Which returned more over the last year, IUSB or VPLS?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and VPLS −1.0%.

Which is cheaper, IUSB or VPLS?

IUSB is cheaper, by 0.14 percentage points a year. That is about $14 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IUSB vs VPLS: Differences, Returns & Fees

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IUSB's duration was 5.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VPLS's 5.4 on Jun 30, 2026; IUSB charges 0.06% to VPLS's 0.20%.

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Net assets: $49.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF, and $2.0bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Core-Plus Bond ETF.

IUSB on its own →VPLS on its own →

At a glance

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

−1.0%

VPLS total return, 1 year

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

0.20%

VPLS expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IUSB costs 0.14 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.2 points; IUSB is far larger, $48.1bn against $2.0bn.

IUSB vs VPLS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	VPLS
Return
Measure	IUSB	VPLS
Total return, 1 year	−1.2%	−1.0%
Benchmark
Measure	IUSB	VPLS
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	IUSB	VPLS
Expense ratio	0.06%	0.20%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$48.1bn	$2.0bn
Holdings
Measure	IUSB	VPLS
Holdings in common	10%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Dec 15, 2023 to Oct 23, 2026 · 149 weekly returns

IUSB VPLS

Return

Total return edge VPLS +9.4% +10.7%

Annualized edge VPLS +3.2% +3.6%

Price return edge IUSB (slight) −2.4% −2.6%

Risk

Volatility edge Tie 4.6% 4.7%

Max drawdown edge VPLS (slight) −4.2% −4.1%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge VPLS −0.26 −0.16

Sortino edge VPLS −0.34 −0.21

Calmar edge VPLS 0.75 0.88

Reading

VPLS returned more: +10.7% to +9.4%. IUSB and VPLS swung about the same: 4.6% and 4.7%. VPLS fell slightly less at its worst: −4.1% to −4.2%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: IUSB vs VPLS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IUSB	VPLS	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+9.4%	+10.7%	VPLS	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+3.2%	+3.6%	VPLS	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−2.4%	−2.6%	IUSB (slight)	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	4.6%	4.7%	Tie	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	3.4%	3.5%	IUSB (slight)	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−4.2%	−4.1%	VPLS (slight)	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.26	−0.16	VPLS	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.34	−0.21	VPLS	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.75	0.88	VPLS	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 149 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

10%

By the books each fund has filed, IUSB and VPLS hold 10% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

10% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IUSB VPLS

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2036 0.37% 0.29%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2029 0.19% 0.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2029 0.17% 0.19%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2029 0.15% 0.17%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Aug 15, 2041 0.16% 0.14%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due May 15, 2051 0.13% 0.18%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 31, 2029 0.13% 0.16%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2029 0.14% 0.12%

Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities, due May 1, 2051 0.12% 0.18%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Nov 15, 2053 0.16% 0.11%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2055 0.15% 0.10%

U.S. Treasury Bonds, due Feb 15, 2051 0.10% 0.12%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in IUSB

Uniform Mortgage-Backed Securities, due Aug 25, 2056 0.41%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Dec 31, 2029 0.37%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2034 0.36%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2035 0.35%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2035 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2034 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Nov 15, 2034 0.34%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 15, 2035 0.33%

Only in VPLS

FNCL 5 7/26, due Jul 13, 2026 2.42%

PMTLT 2026-INV1 A36, due Jan 25, 2057 1.10%

FNR 2026-22 DF, due Apr 25, 2056 0.96%

FNCL 5.5 7/26, due Jul 13, 2026 0.91%

FNR 2026-33 FA, due Jul 25, 2055 0.68%

OBX 2026-INV2 AF, due Apr 25, 2056 0.64%

KFW, due Jul 22, 2031 0.59%

FNR 2026-46 FL, due Jun 25, 2056 0.58%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IUSB iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF VPLS Vanguard Core-Plus Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index of Universal USD Bond Actively managed

Total return, 1 year −1.2% −1.0%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.2% (IUSB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +0.2 pts vs IUSB

Expense ratio 0.06% 0.20%

Holdings 18338 2955

Net assets, IUSB as of Oct 27, 2026 and VPLS as of Sep 30, 2026 $49.8bn $2.0bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-AC8AE44DD1

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

What each follows. IUSB follows Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index and VPLS follows No index, actively managed.
Holdings in common. 10% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026).
Number of holdings. IUSB holds 18,338 positions and VPLS holds 2955.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

IUSB

IUSB tracks an index of Universal USD Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year.

VPLS

VPLS is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against −1.2% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.20% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, IUSB or VPLS?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IUSB returned −1.2% and VPLS −1.0%.
Which is cheaper, IUSB or VPLS?: IUSB is cheaper, by 0.14 percentage points a year. That is about $14 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

IUSB vs UBND FTCB vs IUSB IUSB vs SMTH FIXD vs IUSB FBND vs VPLS JCPB vs VPLS CGCP vs VPLS BOND vs VPLS

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IUSB ↗

VPLS filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VPLS prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VPLS ↗

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, IUSB against VPLS, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iusb-vs-vpls

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