ETF Versus

BND vs BNDX

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund vs Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-10

BND Vanguard

Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund (BND) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to the broad U.S. investment-grade bond market. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.92%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $152.0B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.92% Since: Apr 3, 2007
BNDX Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund (BNDX) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international bond securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.46%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $78.0B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.46% Since: Jun 4, 2013

Quick Verdict

BND has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.07%), saving about $80 per $10,000 over 10 years. BND has edged ahead over the past year (2.2% vs -2.0%). Income investors may prefer BNDX for its higher yield (4.5% vs 3.9%).

Key Metrics

Metric BND BNDX
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.07%
Dividend Yield 3.9% 4.5%
Fund Family Vanguard Vanguard
Category US Aggregate Bond International Bond

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 85 90 95 100 105 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
BND -13.3%
BNDX -16.0%

Performance Comparison

Period BND BNDX Difference
1 Month -0.29% -0.59% +0.30%
3 Months -0.73% -1.27% +0.54%
6 Months -1.29% -3.42% +2.13%
YTD -0.49% -0.72% +0.23%
1 Year +2.18% -1.97% +4.15%
3 Years -0.40% -1.65% +1.25%
5 Years -13.25% -16.04% +2.79%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BND Fees BNDX Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $140 $80
$10,000 20 years $258 $600 $342
$10,000 30 years $835 $1,938 $1,103
$50,000 10 years $299 $698 $398
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $9,692 $5,516
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $19,383 $11,032

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BND BNDX
Annualized Volatility 6.0% 5.3%
Max Drawdown -21.7% -19.1%
Sharpe Ratio -1.19 -1.48

Dividend Comparison

Metric BND BNDX
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.89 $2.14
Dividend Yield 3.92% 4.47%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose BND if...

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

Choose BND if...

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

Choose BNDX if...

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

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