ETF Versus

URTH vs VT

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

Last updated: 2026-04-02

iShares MSCI World ETF (URTH) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to global equity securities. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.24%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.52%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $6.8B ER: 0.24% Yield: 1.52% Since: Jan 10, 2012
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 0.24% expense ratio, saving you approximately $355 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. VT has edged ahead over the past year (20.1% vs 18.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric URTH VT
Expense Ratio 0.24% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 1.5% 1.8%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category Global Equity Global Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 92 109 126 143 160 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
URTH +49.7%
VT +40.1%

Performance Comparison

Period URTH VT Difference
1 Month -4.40% -4.94% +0.54%
3 Months -2.52% -1.70% -0.82%
6 Months -0.66% +0.44% -1.10%
YTD -2.52% -1.70% -0.82%
1 Year +18.37% +20.08% -1.71%
3 Years +53.79% +50.98% +2.81%
5 Years +49.74% +40.11% +9.63%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period URTH Fees VT Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $475 $120 $355
$10.000 20 years $2.028 $515 $1.513
$10.000 30 years $6.497 $1.664 $4.833
$50.000 10 years $2.375 $598 $1.777
$50.000 30 years $32.483 $8.318 $24.165
$100.000 30 years $64.967 $16.637 $48.330

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric URTH VT
Annualized Volatility 16.2% 16.0%
Max Drawdown -26.9% -28.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.30 0.22

Dividend Comparison

Metric URTH VT
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.76 $2.52
Dividend Yield 1.52% 1.80%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

8 of top 9 holdings overlap (89% overlap in top holdings)

URTH Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA5.19%
Apple Inc.AAPL4.66%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT3.21%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN2.44%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO1.73%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG1.70%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.46%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.30%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM0.98%

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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