ETF Versus

IJR vs VGT

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000
VGT

Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares (VGT) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us sector - technology securities. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $102.6B ER: 0.09% Yield: 0.43% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

IJR has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.06% vs 0.09%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, VGT has significantly outperformed with a 29.2% return vs 19.2%. Income investors may prefer IJR for its higher yield (1.3% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VGT
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.09%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 0.4%
Fund Family iShares N/A
Category US Small Cap US Sector - Technology

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 103 131 159 187 215 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
VGT +89.7%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VGT Difference
1 Month -4.33% -3.71% -0.62%
3 Months +2.92% -6.53% +9.45%
6 Months +4.03% -6.49% +10.52%
YTD +2.92% -6.53% +9.45%
1 Year +19.20% +29.20% -10.00%
3 Years +29.06% +83.56% -54.50%
5 Years +12.98% +89.73% -76.75%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VGT Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $179 $60
$10.000 20 years $515 $771 $256
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $2.486 $822
$50.000 10 years $598 $896 $298
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $12.428 $4.109
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $24.855 $8.218

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VGT
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 25.1%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -35.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.46

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VGT
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $3.06
Dividend Yield 1.28% 0.43%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

VGT Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA18.07%
Apple Inc.AAPL15.84%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT10.39%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.34%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU2.37%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD1.65%
Cisco Systems, Inc.CSCO1.63%
Palantir Technologies Inc.PLTR1.57%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT1.54%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX1.53%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

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

Choose VGT if...

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

Choose IJR if...

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

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