# VTI vs VXUS: fees, holdings and returns compared

> VTI vs VXUS: what each ETF holds, what it costs, and how both did over the same dates, with yearly returns and worst drops.

VTI holds about 3,500 US companies. VXUS holds about 8,700 companies outside the US, in Europe, Japan, China and other countries. They hold no stocks in common, so many investors use them together. Over the same dates since January 2011, VTI returned about 13.6% a year and VXUS returned about 6.5% a year.

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

## Key points

- VTI costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.05%.
- VTI started trading in May 2001. VXUS started in January 2011.
- Worst drops since 2011: VTI −35.0%, VXUS −36.0%.
- Daily correlation: 0.86 (1 means they always move together).

## What is the difference between VTI and VXUS?

VTI and VXUS split the world in two. VTI is all US. VXUS is everything else, both rich countries and emerging markets. For much of the 2010s US stocks did better. In the 2000s, foreign stocks led. Their prices also move with currencies, because VXUS holds stocks priced in other money.

| Fact | VTI | VXUS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full name | Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | Vanguard Total International Stock ETF |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| Expense ratio | 0.03% a year | 0.05% a year |
| Started trading | May 24, 2001 | January 26, 2011 |
| Tracks | Morningstar US Total Market Index | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index |
| Holdings | 3,519 holdings as of September 30, 2026 | 8,740 holdings as of August 31, 2026 |
| Type | US stocks, ETF | International stocks, ETF |

Fund facts checked on the [Vanguard VTI page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vti) and the [Vanguard VXUS page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vxus).

## Is VTI or VXUS cheaper?

VTI costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.05%. On $10,000, that is about $3 a year for VTI and $5 for VXUS. The fund takes its fee out of its own value a little each day, so you never get a bill.

## VTI vs VXUS performance over the same dates

Both funds are measured from January 2011 to October 2026, the dates both traded. VTI returned about 13.6% a year and VXUS returned about 6.5% a year. VTI came out ahead over this period, which does not mean it will again.

| Measure | VTI | VXUS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $10,000 grew to | $74,542 | $26,831 |
| Total return | 645.4% | 168.3% |
| Return per year (CAGR) | 13.6% | 6.5% |
| Worst drop from a high | −35.0% | −36.0% |
| Volatility (how much it swings) | 17.4% | 17.7% |
| Last 12 months | 16.1% | 15.3% |
| Last 3 years, per year | 21.6% | 19.4% |
| Last 5 years, per year | 11.7% | 8.3% |
| Last 10 years, per year | 14.9% | 9.2% |

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.

## VTI and VXUS returns by year

| Year | VTI | VXUS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (part of the year) | 12.5% | 11.4% |
| 2025 | 17.1% | 32.4% |
| 2024 | 23.8% | 5.1% |
| 2023 | 26.1% | 15.9% |
| 2022 | −19.5% | −16.1% |
| 2021 | 25.7% | 9.0% |
| 2020 | 21.1% | 10.7% |
| 2019 | 30.7% | 21.8% |
| 2018 | −5.2% | −14.4% |
| 2017 | 21.2% | 27.5% |
| 2016 | 12.8% | 4.8% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | −4.2% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | −4.7% |
| 2013 | 33.5% | 14.6% |
| 2012 | 16.4% | 18.6% |
| 2011 (part of the year) | −0.4% | −14.4% |

## Which fell further in bad times?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. VTI's worst fall was −35.0%, from February 19, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on August 12, 2020.

VXUS's worst fall was −36.0%, from January 26, 2018 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on November 16, 2020.

Their daily moves had a correlation of 0.86. A correlation of 1 means two funds always move up and down together. Near 0 means they move on their own. So they often move together, but not always.

## Why people choose VTI or VXUS

**VTI.** People who want US companies only, or as the core of their portfolio, tend to pick VTI.

**VXUS.** People who want companies outside the US, often next to a US fund, tend to pick VXUS.

## Strategies that hold VTI or VXUS

These classic strategies hold one or both at least some of the time. Each is a set of written rules you can open, test and copy.

- [Baby Bear Portfolio (Muscular Portfolios)](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/baby-bear-portfolio.md), by Brian Livingston, 2018 (holds VTI)
- [All Weather Portfolio (Ray Dalio’s All Seasons)](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/all-weather-portfolio.md), by Ray Dalio and Tony Robbins, 2014 (holds VTI)
- [Harry Browne’s Permanent Portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/permanent-portfolio.md), by Harry Browne, 1999 (holds VTI)
- [Golden Butterfly Portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/golden-butterfly-portfolio.md), by Tyler (Portfolio Charts), 2015 (holds VTI)
- [Three-Fund Portfolio (Taylor Larimore, Bogleheads)](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/three-fund-portfolio.md), by Taylor Larimore, 2018 (holds VTI and VXUS)

## Other funds like VTI and VXUS

Each fund has more funds that hold the same kind of investments, ranked by how closely they move with it: [VTI alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/vti.md) and [VXUS alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/vxus.md).

## Test a mix of VTI and VXUS

Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add VTI and VXUS, and give each a weight, such as 50% and 50%. The backtest shows how the mix would have done, with its worst drop, on daily prices. You can also add a rule, for example to switch between them, and compare. Read the full pages for [VTI](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vti.md) and [VXUS](https://tactfolio.com/etf/vxus.md), or see [more ETF comparisons](https://tactfolio.com/etf-comparisons.md).

## The details

Both funds use Tactfolio's stored daily prices, adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They are compared only on days both traded, starting the later fund's first day, so neither gets a head start. Correlation uses daily returns over the same days. Read [what a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [S&P 500 index](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index): The S&P 500 tracks about 500 large US companies. Learn how stocks get in, how the index is weighted, how to invest in it, and how far it has fallen before.
- [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.

## Common questions

### Do VTI and VXUS overlap?

No. VTI holds US companies and VXUS holds companies outside the US. Together they cover most of the world stock market.

### What mix of VTI and VXUS matches the world market?

The world market is roughly 60% US and 40% elsewhere, and that share changes over time. A fund like VT holds the world mix for you.

### Which is cheaper, VTI or VXUS?

VTI costs less: 0.03% a year against 0.05%. Fees come from each issuer and were checked on October 16, 2026.

### Which did better, VTI or VXUS?

From January 2011 to October 2026, VTI returned about 13.6% a year and VXUS returned about 6.5% a year, with dividends reinvested. Their worst drops were −35.0% and −36.0%. Past returns do not tell you what comes next.

## Sources

- [Vanguard: Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vti)
- [Vanguard: Vanguard Total International Stock ETF fund page](https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/vxus)

> 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.