ETF Versus

IWF vs MGK

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF vs Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-10

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
MGK Vanguard

Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund (MGK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.37%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $28.9B ER: 0.05% Yield: 0.37% Since: Dec 17, 2007

Quick Verdict

MGK is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $257 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. MGK has edged ahead over the past year (31.6% vs 29.9%).

Key Metrics

Metric IWF MGK
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 0.4% 0.4%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Growth US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 99 123 147 171 195 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IWF +73.8%
MGK +76.3%

Performance Comparison

Period IWF MGK Difference
1 Month -1.05% -0.66% -0.39%
3 Months -6.42% -6.72% +0.30%
6 Months -4.69% -3.70% -0.99%
YTD -5.33% -5.63% +0.30%
1 Year +29.88% +31.55% -1.67%
3 Years +84.44% +92.09% -7.65%
5 Years +73.81% +76.34% -2.53%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWF Fees MGK Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $357 $100 $257
$10,000 20 years $1,529 $430 $1,100
$10,000 30 years $4,912 $1,388 $3,523
$50,000 10 years $1,786 $499 $1,287
$50,000 30 years $24,558 $6,941 $17,617
$100,000 30 years $49,116 $13,882 $35,234

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWF MGK
Annualized Volatility 21.4% 22.6%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -36.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.42

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWF MGK
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.69 $1.43
Dividend Yield 0.38% 0.37%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

9 of top 9 holdings overlap (100% overlap in top holdings)

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%

MGK Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA13.12%
Apple Inc.AAPL12.49%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.18%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META4.66%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG4.46%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.43%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA4.26%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.97%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY3.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose MGK if...

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

Either works if...

you just need broad us large cap growth exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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