ETF Versus

IJR vs IWF

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

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 1.23%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $96.3B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.23% Since: May 22, 2000
IWF iShares

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.38%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $116.5B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.38% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

IJR is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $237 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IJR has significantly outperformed with a 38.1% return vs 29.9%. Income investors may prefer IJR for its higher yield (1.2% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR IWF
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 0.4%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Small Cap US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 98 121 144 167 190 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IJR +18.7%
IWF +73.8%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR IWF Difference
1 Month +4.49% -1.05% +5.54%
3 Months +2.82% -6.42% +9.24%
6 Months +11.61% -4.69% +16.30%
YTD +7.20% -5.33% +12.53%
1 Year +38.09% +29.88% +8.21%
3 Years +35.49% +84.44% -48.95%
5 Years +18.67% +73.81% -55.14%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees IWF Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $120 $357 $237
$10,000 20 years $515 $1,529 $1,014
$10,000 30 years $1,664 $4,912 $3,248
$50,000 10 years $598 $1,786 $1,187
$50,000 30 years $8,318 $24,558 $16,240
$100,000 30 years $16,637 $49,116 $32,479

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR IWF
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 21.4%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -33.1%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.42

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR IWF
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $1.69
Dividend Yield 1.23% 0.38%
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 AGENCYXTSLA1.29%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.60%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.57%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.53%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.53%
Element Solutions IncESI0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.51%
Semtech CorporationSMTC0.50%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.50%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.48%

IWF Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.99%
Apple Inc.AAPL11.43%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT8.59%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO5.22%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.76%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.56%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.15%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.03%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.65%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

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

Choose IJR if...

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

Choose IJR if...

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

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