Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IEFA vs VXF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IEFA returned +12.3% to VXF's +10.6%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $190.4bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, and $30.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Extended Market ETF.
Pair scorecard
VXF costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.7 points; IEFA is 6.3 times larger.
| Measure | IEFA | VXF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.3% | +10.6% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | 6.6%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE IMI Index | S&P Completion Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $190.2bn | $30.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 12.3% | 11.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 2, 2012 to Oct 23, 2026 · 729 weekly returnsVXF returned more: +371.1% to +199.1%. IEFA swung less: 16.2% to 20.2%. IEFA fell less at its worst: −34.1% to −39.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IEFA | VXF | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +199.1% | +371.1% | VXF | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +8.1% | +11.7% | VXF | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +100.2% | +288.7% | VXF | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 16.2% | 20.2% | IEFA | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 11.5% | 13.9% | IEFA | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −34.1% | −39.9% | IEFA | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.45 | 0.56 | VXF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.64 | 0.81 | VXF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.24 | 0.29 | VXF | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 729 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and VXF hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IEFA and VXF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IEFA and VXF do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IEFA follows MSCI EAFE IMI Index and VXF follows S&P Completion Index.
- Holdings in common. 2% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- Size. IEFA has $190.2bn in net assets and VXF $30.2bn (net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026); IEFA is 6.3 times larger.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IEFA
IEFA tracks the MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.3% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2,629 positions, with the top ten at 12.3%. It sat 4.7% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VXF
VXF tracks an index of Extended Market. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 3,361 positions, with the top ten at 11.3%. It sat 6.6% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or VXF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +12.3% and VXF +10.6%.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or VXF?
- VXF 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.
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, IEFA against VXF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vxf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IEFA against VXF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vxf
[IEFA against VXF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vxf)
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