ETF Versus

BND vs VONG

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund vs Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BND Vanguard

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund (BND) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to the broad U.S. investment-grade bond market. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.92%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $384.1B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.92% Since: 2007-04-10
VONG Vanguard

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VONG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.50%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.08% Yield: 0.50% Since: 2010-09-22

Quick Verdict

BND has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.08%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VONG has significantly outperformed with a 17.2% return vs 0.3%. Income investors may prefer BND for its higher yield (3.9% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric BND VONG
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 3.9% 0.5%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Aggregate Bond US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 103 126 149 172 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
BND -13.1%
VONG +71.3%

Performance Comparison

Period BND VONG Difference
1 Month -1.30% -4.21% +2.91%
3 Months -0.61% -8.91% +8.30%
6 Months -0.74% -9.08% +8.34%
YTD -0.61% -8.91% +8.30%
1 Year +0.29% +17.16% -16.87%
3 Years -0.50% +75.75% -76.25%
5 Years -13.09% +71.28% -84.37%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BND Fees VONG Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $159 $99
$10,000 20 years $258 $686 $427
$10,000 30 years $835 $2,212 $1,377
$50,000 10 years $299 $797 $497
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $11,061 $6,886
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $22,123 $13,771

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BND VONG
Annualized Volatility 6.0% 21.3%
Max Drawdown -21.7% -33.2%
Sharpe Ratio -1.18 0.40

Dividend Comparison

Metric BND VONG
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.89 $0.56
Dividend Yield 3.92% 0.50%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

BND Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vanguard Cmt Funds-Vanguard Market Liquidity Fund114.21%
United States Treasury Note/Bond37.98%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BND if...

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

Choose VONG if...

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

Choose BND if...

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

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