ETF Versus

IWN vs VBR

iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF vs Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IWN

iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us small cap value securities. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.62%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $12.3B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.62% Since: Jul 24, 2000
VBR

Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VBR) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us small cap value securities. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.90%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $31.9B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.90% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VBR is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $375 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IWN has significantly outperformed with a 26.4% return vs 16.8%.

Key Metrics

Metric IWN VBR
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 1.6% 1.9%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Small Cap Value US Small Cap Value

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 88 101 114 127 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IWN +17.7%
VBR +29.6%

Performance Comparison

Period IWN VBR Difference
1 Month -4.12% -5.33% +1.21%
3 Months +4.31% +1.73% +2.58%
6 Months +6.31% +3.31% +3.00%
YTD +4.31% +1.73% +2.58%
1 Year +26.36% +16.80% +9.56%
3 Years +39.39% +37.32% +2.07%
5 Years +17.69% +29.61% -11.92%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWN Fees VBR Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $475 $100 $375
$10.000 20 years $2.028 $430 $1.599
$10.000 30 years $6.497 $1.388 $5.108
$50.000 10 years $2.375 $499 $1.876
$50.000 30 years $32.483 $6.941 $25.542
$100.000 30 years $64.967 $13.882 $51.084

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWN VBR
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 19.9%
Max Drawdown -29.0% -25.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.05 0.14

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWN VBR
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.09 $4.14
Dividend Yield 1.62% 1.90%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IWN Top Holdings

NameWeight
EchoStar CorporationSATS1.09%
TTM Technologies, Inc.TTMI0.69%
COEUR MINING INCCDE.NE0.61%
Hecla Mining CompanyHL0.61%
SM Energy CompanySM0.57%
CareTrust REIT, Inc.CTRE0.53%
Fluor CorporationFLR0.52%
UMB Financial CorporationUMBF0.51%
Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc.PRAX0.48%
Jackson Financial Inc.JXN0.48%

VBR Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.06%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG0.78%
EMCOR Group, Inc.EME0.73%
Tapestry, Inc.TPR0.72%
Atmos Energy CorporationATO0.68%
Omnicom Group Inc.OMC0.61%
Jabil Inc.JBL0.61%
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.WSM0.56%
Smurfit Westrock PlcSW0.56%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.53%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VBR if...

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

Choose IWN 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 value exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.