VTI vs VXUS: Differences, Fees and Returns
VTI is cheaper: it charges 0.03% a year against 0.05% for VXUS. That is €2 less a year per 10,000 invested; over a plan of 10,000 up front plus 200 a month for 30 years, the accumulated cost gap comes to about €1,433.
They do not track the same thing: VTI follows the CRSP US Total Market Index and VXUS the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index. Any difference in returns will come mainly from that exposure, not from the fee.
Over the last 10 years, VTI returned 14.81% a year against 9.65% for VXUS. That is past performance and may not repeat.
Head-to-head comparison
| VTI | VXUS | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Vanguard Total International Stock ETF |
| Provider | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| Index | CRSP US Total Market Index | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index |
| TER | 0.03% | 0.05% |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Domicile | United States | United States |
| Dividends | Distributing | Distributing |
| Launch date | May 24, 2001 | January 26, 2011 |
| Fund size | $2.3T | $666B |
| ISIN | — | — |
| Available to EU retail investors | No | No |
| Tax-free switch (Spain) | No | No |
Historical returns: VTI vs VXUS (Aug 2016 – Aug 2026)
10,000 invested in Aug 2016 would be worth $39,807 in VTI and $25,128 in VXUS today.
| VTI | VXUS | |
|---|---|---|
| Annualised return | 14.81% | 9.65% |
| Total return | 298.07% | 151.28% |
| Annual volatility | 15.76% | 14.96% |
| Maximum drawdown | -24.81% | -27.76% |
| Monthly correlation | 0.84 | |
Calendar-year returns
| Year | VTI | VXUS |
|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 13.48% | 16.39% |
| 2025 | 17.10% | 32.35% |
| 2024 | 23.81% | 5.08% |
| 2023 | 26.05% | 15.88% |
| 2022 | -19.51% | -16.09% |
| 2021 | 25.67% | 9.00% |
| 2020 | 21.03% | 10.69% |
| 2019 | 30.67% | 21.75% |
| 2018 | -5.21% | -14.43% |
| 2017 | 21.21% | 27.45% |
* Current year, to Aug 2026.
Month-end closing prices adjusted for dividends and net of fund costs. Broker fees and taxes are not included. Past performance does not guarantee future results.