What is the fee difference between VT and VXUS?

VT charges an expense ratio of 0.06% a year and VXUS charges 0.05%. On $10,000 invested that works out to about $6 a year for VT and $5 for VXUS, a difference of about $1. Both are among the cheapest ways to own thousands of stocks, so cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

What does each fund track?

VT tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Net Tax (US RIC) Index, which covers large, mid and small companies in developed and emerging markets, including the United States. VXUS tracks the FTSE Global All Cap ex US index, the same universe with US companies removed. In simple terms, VT is the whole world and VXUS is the world minus the US.

How much do the holdings of VT and VXUS overlap?

Only one company appears in both top-ten lists: Taiwan Semiconductor, at 1.5% of VT and 4.0% of VXUS. VT's other top holdings are US names such as NVIDIA (4.3%), Apple (3.8%) and Microsoft (3.2%). VXUS's top holdings include Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, ASML, Tencent, HSBC, Roche and Royal Bank of Canada. Every non-US stock in VXUS is also inside VT at a smaller weight.

Which fund pays more in dividends?

VXUS has a dividend yield of 2.28%, compared with 1.51% for VT. International companies, particularly in Europe and emerging markets, tend to pay out a larger share of profits than US companies, and VT's large US weighting pulls its overall yield down. Dividends from both funds are paid in US dollars.

Which fund suits which investment goal?

VT suits an investor who wants a single, set-and-forget global stock fund and does not want to decide how much to hold in the US versus elsewhere. VXUS suits an investor who already owns a US fund such as an S&P 500 or total US market ETF and wants to add international exposure in a controllable amount.

How do VT and VXUS compare on size and liquidity?

VXUS is the larger fund at about $164 billion in net assets, while VT holds about $81 billion. Both are very large by ETF standards and trade actively on US exchanges, so retail investors should find it easy to buy and sell either fund during US market hours.

Is VT just VXUS plus a US fund?

Broadly, yes. VT's index is the global all-cap universe, and VXUS's index is that universe with the US removed. Holding VXUS together with a total US market fund gives similar coverage to VT, but you choose the US weight yourself. VT sets the US weight by market cap automatically.

Are there tax differences between VT and VXUS?

Both are US-listed ETFs that pay dividends, so non-US investors generally face US withholding tax on distributions, with the rate depending on their country's treaty. The funds themselves also pay foreign withholding on dividends from non-US companies. Rules differ by country and account type, so check what applies to your situation.

Can I hold both VT and VXUS?

You can, but the combination increases your international weighting relative to a market-cap portfolio, since VT already contains everything VXUS holds. Some investors do this deliberately to tilt toward non-US stocks. If that is not the intention, holding VT alone or VXUS plus a US fund is the simpler structure.

VT vs VXUS

Two funds, one decision: we compare cost, performance and what each ETF actually holds in September 2026.

VT holds about 10,180 stocks from the entire global market, US included, for 0.06% a year. VXUS holds about 8,860 stocks from developed and emerging markets outside the US for 0.05%, and yields 2.28% against 1.51% for VT. VT suits investors who want one fund for everything; VXUS suits those who already own US stocks and want to add the rest of the world. Educational content, not financial advice.

Fund Snapshot

Key Fund Metrics

Metric

VXUS

0.06%

Expense Ratio

0.05%

1.51%

Dividend Yield

2.28%

$81.23B

Net Assets

$164.04B

10,180

Holdings

8,860

Jun 24, 2008

Inception Date

Jan 26, 2011

FTSE Global All Cap Net Tax (US RIC) Index

Index Tracked

FTSE Global All Cap x US

Global Large-Stock Blend

Fund Category

Foreign Large Blend

VXUS costs about $1.00 less per year for every $10,000 invested.

Shared Top Holdings

Holding	VT	VXUS
TPE: 2330Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited	1.53%	3.97%

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Investment Analysis

VT

Pros

One fund covers the entire global stock market with about 10,180 holdings
Includes US giants such as NVIDIA, Apple and Microsoft alongside international companies
Low expense ratio of 0.06% for global coverage, with $81 billion in assets

Considerations

Top holdings are dominated by US companies, so it is not a pure international fund
Dividend yield of 1.51% is lower than the 2.28% paid by VXUS
Fee of 0.06% is slightly higher than the 0.05% charged by VXUS

VXUS

Pros

Lowest fee of the pair at 0.05%, about $5 a year per $10,000 invested
Higher dividend yield of 2.28% from developed and emerging market companies
About $164 billion in assets, twice the size of VT, with 8,860 holdings

Considerations

Holds no US stocks, so it needs a separate US fund for full global coverage
Top holdings trade on foreign exchanges such as Taiwan, Korea and Amsterdam
Largest single position, TSMC at 4%, adds concentration in Asian semiconductors

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About VT and VXUS

VT (VT)

Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) is a passively managed exchange-traded fund that provides broad exposure to global equity markets by tracking a market-cap-weighted index covering developed and emerging economies and large-, mid- and small-cap companies. For investors, VT offers a simple, single-ticket way to own thousands of stocks worldwide, reducing the need to pick individual shares or multiple regional funds. As an ETF it trades like a share; note that market capitalisation is not normally applied to an ETF itself — assets under management and share price are more relevant. VT’s returns mirror the underlying index, less fees and trading costs, so it will rise and fall with global equity markets. Considerations include currency risk, sector and country concentration, ongoing charges and trading spreads. This information is general and educational, not personalised advice; suitability depends on your objectives, time horizon and tolerance for market volatility.

VXUS (VXUS)

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) offers investors broad exposure to non‑US equities across developed and emerging markets. The fund tracks a global index that excludes the United States and holds thousands of stocks spanning large-, mid- and small-cap companies. It is structured as a passive, market‑capitalisation‑weighted ETF, which aims to replicate international equity market performance while keeping trading simplicity and diversification benefits. VXUS is typically unhedged to sterling or other home currencies, so returns can be affected by currency movements as well as underlying stock performance. Investors should note that, like all equity funds, values can fall as well as rise and past performance does not guarantee future results. This summary provides general, educational information and is not personalised investment advice; suitability depends on an individual’s circumstances, risk tolerance and investment horizon.

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VT vs VXUS

Fund Snapshot