ETF Versus

IWF vs VIG

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF vs Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares

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
VIG Vanguard

Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares (VIG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.60%. Launched in 2006, the fund has a 20-year track record.

AUM: $97.2B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.60% Since: Apr 21, 2006

Quick Verdict

VIG is significantly cheaper at 0.04% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $277 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IWF has significantly outperformed with a 18.2% return vs 11.4%. Income investors may prefer VIG for its higher yield (1.6% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IWF VIG
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 0.4% 1.6%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Growth US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 103 126 149 172 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IWF +71.3%
VIG +43.7%

Performance Comparison

Period IWF VIG Difference
1 Month -4.73% -5.05% +0.32%
3 Months -8.83% -2.23% -6.60%
6 Months -8.48% -0.97% -7.51%
YTD -8.83% -2.23% -6.60%
1 Year +18.20% +11.38% +6.82%
3 Years +75.80% +39.10% +36.70%
5 Years +71.26% +43.71% +27.55%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWF Fees VIG Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $357 $80 $277
$10.000 20 years $1.529 $344 $1.185
$10.000 30 years $4.912 $1.112 $3.800
$50.000 10 years $1.786 $399 $1.387
$50.000 30 years $24.558 $5.560 $18.998
$100.000 30 years $49.116 $11.121 $37.995

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWF VIG
Annualized Volatility 21.4% 14.3%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -21.5%
Sharpe Ratio 0.40 0.27

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWF VIG
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.69 $3.45
Dividend Yield 0.39% 1.60%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

4 of top 9 holdings overlap (44% 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%

VIG Top Holdings

NameWeight
Broadcom Inc.AVGO5.92%
Apple Inc.AAPL3.89%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY3.70%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT3.45%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM3.42%
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM2.87%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ2.65%
Walmart Inc.WMT2.48%
Visa Inc.V2.23%
Costco Wholesale CorporationCOST1.98%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VIG if...

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

Choose IWF if...

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

Choose VIG if...

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

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