ACWI alternatives and similar ETFs

ACWI alternatives at a glance#

Each fund below can stand in for ACWI, closest first. “Same kind” funds hold the same kind of stocks through a different index. “Related” funds make a different bet that often moves the same way.

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

How ACWI and its alternatives did over the same dates#

Each row measures the alternative and ACWI 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.

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 ACWI alternative, compared#

VT: Vanguard Total World Stock ETF#

VT also holds stocks all over the world, the US included. It tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index, while ACWI tracks the MSCI All Country World Index (Net).

It charges 0.06% a year, about $6 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 10,185 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From June 2008 to October 2026, VT returned about 8.8% a year and ACWI returned about 8.6% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 1.00).

Read the VT fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

URTH: iShares MSCI World ETF#

URTH also holds stocks all over the world, the US included. It tracks the MSCI World Index (Net), while ACWI tracks the MSCI All Country World Index (Net).

It charges 0.24% a year, about $24 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 1,252 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From January 2012 to October 2026, URTH returned about 12.1% a year and ACWI returned about 11.3% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.99).

Read the URTH fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

AVGE: Avantis All Equity Markets ETF#

AVGE also holds stocks all over the world, the US included. It tracks no index (its managers pick what it holds), while ACWI tracks the MSCI All Country World Index (Net).

It charges 0.23% a year, about $23 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 14 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From September 2022 to October 2026, AVGE returned about 20.3% a year and ACWI returned about 20.7% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.96).

Read the AVGE fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

ITOT: iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF#

ITOT is a looser match. It holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund, while ACWI holds stocks all over the world, the US included.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 2,446 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From March 2008 to October 2026, ITOT returned about 11.8% a year and ACWI returned about 8.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the ITOT fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

SCHB: Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF#

SCHB is a looser match. It holds nearly every US stock, big and small, in one fund, while ACWI holds stocks all over the world, the US included.

It charges 0.03% a year, about $3 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 2,409 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From November 2009 to October 2026, SCHB returned about 14.2% a year and ACWI returned about 10.6% a year. Over about the last five years they moved almost exactly together (correlation 0.97).

Read the SCHB fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

VEU: Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF#

VEU is a looser match. It holds stocks in almost every country outside the US, rich and emerging, while ACWI holds stocks all over the world, the US included.

It charges 0.04% a year, about $4 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 3,810 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From March 2008 to October 2026, VEU returned about 5.3% a year and ACWI returned about 8.4% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.92).

Read the VEU fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

VXUS: Vanguard Total International Stock ETF#

VXUS is a looser match. It holds stocks in almost every country outside the US, rich and emerging, while ACWI holds stocks all over the world, the US included.

It charges 0.05% a year, about $5 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 8,740 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From January 2011 to October 2026, VXUS returned about 6.5% a year and ACWI returned about 10.2% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.92).

Read the VXUS fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

IXUS: iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF#

IXUS is a looser match. It holds stocks in almost every country outside the US, rich and emerging, while ACWI holds stocks all over the world, the US included.

It charges 0.07% a year, about $7 on $10,000, against $32 for ACWI. It held 4,584 stocks, against 2,197 for ACWI.

From October 2012 to October 2026, IXUS returned about 7.7% a year and ACWI returned about 11.3% a year. Over about the last five years they moved together on most days (correlation 0.92).

Read the IXUS fund page for its returns by year and worst drop.

ACWI versions from other fund companies#

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

• Vanguard: VT, Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (same kind of fund, 0.06% a year)
• Avantis Investors (American Century): AVGE, Avantis All Equity Markets ETF (same kind of fund, 0.23% a year)
• Schwab: SCHB, Schwab U.S. Broad Market 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 ACWI 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, ACWI costs about $32 a year. ITOT 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 ACWI 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 VT, URTH or AVGE, are less likely to.

Ask a tax professional before you rely on this. Read the IRS rules in Publication 550.

Test ACWI 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, add ACWI and VT, 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 ACWI. 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 ACWI 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 ACWI only on days both traded. Read what a backtest simulates for more on these measures.