ETF Versus

IWF vs MGK

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF vs Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IWF iShares

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $108.0B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.39% Since: May 22, 2000
MGK

Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund (MGK) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $26.8B ER: 0.05% Yield: 0.39% Since: Dec 17, 2007

Quick Verdict

MGK is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $257 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. MGK has edged ahead over the past year (19.4% vs 18.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric IWF MGK
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 0.4% 0.4%
Fund Family iShares N/A
Category US Large Cap Growth US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 100 125 150 175 200 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IWF +71.3%
MGK +73.1%

Performance Comparison

Period IWF MGK Difference
1 Month -4.73% -4.21% -0.52%
3 Months -8.83% -9.52% +0.69%
6 Months -8.48% -7.91% -0.57%
YTD -8.83% -9.52% +0.69%
1 Year +18.20% +19.39% -1.19%
3 Years +75.80% +81.85% -6.05%
5 Years +71.26% +73.14% -1.88%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWF Fees MGK Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $357 $100 $257
$10.000 20 years $1.529 $430 $1.100
$10.000 30 years $4.912 $1.388 $3.523
$50.000 10 years $1.786 $499 $1.287
$50.000 30 years $24.558 $6.941 $17.617
$100.000 30 years $49.116 $13.882 $35.234

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWF MGK
Annualized Volatility 21.4% 22.6%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -36.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.40 0.40

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWF MGK
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.69 $1.43
Dividend Yield 0.39% 0.39%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

IWF Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL11.79%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT8.78%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.81%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.61%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.57%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.28%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.83%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.62%

MGK Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA13.12%
Apple Inc.AAPL12.49%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.18%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META4.66%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG4.46%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.43%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA4.26%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.97%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY3.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose MGK 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 us large cap growth exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

Related Comparisons