VTI vs VTILX

VTI vs VTILX

Which is better, VTI or VTILX?

VTI costs less.

VTI has a lower expense ratio.

Lower Fees: VTI

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricVTIVTILX
Expense Ratio0.03%Best0.07%
AUM$689.2B$143.6B
Dividend Yield1.06%4.33%
Holdings3,5247,576
YTD Price Return+12.06%-2.69%
1Y Price Return+15.31%-5.03%
3Y Price Return (annualized)+20.42%-0.59%
5Y Price Return (annualized)+10.44%-3.07%
Volatility (annualized)15.9%5.9%Best
Max Drawdown-26.2%-15.3%Best
Fund FamilyVanguard (US)Vanguard (US)
CategoryEquityFixed Income
StyleLarge Cap Blend-
InceptionMay 24, 2001Feb 17, 2021

Not shown on this pair: $10,000 over 5 years, Top 10 Weight.

A price return is not the return of a fund that pays its income out. The coupon or distribution never appears in the price, so the return rows carry no winner here. VTI currently yields 1.06% and VTILX 4.33%.

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Oct 25, 2021 to Oct 13, 2026 (5 years).

VTI vs VTILX Performance

Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) is an ETF from Vanguard (US) and Vanguard Total International Bond II Index Fund Class Institutional (VTILX) is a mutual fund from Vanguard (US). Over the past year VTI's price moved +15.31% and VTILX's -5.03%, before the income each one paid out.

Over three years, VTI compounded at +20.42% per year against -0.59% for VTILX; over five years the annualized figures are +10.44% and -3.07% respectively.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

VTI has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 15.9% compared with 5.9% for VTILX. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -26.2% for VTI and -15.3% for VTILX. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.64. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

VTI charges 0.03% per year while VTILX charges 0.07%. On a $10,000 position that is $3 vs $7 annually, a gap of $4 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, VTI currently yields 1.06% against 4.33% for VTILX.

Structure and taxes

VTILX is a mutual fund and VTI is an ETF. A mutual fund prices once a day at net asset value and may carry a purchase minimum. An ETF trades through the day at whatever the market pays for it.

In a taxable account the difference that usually matters is distributions. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely has to sell holdings and rarely passes a capital gain to the people who held it; a mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can distribute a realised gain at year end to everyone still in the fund, whether or not they sold anything themselves. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. Both are descriptions of how the two wrappers work, not a recommendation.

Tax-loss harvesting works on either wrapper.

Holdings Overlap

VTI already in VTILX6.3%

At least 6.3% of VTI's money is in holdings VTILX also owns.

Stated as a floor: for VTILX, our book for it covers 5.8% of that fund, so a holding it does not list is one we cannot count as shared. The real figure is this or higher.

VTI and VTILX share little of their money.

5 positions in common, counted across the 3,441 positions we hold weights for in VTI and 1,229 in VTILX, against full books of 3,524 and 7,576.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in VTIWeight in VTILXDifference
MSFTMicrosoft Corp5.11%0.00%5.11%
PGProcter & Gamble Company0.46%0.00%0.46%
GSGoldman Sachs Group Inc/The0.38%0.02%0.36%
MCDMcdonald'S Corp0.25%0.01%0.24%
UPSUnited Parcel Service, Inc0.11%0.00%0.11%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of VTI and VTILX you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

VTIVTILX

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, VTI or VTILX?

VTI has an expense ratio of 0.03% while VTILX charges 0.07%. VTI is the cheaper option, by $4 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which is riskier, VTI or VTILX?

VTI has been the more volatile fund at 15.9% annualized versus 5.9% for VTILX. Worst drawdown: VTI -26.2% vs VTILX -15.3%.

Should I hold both VTI and VTILX?

VTI and VTILX have a monthly-return correlation of 0.64, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between VTI and VTILX?

At least 6.3% of VTI's money is in holdings VTILX also owns. Our book for VTILX is partial, so the real figure is this or higher. They hold 5 positions in common, counted across the 3,441 positions we hold weights for in VTI and 1,229 in VTILX.

Which pays a higher dividend, VTI or VTILX?

VTI yields 1.06% while VTILX yields 4.33%, so VTILX currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is it better to hold VTILX or VTI in a taxable account?

VTI is an ETF and VTILX is a mutual fund. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely distributes a capital gain to the people holding it. A mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can pass a realised gain to every holder at year end. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. This is information, not a recommendation.

Is VTILX better than VTI?

VTI has a lower expense ratio. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.