ETF Versus

IJR vs VXUS

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Total International Stock 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
VXUS Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (VXUS) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international stocks across both developed and emerging markets. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.82%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $140.8B ER: 0.05% Yield: 2.82% Since: Jan 26, 2011

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.05% vs 0.06%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (38.1% vs 39.1%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer VXUS for its higher yield (2.8% vs 1.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VXUS
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 2.8%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Small Cap International Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 83 96 109 122 135 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IJR +18.7%
VXUS +27.5%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VXUS Difference
1 Month +4.49% +2.80% +1.69%
3 Months +2.82% +3.44% -0.62%
6 Months +11.61% +10.89% +0.72%
YTD +7.20% +6.15% +1.05%
1 Year +38.09% +39.06% -0.97%
3 Years +35.49% +45.95% -10.46%
5 Years +18.67% +27.47% -8.80%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VXUS Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $120 $100 $20
$10,000 20 years $515 $430 $85
$10,000 30 years $1,664 $1,388 $275
$50,000 10 years $598 $499 $99
$50,000 30 years $8,318 $6,941 $1,377
$100,000 30 years $16,637 $13,882 $2,754

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VXUS
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 16.0%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -32.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.10

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VXUS
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $2.29
Dividend Yield 1.23% 2.82%
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%

VXUS Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/23303.43%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059301.59%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.29%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07000.92%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006600.91%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L0.76%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!otc/BABAF0.73%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.73%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.73%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VXUS if...

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

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