VONG vs. IWF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) and iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF).

VONG and IWF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VONG is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index. It was launched on Sep 20, 2010. IWF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index. It was launched on May 22, 2000. Both VONG and IWF are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

VONG vs. IWF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) and iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VONG vs. IWF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VONG Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF	-9.79%	18.45%	33.20%	42.67%	-29.18%	27.60%	38.30%	36.06%	-1.53%	30.05%
IWF iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF	-9.83%	18.33%	33.12%	42.59%	-29.31%	27.43%	38.25%	35.86%	-1.67%	29.95%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with VONG having a -9.79% return and IWF slightly lower at -9.83%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VONG having a 16.65% annualized return and IWF not far behind at 16.53%.

VONG

• 1D: 3.76%
• 1M: -5.21%
• YTD: -9.79%
• 6M: -8.75%
• 1Y: 18.79%
• 3Y*: 21.10%
• 5Y*: 12.35%
• 10Y*: 16.65%

IWF

• 1D: 3.77%
• 1M: -5.20%
• YTD: -9.83%
• 6M: -8.80%
• 1Y: 18.54%
• 3Y*: 21.01%
• 5Y*: 12.22%
• 10Y*: 16.53%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

VONG vs. IWF - Expense Ratio Comparison

VONG has a 0.06% expense ratio, which is lower than IWF's 0.19% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

IWF

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

VONG

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF

Return for Risk

VONG vs. IWF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

VONG

VONG Risk / Return Rank: 51
VONG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
VONG Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
VONG Omega Ratio Rank: 54
VONG Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
VONG Martin Ratio Rank: 45

IWF

IWF Risk / Return Rank: 51
IWF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
IWF Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
IWF Omega Ratio Rank: 54
IWF Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
IWF Martin Ratio Rank: 45

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

VONG vs. IWF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) and iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	VONG	IWF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.84	0.83	+0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.36	1.35	+0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.19	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.16	1.15	+0.01
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.00	3.95	+0.05
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VONG vs. IWF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VONG Sharpe Ratio is 0.84, which is comparable to the IWF Sharpe Ratio of 0.83. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VONG and IWF, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	VONG	IWF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.84	0.83	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.58	0.57	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.80	0.79	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.84	0.36	+0.48

Correlation

The correlation between VONG and IWF is 0.98, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VONG vs. IWF - Dividend Comparison

VONG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.51%, more than IWF's 0.40% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VONG Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF	0.51%	0.45%	0.55%	0.71%	0.98%	0.58%	0.77%	1.03%	1.18%	1.19%	1.48%	1.47%
IWF iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF	0.40%	0.36%	0.46%	0.67%	0.91%	0.49%	0.66%	0.99%	1.27%	1.10%	1.43%	1.37%

Drawdowns

VONG vs. IWF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VONG drawdown since its inception was -32.72%, smaller than the maximum IWF drawdown of -64.25%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VONG and IWF.

Drawdown Indicators

	VONG	IWF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-32.72%	-64.25%	+31.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.23%	-16.27%	+0.04%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.72%	-32.72%	0.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.72%	-32.72%	0.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.09%	-13.12%	+0.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.90%	-22.21%	+17.31%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.72%	4.74%	-0.02%

Volatility

VONG vs. IWF - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG) and iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) have volatilities of 6.72% and 6.74%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VONG	IWF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.72%	6.74%	-0.02%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.34%	12.36%	-0.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.40%	22.40%	0.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.35%	21.41%	-0.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.82%	20.92%	-0.10%