Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
SMLF vs VIOG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, SMLF returned +14.8% to VIOG's +15.8%; 15% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $4.2bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor ETF, and $1.0bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard S&P Small-Cap 600 Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
VIOG costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.0 point; SMLF is 4.0 times larger.
| Measure | SMLF | VIOG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.8% | +15.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 5.2%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 8.2%, high on Aug 4, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index | S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.10% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $4.0bn | $1.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 15% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 6.4% | 9.9% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
May 8, 2015 to Oct 23, 2026 · 598 weekly returnsSMLF returned more: +225.7% to +182.9%. SMLF swung slightly less: 21.0% to 21.6%. SMLF fell slightly less at its worst: −40.4% to −41.3%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | SMLF | VIOG | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +225.7% | +182.9% | SMLF | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +10.8% | +9.5% | SMLF | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +183.9% | +152.5% | SMLF | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 21.0% | 21.6% | SMLF (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.6% | 14.9% | Tie | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −40.4% | −41.3% | SMLF (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.49 | 0.42 | SMLF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.70 | 0.62 | SMLF | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.27 | 0.23 | SMLF | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 598 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, SMLF and VIOG hold 15% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
15% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
SMLF and VIOG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SMLF and VIOG are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. SMLF follows STOXX U.S. Small-Cap Equity Factor Index and VIOG follows S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index.
- Holdings in common. 15% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- Size. SMLF has $4.0bn in net assets and VIOG $1.0bn (net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026); SMLF is 4.0 times larger.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
VIOG
VIOG tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +15.8% with distributions reinvested, against +15.4% for its benchmark, the S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% 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 351 positions, with the top ten at 9.9%. It sat 8.2% below its high of Aug 4, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, SMLF or VIOG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, SMLF returned +14.8% and VIOG +15.8%.
- Which is cheaper, SMLF or VIOG?
- VIOG is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 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, SMLF against VIOG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smlf-vs-viog
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). SMLF against VIOG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smlf-vs-viog
[SMLF against VIOG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/smlf-vs-viog)
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