ETF Versus

IJR vs VTWO

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Russell 2000 Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-08

IJR

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund 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 1.23%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $93.1B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.23% Since: May 22, 2000

Vanguard Russell 2000 Index Fund ETF Shares (VTWO) is an exchange-traded fund 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 1.19%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: $14.1B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.19% Since: Sep 20, 2010

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, VTWO has significantly outperformed with a 49.4% return vs 43.8%.

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VTWO
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 1.2%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Small Cap US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 80 90 100 110 120 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IJR +19.0%
VTWO +17.2%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VTWO Difference
1 Month +3.84% +2.81% +1.03%
3 Months +3.75% +0.95% +2.80%
6 Months +13.92% +9.63% +4.29%
YTD +7.26% +4.82% +2.44%
1 Year +43.75% +49.36% -5.61%
3 Years +36.50% +48.44% -11.94%
5 Years +18.87% +17.23% +1.64%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VTWO Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $120 $120 $0
$10,000 20 years $515 $515 $0
$10,000 30 years $1,664 $1,664 $0
$50,000 10 years $598 $598 $0
$50,000 30 years $8,318 $8,318 $0
$100,000 30 years $16,637 $16,637 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VTWO
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 22.5%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -33.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.05

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VTWO
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $1.26
Dividend Yield 1.23% 1.19%
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 AGENCYXTSLA1.31%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.52%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.51%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.50%
Semtech CorporationSMTC0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.49%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.49%

VTWO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Bloom Energy CorporationBE1.09%
FabrinetFN0.63%
Coeur Mining, Inc.CDE0.56%
Credo Technology Group Holding LtdCRDO0.55%
Hecla Mining CompanyHL0.51%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.50%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.49%
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.KTOS0.48%
IonQ, Inc.IONQ0.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VTWO if...

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

Either works if...

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

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