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IEF iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index of 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Tracks an index of 3-7 Year Treasury Bond

Total return, 1 year −3.2% −1.1%

Expense ratio 0.15% 0.15%

Holdings 17 82

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $43.5bn $17.0bn

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

Alert

About each fund

IEF

IEF tracks an index of 7-10 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 13.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

IEI

IEI tracks an index of 3-7 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.1% with distributions reinvested.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IEF or IEI?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEF returned −3.2% and IEI −1.1%.
Which is cheaper, IEF or IEI?: Neither: IEF and IEI both charge 0.15% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IEF vs VGSH IEF vs SHY IEF vs MBB IEF vs USFR IEI vs VGIT GOVT vs IEI IEI vs JAAA IEI vs LQD

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IEF and IEI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IEF and IEI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IEF ↗

iShares page for IEI ↗

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, IEF against IEI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ief-vs-iei

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