ETF Versus

URTH vs VT

iShares MSCI World ETF vs Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-10

URTH iShares

iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to global equity securities. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.46%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $7.7B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.46% Since: Jan 10, 2012
VT Vanguard

Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (VT) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to global equity securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.74%. Launched in 2008, the fund has a 18-year track record.

AUM: $66.1B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.74% Since: Jun 24, 2008

Quick Verdict

VT is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $355 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. VT has edged ahead over the past year (33.3% vs 30.8%).

Key Metrics

Metric URTH VT
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 1.7%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category Global Equity Global Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 92 109 126 143 160 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
URTH +53.9%
VT +44.9%

Performance Comparison

Period URTH VT Difference
1 Month +1.34% +1.41% -0.07%
3 Months -0.81% -0.13% -0.68%
6 Months +4.35% +5.63% -1.28%
YTD +1.08% +2.08% -1.00%
1 Year +30.82% +33.25% -2.43%
3 Years +59.84% +57.14% +2.70%
5 Years +53.91% +44.87% +9.04%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period URTH Fees VT Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $475 $120 $355
$10,000 20 years $2,028 $515 $1,513
$10,000 30 years $6,497 $1,664 $4,833
$50,000 10 years $2,375 $598 $1,777
$50,000 30 years $32,483 $8,318 $24,165
$100,000 30 years $64,967 $16,637 $48,330

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric URTH VT
Annualized Volatility 16.3% 16.1%
Max Drawdown -26.9% -28.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.34 0.26

Dividend Comparison

Metric URTH VT
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.76 $2.52
Dividend Yield 1.46% 1.73%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

8 of top 9 holdings overlap (89% overlap in top holdings)

URTH Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA5.29%
Apple Inc.AAPL4.55%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT3.16%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN2.54%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO1.89%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG1.83%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.59%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.16%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM1.00%

VT Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA3.78%
Apple Inc.AAPL3.51%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT2.65%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN1.84%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/23301.38%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO1.34%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG1.34%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.29%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.03%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VT if...

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

Choose VT if...

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

Either works if...

you just need broad global equity exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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