Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IWM vs VXUS: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IWM returned +14.1% to VXUS's +13.8%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about IWM and VXUS
Net assets: $75.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Russell 2000 ETF, and $163.2bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Total International Stock ETF.
Pair scorecard
VXUS costs 0.14 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.3 points; VXUS is 2.1 times larger.
| Measure | IWM | VXUS |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.1% | +13.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 7.6%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 5.1%, high on Sep 4, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Russell 2000 Index | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $78.0bn | $163.2bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 3.3% | 14.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Feb 4, 2011 to Oct 23, 2026 · 820 weekly returnsIWM returned more: +326.9% to +158.2%. VXUS swung less: 16.5% to 21.3%. VXUS fell less at its worst: −34.6% to −40.2%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IWM | VXUS | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +326.9% | +158.2% | IWM | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.6% | +6.2% | IWM | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +245.2% | +62.6% | IWM | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 21.3% | 16.5% | VXUS | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.7% | 11.8% | VXUS | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −40.2% | −34.6% | VXUS | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.46 | 0.35 | IWM | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.67 | 0.49 | IWM | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.24 | 0.18 | IWM | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 820 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IWM and VXUS 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
IWM and VXUS on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IWM and VXUS do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IWM follows Russell 2000 Index and VXUS follows FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index.
- Holdings in common. 2% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- Number of holdings. IWM holds 1,977 positions and VXUS holds 8913.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.
IWM
IWM tracks the Russell 2000. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% 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 1,977 positions, with the top ten at 3.3%. It sat 7.6% below its high of Aug 14, 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, IWM or VXUS?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IWM returned +14.1% and VXUS +13.8%.
- Which is cheaper, IWM or VXUS?
- VXUS 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.
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, IWM against VXUS, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-vxus
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IWM against VXUS. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-vxus
[IWM against VXUS (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iwm-vs-vxus)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.