Which returned more over the last year, VCIT or VCLT?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VCIT returned −1.8% and VCLT −5.9%.

Which is cheaper, VCIT or VCLT?

Neither: VCIT and VCLT both charge 0.03% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

VCIT vs VCLT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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On May 31, 2026 VCIT's duration was 6.0 years and VCLT's 12.0; both charge 0.03%.

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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $66.6bn for Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF and $7.5bn for Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF.

VCIT on its own →VCLT on its own →

At a glance

−1.8%

VCIT total return, 1 year

−5.9%

VCLT total return, 1 year

0.03%

VCIT expense ratio

0.03%

VCLT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.03% a year; their one-year returns differ by 4.1 points; VCIT is 8.9 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

VCIT vs VCLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	VCIT	VCLT
Return
Measure	VCIT	VCLT
Total return, 1 year	−1.8%	−5.9%
Drawdown
Measure	VCIT	VCLT
Below its high	3.2%, high on Feb 27, 2026	17.8%, high on Sep 22, 2021
Benchmark
Measure	VCIT	VCLT
What it tracks	Bloomberg U.S. 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index	Bloomberg U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	VCIT	VCLT
Expense ratio	0.03%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$66.6bn	$7.5bn
Holdings
Measure	VCIT	VCLT
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Dec 4, 2009 to Oct 23, 2026 · 881 weekly returns

VCIT VCLT

Return

Total return edge VCLT (slight) +96.4% +101.2%

Annualized edge VCLT (slight) +4.1% +4.2%

Price return edge VCIT +5.1% −6.3%

Risk

Volatility edge VCIT 6.4% 12.5%

Max drawdown edge VCIT −20.0% −34.0%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge VCIT 0.42 0.27

Sortino edge VCIT 0.57 0.39

Calmar edge VCIT 0.20 0.12

Reading

VCLT returned slightly more: +101.2% to +96.4%. VCIT swung less: 6.4% to 12.5%. VCIT fell less at its worst: −20.0% to −34.0%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: VCIT vs VCLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	VCIT	VCLT	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+96.4%	+101.2%	VCLT (slight)	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.1%	+4.2%	VCLT (slight)	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+5.1%	−6.3%	VCIT	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	6.4%	12.5%	VCIT	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	4.7%	8.7%	VCIT	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−20.0%	−34.0%	VCIT	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.42	0.27	VCIT	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.57	0.39	VCIT	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.20	0.12	VCIT	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 881 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, VCIT and VCLT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first VCIT VCLT

HCA INC, due May 15, 2036 0.04% 0.03%

MIZUHO FINANCIAL, due May 12, 2037 0.03% 0.03%

MARRIOTT INTL, due Apr 15, 2037 0.02% 0.09%

FEDEX FREIGHT HO, due Mar 15, 2036 0.04% 0.02%

AT&T INC, due Oct 30, 2036 0.04% 0.02%

GENERAL MOTORS C, due Apr 1, 2036 0.05% 0.02%

AM AIRAN 26-1A, due Nov 10, 2038 0.01% 0.02%

PROLOGIS LP, due Jun 15, 2036 0.02% 0.01%

AM AIRAN 25-1A, due May 11, 2038 0.01% 0.02%

PACIFIC GAS&ELEC, due May 1, 2036 0.01% 0.01%

TARGET CORP, due Feb 15, 2036 0.02% 0.01%

ENTERGY LA LLC, due Apr 15, 2036 0.02% 0.01%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in VCIT

AMAZON.COM INC, due Mar 13, 2036 0.30%

BOEING CO/THE, due May 1, 2034 0.28%

META PLATFORMS, due Nov 15, 2035 0.27%

BANK OF AMER CRP, due Jul 22, 2033 0.27%

PFIZER INVSTMNT, due May 19, 2033 0.27%

ORACLE CORP, due Feb 4, 2036 0.27%

ANHEUSER-BUSCH, due Feb 1, 2036 0.27%

JPMORGAN CHASE, due Jul 25, 2033 0.25%

Only in VCLT

ANHEUSER-BUSCH, due Feb 1, 2046 0.37%

CVS HEALTH CORP, due Mar 25, 2048 0.33%

META PLATFORMS, due Nov 15, 2055 0.28%

BOEING CO, due May 1, 2050 0.27%

PFIZER INVSTMNT, due May 19, 2053 0.27%

AMAZON.COM INC, due Mar 13, 2056 0.26%

ORACLE CORP, due Feb 4, 2056 0.24%

AT&T INC, due Sep 15, 2053 0.23%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

VCIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF VCLT Vanguard Long-Term Corporate Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer Vanguard Vanguard

What it is Tracks an index of Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Tracks an index of Long-Term Corporate Bond

Total return, 1 year −1.8% −5.9%

Its benchmark over the same days −1.8% (SCHI) not measured

Gap to its benchmark 0.0 pts vs SCHI not measured

Expense ratio 0.03% 0.03%

Holdings 2340 2562

Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 $66.6bn $7.5bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-B24FE5075A

VCIT and VCLT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. VCIT follows Bloomberg U.S. 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index and VCLT follows Bloomberg U.S. 10+ Year Corporate Bond Index.
Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated May 31, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VCIT returned −1.8% and VCLT −5.9% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 4.1 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

VCIT

VCIT tracks an index of Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.8% with distributions reinvested, against −1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. 5-10 Year Corporate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 3.2% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

VCLT

VCLT tracks an index of Long-Term Corporate Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −5.9% with distributions reinvested. It sat 17.8% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, VCIT or VCLT?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VCIT returned −1.8% and VCLT −5.9%.
Which is cheaper, VCIT or VCLT?: Neither: VCIT and VCLT both charge 0.03% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BOND vs VCIT EMB vs VCIT BINC vs VCIT VCIT vs VTIP LQD vs VCLT IGIB vs VCLT BNDX vs VCLT GOVT vs VCLT

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

VCIT and VCLT filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VCIT and VCLT prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VCIT ↗

Vanguard page for VCLT ↗

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, VCIT against VCLT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vcit-vs-vclt

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.