ETF Versus

IJR vs VXUS

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares

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
VXUS Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (VXUS) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international stocks across both developed and emerging markets. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.93%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $129.4B ER: 0.05% Yield: 2.93% Since: Jan 26, 2011

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.05% vs 0.06%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, VXUS has significantly outperformed with a 25.3% return vs 19.2%. Income investors may prefer VXUS for its higher yield (2.9% vs 1.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VXUS
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 2.9%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Small Cap International Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 83 96 109 122 135 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
VXUS +21.4%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VXUS Difference
1 Month -4.33% -5.33% +1.00%
3 Months +2.92% +1.92% +1.00%
6 Months +4.03% +4.49% -0.46%
YTD +2.92% +1.92% +1.00%
1 Year +19.20% +25.26% -6.06%
3 Years +29.06% +40.28% -11.22%
5 Years +12.98% +21.42% -8.44%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VXUS Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $100 $20
$10.000 20 years $515 $430 $85
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $1.388 $275
$50.000 10 years $598 $499 $99
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $6.941 $1.377
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $13.882 $2.754

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VXUS
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 15.9%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -32.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.04

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VXUS
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $2.29
Dividend Yield 1.28% 2.93%
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%

VXUS Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/23303.43%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059301.59%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.29%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07000.92%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006600.91%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L0.76%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99880.73%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.73%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.73%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VXUS if...

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

Choose VXUS if...

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

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