ETF Versus

BNDX vs VB

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund vs Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund (BNDX) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to international bond securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.46%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $76.8B ER: 0.07% Yield: 4.46% Since: Jun 4, 2013
VB Vanguard

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VB) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.33%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $69.1B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.33% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VB has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.07%), saving about $80 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VB has significantly outperformed with a 18.4% return vs -1.7%. Income investors may prefer BNDX for its higher yield (4.5% vs 1.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric BNDX VB
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 4.5% 1.3%
Fund Family N/A Vanguard
Category International Bond US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 86 97 108 119 130 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BNDX -15.9%
VB +20.7%

Performance Comparison

Period BNDX VB Difference
1 Month -1.88% -5.50% +3.62%
3 Months -0.62% +0.71% -1.33%
6 Months -2.83% +2.15% -4.98%
YTD -0.62% +0.71% -1.33%
1 Year -1.68% +18.40% -20.08%
3 Years -1.88% +39.02% -40.90%
5 Years -15.89% +20.71% -36.60%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BNDX Fees VB Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $140 $60 $80
$10.000 20 years $600 $258 $342
$10.000 30 years $1.938 $835 $1.103
$50.000 10 years $698 $299 $398
$50.000 30 years $9.692 $4.176 $5.516
$100.000 30 years $19.383 $8.352 $11.032

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BNDX VB
Annualized Volatility 5.3% 20.8%
Max Drawdown -19.1% -28.8%
Sharpe Ratio -1.48 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric BNDX VB
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.14 $3.50
Dividend Yield 4.45% 1.33%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

VB Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.21%
Comfort Systems USA, Inc.FIX0.65%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE0.64%
Ciena CorporationCIEN0.64%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.53%
Rocket Lab CorporationRKLB0.48%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG0.44%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.43%
EMCOR Group, Inc.EME0.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VB if...

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

Choose VB if...

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

Choose BNDX if...

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

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