Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
RSSL vs SMLF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, RSSL returned +14.1% to SMLF's +14.8%; 25% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $1.4bn on Oct 12, 2026 for Global X Russell 2000 ETF, and $4.2bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF.
Pair scorecard
RSSL costs 0.07 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.7 points; SMLF is 2.9 times larger.
| Measure | RSSL | SMLF |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.1% | +14.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 7.6%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 5.2%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Russell 2000 RIC Capped Index | STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.15% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026 | $1.4bn | $4.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 25% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 3.2% | 6.4% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jun 14, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026 · 123 weekly returnsSMLF returned slightly more: +44.3% to +42.2%. SMLF swung slightly less: 18.4% to 19.7%. SMLF fell slightly less at its worst: −23.0% to −24.7%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | RSSL | SMLF | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +42.2% | +44.3% | SMLF (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +16.0% | +16.8% | SMLF (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +37.5% | +40.3% | SMLF (slight) | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 19.7% | 18.4% | SMLF (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 13.2% | 12.3% | SMLF (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −24.7% | −23.0% | SMLF (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.64 | 0.71 | SMLF (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.96 | 1.05 | SMLF (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.65 | 0.73 | SMLF | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 123 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, RSSL and SMLF hold 25% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
25% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
RSSL and SMLF on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
RSSL and SMLF are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. RSSL follows Russell 2000 RIC Capped Index and SMLF follows STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index.
- Holdings in common. 25% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return (similar). Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 RSSL returned +14.1% and SMLF +14.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 0.7 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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RSSL
RSSL tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.1% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Jul 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,960 positions, with the top ten at 3.2%. It sat 7.6% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
SMLF
SMLF tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 11% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 962 positions, with the top ten at 6.4%. It sat 5.2% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, RSSL or SMLF?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, RSSL returned +14.1% and SMLF +14.8%.
- Which is cheaper, RSSL or SMLF?
- RSSL is cheaper, by 0.07 percentage points a year. That is about $7 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, RSSL against SMLF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/rssl-vs-smlf
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). RSSL against SMLF. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/rssl-vs-smlf
[RSSL against SMLF (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/rssl-vs-smlf)
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