# VGK alternatives: 4 similar ETFs compared

> ETFs similar to VGK, closest first, with each fund's fee, what it tracks, and returns and worst drops on the same dates as VGK. Updated daily.

The ETFs most like VGK are EFA, IEFA and SCHF. None of them holds exactly what VGK holds, so each is a looser match.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- 4 funds can stand in for VGK: 4 related funds.
- VGK charges 0.06% a year (about $6 on $10,000). The cheapest alternative here, SCHF, charges 0.03%.
- EFA moved most like VGK: a daily correlation of 0.98 over about the last five years.
- Returns and drops for each pair use the same dates for both funds.

## VGK alternatives at a glance

Each fund below can stand in for VGK, closest first. "Related" funds make a different bet that often moves the same way.

| ETF | How close | Yearly fee | Fee on $10,000 | Tracks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **VGK** | This fund | 0.06% | $6 | FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index |
| [EFA](https://tactfolio.com/etf/EFA.md) | Related fund | 0.32% | $32 | MSCI EAFE Index (Net) |
| [IEFA](https://tactfolio.com/etf/IEFA.md) | Related fund | 0.07% | $7 | MSCI EAFE IMI Index (Net) |
| [SCHF](https://tactfolio.com/etf/SCHF.md) | Related fund | 0.03% | $3 | FTSE Developed ex US Index |
| [VEA](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VEA.md) | Related fund | 0.03% | $3 | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index |

Fees come from each fund company, checked on the dates shown on each fund's page.

## How VGK and its alternatives did over the same dates

Each row measures the alternative and VGK on the days both traded, so neither gets a head start. Correlation shows how closely their daily moves matched over about the last five years. A value of 1 means they always moved together.

| ETF | Moves with VGK | Per year | VGK per year | Worst drop | VGK worst drop | Since |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [EFA](https://tactfolio.com/etf/EFA.md) | 0.98 | 6.0% | 6.3% | −61.0% | −63.6% | March 2005 |
| [IEFA](https://tactfolio.com/etf/IEFA.md) | 0.97 | 8.3% | 8.3% | −34.8% | −37.2% | October 2012 |
| [SCHF](https://tactfolio.com/etf/SCHF.md) | 0.96 | 7.5% | 7.3% | −34.9% | −37.2% | November 2009 |
| [VEA](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VEA.md) | 0.96 | 5.1% | 4.7% | −60.7% | −63.6% | July 2007 |

Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.

## Each VGK alternative, compared

### EFA: iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

EFA is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while VGK holds European stocks.

It charges 0.32% a year, about $32 on $10,000, against $6 for VGK. It held 657 stocks, against 1,243 for VGK.

From March 2005 to October 2026, EFA returned about 6.0% a year and VGK returned about 6.3% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.98).

Read the [EFA fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/EFA.md) for its returns by year and worst drop.

### IEFA: iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

IEFA is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while VGK holds European stocks.

It charges 0.07% a year, about $7 on $10,000, against $6 for VGK. It held 2,626 stocks, against 1,243 for VGK.

From October 2012 to October 2026, IEFA returned about 8.3% a year and VGK returned about 8.3% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the [IEFA fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/IEFA.md) for its returns by year and worst drop.

### SCHF: Schwab International Equity ETF

SCHF is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while VGK holds European stocks.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $6 for VGK. It held 1,480 stocks, against 1,243 for VGK.

From November 2009 to October 2026, SCHF returned about 7.5% a year and VGK returned about 7.3% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.96).

Read the [SCHF fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/SCHF.md) for its returns by year and worst drop.

### VEA: Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF

VEA is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while VGK holds European stocks.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $6 for VGK. It held 3,903 stocks, against 1,243 for VGK.

From July 2007 to October 2026, VEA returned about 5.1% a year and VGK returned about 4.7% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.96).

Read the [VEA fund page](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VEA.md) for its returns by year and worst drop.

## VGK versions from other fund companies

Some people keep all their funds with one company. Here is the closest fund to VGK from each other company on this page:

- **iShares (BlackRock):** [EFA](https://tactfolio.com/etf/EFA.md), iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (related fund, 0.32% a year)
- **Schwab:** [SCHF](https://tactfolio.com/etf/SCHF.md), Schwab International Equity ETF (related fund, 0.03% a year)

Most brokers let you buy any ETF, whoever runs it. Mutual fund versions, such as a fund company's index mutual fund, are not listed here.

## How to choose between VGK and its alternatives

- **What it tracks.** A fund on the same index holds the same stocks. A different index can mean different weights, more or fewer holdings, or a different mix.
- **The fee.** The difference is often small. On $10,000, VGK costs about $6 a year. SCHF costs about $3.
- **History.** An older fund has been through more bad markets, so you can see how far it fell.
- **What you already own.** Two funds that move together add little variety. A fund with a low correlation behaves more on its own.

## Swapping VGK to harvest a tax loss

Some investors sell a fund at a loss to lower their taxes, then buy a similar fund so they stay invested. This is called tax-loss harvesting.

The IRS wash sale rule blocks the loss if you buy a "substantially identical" security within 30 days before or after the sale. The IRS has not said exactly when two funds count. Funds on the same index are more likely to. Funds on a different index, such as EFA, IEFA or SCHF, are less likely to.

Ask a tax professional before you rely on this. Read the IRS rules in [Publication 550](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p550).

## Test VGK and its alternatives in a backtest

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add VGK and EFA, and see how each would have done on the same dates, or how a mix of both would have done.

## The details

Alternatives are picked from facts, not from returns. First come funds that track the same index as VGK. Then come funds that hold the same kind of stocks through another index. Last come funds from a close category that make a different bet. Leveraged funds are only listed as alternatives to other leveraged funds.

Within each group, the funds whose daily returns moved most like VGK over about the last five years come first. Returns and worst drops use Tactfolio's stored daily prices, adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. Each alternative is measured with VGK only on days both traded. Read [what a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [Momentum strategy](https://tactfolio.com/learn/momentum-strategy): A momentum strategy buys recent winners by a written rule.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.
- [Backtesting](https://tactfolio.com/backtesting): Free backtesting software for stocks, ETFs, and crypto perps.

## Common questions

### What ETF is most similar to VGK?

EFA is the closest. EFA is a looser match. It holds stocks in developed countries outside the US, such as Japan, the UK and Europe, while VGK holds European stocks. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together.

### Is there a cheaper alternative to VGK?

Yes. SCHF charges 0.03% a year and VEA charges 0.03% a year, against 0.06% for VGK. On $10,000 that is about $3 a year instead of $6.

### Is VGK or EFA better?

Neither is better for everyone. From March 2005 to October 2026, VGK returned about 6.3% a year and EFA returned about 6.0% a year. VGK charges 0.06% a year and EFA charges 0.32%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

### What if I had put $10,000 in VGK 10 years ago?

It would have grown to about $25,446 by October 16, 2026, with dividends reinvested. That is about 9.8% a year. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

## Sources

- [Vanguard: Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vgk)
- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares MSCI EAFE ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239623/ishares-msci-eafe-etf)
- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/244049/ishares-core-msci-eafe-etf)
- [Schwab: Schwab International Equity ETF fund page](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1454889/000110465926020707/tm266454-7_497k.htm)
- [Vanguard: Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vea)
- [IRS Publication 550: wash sales](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p550)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.