ETF Versus

ACWI vs VT

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

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF (ACWI) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to global equity securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.32%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.57%. Launched in 2008, the fund has a 18-year track record.

AUM: $27.5B ER: 0.32% Yield: 1.57% Since: Mar 26, 2008
VT

Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (VT) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to global equity securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.80%. Launched in 2008, the fund has a 18-year track record.

AUM: $60.7B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.80% Since: Jun 24, 2008

Quick Verdict

VT is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.32% expense ratio, saving you approximately $512 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (19.6% vs 20.1%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric ACWI VT
Expense Ratio 0.32% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 1.6% 1.8%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category Global Equity Global Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 91 107 123 139 155 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
ACWI +43.3%
VT +40.1%

Performance Comparison

Period ACWI VT Difference
1 Month -4.69% -4.94% +0.25%
3 Months -1.98% -1.70% -0.28%
6 Months +0.12% +0.44% -0.32%
YTD -1.98% -1.70% -0.28%
1 Year +19.58% +20.08% -0.50%
3 Years +52.33% +50.98% +1.35%
5 Years +43.31% +40.11% +3.20%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period ACWI Fees VT Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $631 $120 $512
$10.000 20 years $2.686 $515 $2.171
$10.000 30 years $8.571 $1.664 $6.907
$50.000 10 years $3.156 $598 $2.558
$50.000 30 years $42.854 $8.318 $34.535
$100.000 30 years $85.707 $16.637 $69.070

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric ACWI VT
Annualized Volatility 16.1% 16.0%
Max Drawdown -27.7% -28.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.25 0.22

Dividend Comparison

Metric ACWI VT
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.20 $2.52
Dividend Yield 1.57% 1.80%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

ACWI Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA4.58%
Apple Inc.AAPL4.11%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT2.83%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN2.16%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/23301.58%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO1.52%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG1.50%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.29%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.15%

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.

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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