ETF Versus

IJR vs VO

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

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
VO Vanguard

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.46%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $95.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.46% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VO has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.06%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, IJR has significantly outperformed with a 38.1% return vs 23.9%.

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VO
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 1.5%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Small Cap US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 87 99 111 123 135 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IJR +18.7%
VO +30.3%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VO Difference
1 Month +4.49% +0.90% +3.59%
3 Months +2.82% -0.77% +3.59%
6 Months +11.61% +2.51% +9.10%
YTD +7.20% +1.45% +5.75%
1 Year +38.09% +23.90% +14.19%
3 Years +35.49% +41.25% -5.76%
5 Years +18.67% +30.25% -11.58%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VO Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $120 $60 $60
$10,000 20 years $515 $258 $257
$10,000 30 years $1,664 $835 $828
$50,000 10 years $598 $299 $299
$50,000 30 years $8,318 $4,176 $4,142
$100,000 30 years $16,637 $8,352 $8,285

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VO
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 17.7%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -28.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.13

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VO
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $4.33
Dividend Yield 1.23% 1.46%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 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%

VO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Newmont CorporationNEM1.46%
Corning IncorporatedGLW1.20%
Howmet Aerospace Inc.HWM1.09%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG1.06%
Vertiv Holdings CoVRT0.99%
Western Digital CorporationWDC0.99%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX0.90%
Quanta Services, Inc.PWR0.87%
Cummins Inc.CMI0.83%
CRH plcCRH0.83%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VO 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.

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