ETF Versus

IJR vs IWF

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000
IWF iShares

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $108.0B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.39% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

IJR is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $237 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (19.2% vs 18.2%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer IJR for its higher yield (1.3% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR IWF
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 0.4%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Small Cap US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 99 123 147 171 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
IWF +71.3%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR IWF Difference
1 Month -4.33% -4.73% +0.40%
3 Months +2.92% -8.83% +11.75%
6 Months +4.03% -8.48% +12.51%
YTD +2.92% -8.83% +11.75%
1 Year +19.20% +18.20% +1.00%
3 Years +29.06% +75.80% -46.74%
5 Years +12.98% +71.26% -58.28%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees IWF Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $357 $237
$10.000 20 years $515 $1.529 $1.014
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $4.912 $3.248
$50.000 10 years $598 $1.786 $1.187
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $24.558 $16.240
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $49.116 $32.479

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR IWF
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 21.4%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -33.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.40

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR IWF
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $1.69
Dividend Yield 1.28% 0.39%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

IWF Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL11.79%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT8.78%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.81%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.61%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.57%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.28%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.83%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.62%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

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

Choose IJR if...

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

Related Comparisons