Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VBR vs VEA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VBR returned +17.6% to VEA's +17.1%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $35.1bn for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF and $231.6bn for Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF.
Pair scorecard
VEA costs 0.02 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.5 points; VEA is 6.6 times larger.
| Measure | VBR | VEA |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +17.6% | +17.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.9%, high on Aug 14, 2026 | 4.4%, high on Aug 25, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $35.1bn | $231.6bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 5.9% | 13.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Aug 3, 2007 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,003 weekly returnsVBR returned more: +441.9% to +160.9%. VEA swung less: 19.5% to 22.9%. VBR and VEA fell about the same at their worst: −59.5% and −59.0%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VBR | VEA | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +441.9% | +160.9% | VBR | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.2% | +5.1% | VBR | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +257.2% | +46.4% | VBR | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 22.9% | 19.5% | VEA | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.1% | 14.2% | VEA | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −59.5% | −59.0% | Tie | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.43 | 0.28 | VBR | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.62 | 0.38 | VBR | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.15 | 0.09 | VBR | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,003 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VBR and VEA hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VBR and VEA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VBR and VEA do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VBR follows Morningstar US Small Cap Value Index and VEA follows FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026).
- Number of holdings. VBR holds 822 positions and VEA holds 3906.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VBR
VBR tracks an index of Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 822 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.9% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VEA
VEA tracks an index of Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +17.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% 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 3,906 positions, with the top ten at 13.6%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VBR or VEA?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VBR returned +17.6% and VEA +17.1%.
- Which is cheaper, VBR or VEA?
- VEA 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, VBR against VEA, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vea
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VBR against VEA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vea
[VBR against VEA (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vbr-vs-vea)
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