ETF Versus

IWM vs VTI

iShares Russell 2000 ETF vs Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IWM

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2000-05-26
VTI

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF Shares (VTI) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to the total U.S. stock market across all capitalizations. Launched in 2001, the fund has a 25-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2001-06-15

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, IWM has significantly outperformed with a 23.1% return vs 16.3%.

Key Metrics

Metric IWM VTI
Expense Ratio N/A N/A
Dividend Yield N/A N/A
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Small Cap US Total Market

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 89 108 127 146 165 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IWM +10.9%
VTI +52.7%

Performance Comparison

Period IWM VTI Difference
1 Month -3.73% -3.72% -0.01%
3 Months +0.31% -3.89% +4.20%
6 Months +1.11% -2.41% +3.52%
YTD +0.31% -3.89% +4.20%
1 Year +23.14% +16.29% +6.85%
3 Years +39.83% +57.96% -18.13%
5 Years +10.93% +52.67% -41.74%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWM Fees VTI Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $0 $0 $0
$10,000 20 years $0 $0 $0
$10,000 30 years $0 $0 $0
$50,000 10 years $0 $0 $0
$50,000 30 years $0 $0 $0
$100,000 30 years $0 $0 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWM VTI
Annualized Volatility 22.6% 17.4%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -26.2%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.32

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWM VTI
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.54 $3.77
Dividend Yield 1.02% 1.17%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IWM if...

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

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