ETF Versus

AVUV vs VBR

Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF vs Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-08

Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF (AVUV) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us small cap value securities. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.25%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.36%. Launched in 2019, the fund has a 7-year track record.

AUM: $23.8B ER: 0.25% Yield: 1.36% Since: Sep 24, 2019
VBR

Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VBR) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us small cap value securities. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.84%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $32.8B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.84% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VBR is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.25% expense ratio, saving you approximately $395 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, AVUV has significantly outperformed with a 52.4% return vs 38.5%.

Key Metrics

Metric AVUV VBR
Expense Ratio 0.25% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 1.4% 1.8%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Small Cap Value US Small Cap Value

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

85 100 115 130 145 160 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
AVUV +57.6%
VBR +34.6%

Performance Comparison

Period AVUV VBR Difference
1 Month +5.13% +2.00% +3.13%
3 Months +6.93% +2.18% +4.75%
6 Months +20.37% +11.93% +8.44%
YTD +11.11% +5.14% +5.97%
1 Year +52.43% +38.52% +13.91%
3 Years +56.62% +43.96% +12.66%
5 Years +57.07% +34.13% +22.94%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period AVUV Fees VBR Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $495 $100 $395
$10,000 20 years $2,111 $430 $1,681
$10,000 30 years $6,758 $1,388 $5,370
$50,000 10 years $2,473 $499 $1,974
$50,000 30 years $33,792 $6,941 $26,851
$100,000 30 years $67,584 $13,882 $53,701

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric AVUV VBR
Annualized Volatility 23.0% 19.9%
Max Drawdown -29.4% -25.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.32 0.17

Dividend Comparison

Metric AVUV VBR
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.55 $4.14
Dividend Yield 1.36% 1.84%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

AVUV Top Holdings

NameWeight
Viasat, Inc.VSAT1.04%
SM Energy CompanySM1.00%
Five Below, Inc.FIVE0.99%
Matson, Inc.MATX0.92%
California Resources CorporationCRC0.81%
Macy's, Inc.M0.80%
GATX CorporationGATX0.79%
Lear CorporationLEA0.78%
Magnolia Oil & Gas CorporationMGY0.77%
Archrock, Inc.AROC0.75%

VBR Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.06%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG0.78%
EMCOR Group, Inc.EME0.73%
Tapestry, Inc.TPR0.72%
Atmos Energy CorporationATO0.68%
Omnicom Group Inc.OMC0.61%
Jabil Inc.JBL0.61%
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.WSM0.56%
Smurfit Westrock PlcSW0.56%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.53%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VBR if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose AVUV if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose VBR if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Either works if...

you just need broad us small cap value exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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