VXUS vs VEA: Differences, Fees and Returns
VEA 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: VXUS follows the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index and VEA the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index. Any difference in returns will come mainly from that exposure, not from the fee.
Over the last 10 years, VEA returned 10.25% a year against 9.65% for VXUS. That is past performance and may not repeat.
Head-to-head comparison
| VXUS | VEA | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Vanguard Total International Stock ETF | Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF |
| Provider | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| Index | FTSE Global All Cap ex US Index | FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index |
| TER | 0.05% | 0.03% |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Domicile | United States | United States |
| Dividends | Distributing | Distributing |
| Launch date | January 26, 2011 | July 20, 2007 |
| Fund size | $666B | $324B |
| ISIN | — | — |
| Available to EU retail investors | No | No |
| Tax-free switch (Spain) | No | No |
Historical returns: VXUS vs VEA (Aug 2016 – Aug 2026)
10,000 invested in Aug 2016 would be worth $25,128 in VXUS and $26,522 in VEA today.
| VXUS | VEA | |
|---|---|---|
| Annualised return | 9.65% | 10.25% |
| Total return | 151.28% | 165.22% |
| Annual volatility | 14.96% | 15.50% |
| Maximum drawdown | -27.76% | -28.08% |
| Monthly correlation | 0.99 | |
Calendar-year returns
| Year | VXUS | VEA |
|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 16.39% | 17.54% |
| 2025 | 32.35% | 35.17% |
| 2024 | 5.08% | 3.16% |
| 2023 | 15.88% | 17.94% |
| 2022 | -16.09% | -15.36% |
| 2021 | 9.00% | 11.67% |
| 2020 | 10.69% | 9.74% |
| 2019 | 21.75% | 22.62% |
| 2018 | -14.43% | -14.75% |
| 2017 | 27.45% | 26.42% |
* 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.