Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IEFA vs VXUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IEFA returned +12.3% to VXUS's +13.8%; 51% 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 $163.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total International Stock ETF.
Pair scorecard
VXUS costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.5 points; IEFA is 1.2 times larger.
| Measure | IEFA | VXUS |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +12.3% | +13.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 | 5.1%, high on Sep 4, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI EAFE IMI Index | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $190.2bn | $163.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 51% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 12.3% | 14.6% |
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 returnsIEFA returned more: +199.1% to +179.0%. VXUS swung slightly less: 15.7% to 16.2%. IEFA and VXUS fell about the same at their worst: −34.1% and −34.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IEFA | VXUS | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +199.1% | +179.0% | IEFA | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +8.1% | +7.6% | IEFA (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +100.2% | +84.4% | IEFA | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 16.2% | 15.7% | VXUS (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 11.5% | 11.2% | VXUS (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −34.1% | −34.6% | Tie | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.45 | 0.43 | IEFA (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.64 | 0.60 | IEFA (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.24 | 0.22 | IEFA (slight) | 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 VXUS hold 51% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
51% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IEFA and VXUS on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IEFA and VXUS are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. IEFA follows MSCI EAFE IMI Index and VXUS follows FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index.
- Number of holdings. IEFA holds 2,629 positions and VXUS holds 8913.
- Holdings in common (similar). 51% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
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.
VXUS
VXUS tracks an index of Total International Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.8% 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 8,913 positions, with the top ten at 14.6%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Sep 4, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or VXUS?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +12.3% and VXUS +13.8%.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or VXUS?
- VXUS 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 VXUS, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vxus
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IEFA against VXUS. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vxus
[IEFA against VXUS (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iefa-vs-vxus)
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