What is the expense ratio of IWF vs VYM?

IWF has an expense ratio of 0.18%, while VYM has an expense ratio of 0.04%.

IWF vs VYM

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF vs Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares

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

VYM Vanguard

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares (VYM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.31%. Launched in 2006, the fund has a 20-year track record.

AUM: $74.7B ER: 0.04% Yield: 2.31% Since: Nov 10, 2006

Quick Verdict

VYM is significantly cheaper at 0.04% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $277 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. IWF has edged ahead over the past year (29.9% vs 27.9%). Income investors may prefer VYM for its higher yield (2.3% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric	IWF	VYM
Expense Ratio	0.18%	0.04%
Dividend Yield	0.4%	2.3%
Fund Family	iShares	Vanguard
Category	US Large Cap Growth	US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

IWF +73.8%

VYM +48.6%

Performance Comparison

Period	IWF	VYM	Difference
1 Month	-1.05%	+1.40%	-2.45%
3 Months	-6.42%	+3.22%	-9.64%
6 Months	-4.69%	+9.20%	-13.89%
YTD	-5.33%	+5.27%	-10.60%
1 Year	+29.88%	+27.88%	+2.00%
3 Years	+84.44%	+42.71%	+41.73%
5 Years	+73.81%	+48.59%	+25.22%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	IWF Fees	VYM Fees	You Save
$10,000	10 years	$357	$80	$277
$10,000	20 years	$1,529	$344	$1,185
$10,000	30 years	$4,912	$1,112	$3,800
$50,000	10 years	$1,786	$399	$1,387
$50,000	30 years	$24,558	$5,560	$18,998
$100,000	30 years	$49,116	$11,121	$37,995

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	IWF	VYM
Annualized Volatility	21.4%	14.0%
Max Drawdown	-33.1%	-17.5%
Sharpe Ratio	0.42	0.32

Dividend Comparison

Metric	IWF	VYM
Annual Dividend (per share)	$1.69	$3.51
Dividend Yield	0.38%	2.31%
Distribution Frequency	Quarterly	Quarterly

Top Holdings

1 of top 9 holdings overlap (11% overlap in top holdings)

IWF Top Holdings

Name	Weight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA	12.99%
Apple Inc.AAPL	11.43%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT	8.59%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO	5.22%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN	4.76%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META	3.56%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA	3.15%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG	3.03%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY	2.65%

VYM Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Broadcom Inc.AVGO	6.48%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM	3.36%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM	2.83%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ	2.63%
Walmart Inc.WMT	2.44%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV	1.81%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG	1.72%
The Home Depot, Inc.HD	1.66%
Chevron CorporationCVX	1.54%
Caterpillar Inc.CAT	1.51%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VYM if...

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

Choose VYM if...

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

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