VOX vs. VTI

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI).

VOX and VTI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VOX is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Telecommunication Services 25/50 Index. It was launched on Sep 23, 2004. VTI is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the CRSP US Total Market Index. It was launched on Jun 27, 2016. Both VOX and VTI 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

VOX vs. VTI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VOX vs. VTI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VOX Vanguard Communication Services ETF	-6.90%	26.27%	33.12%	44.81%	-38.85%	13.83%	29.12%	28.03%	-16.75%	-5.50%
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF	-4.01%	17.10%	23.81%	26.05%	-19.52%	25.68%	21.08%	30.67%	-5.23%	21.21%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VOX achieves a -6.90% return, which is significantly lower than VTI's -4.01% return. Over the past 10 years, VOX has underperformed VTI with an annualized return of 8.41%, while VTI has yielded a comparatively higher 13.60% annualized return.

VOX

• 1D: 3.50%
• 1M: -6.17%
• YTD: -6.90%
• 6M: -3.66%
• 1Y: 22.45%
• 3Y*: 24.33%
• 5Y*: 7.40%
• 10Y*: 8.41%

VTI

• 1D: 2.93%
• 1M: -5.00%
• YTD: -4.01%
• 6M: -1.66%
• 1Y: 18.11%
• 3Y*: 17.84%
• 5Y*: 10.46%
• 10Y*: 13.60%

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

VOX vs. VTI - Expense Ratio Comparison

VOX has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is higher than VTI's 0.03% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VOX

Vanguard Communication Services ETF

VTI

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF

Return for Risk

VOX vs. VTI — Risk / Return Rank

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

VOX

VOX Risk / Return Rank: 68
VOX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
VOX Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
VOX Omega Ratio Rank: 67
VOX Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
VOX Martin Ratio Rank: 67

VTI

VTI Risk / Return Rank: 65
VTI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
VTI Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
VTI Omega Ratio Rank: 65
VTI Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
VTI Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

VOX vs. VTI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI). 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.

	VOX	VTI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.11	0.96	+0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.72	1.48	+0.23
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.23	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.67	1.52	+0.15
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.24	7.26	-1.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VOX vs. VTI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VOX Sharpe Ratio is 1.11, which is comparable to the VTI Sharpe Ratio of 0.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VOX and VTI, 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

	VOX	VTI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.11	0.96	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.35	0.60	-0.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.75	-0.34
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.48	-0.05

Correlation

The correlation between VOX and VTI is 0.78, 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

VOX vs. VTI - Dividend Comparison

VOX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.05%, less than VTI's 1.17% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VOX Vanguard Communication Services ETF	1.05%	0.95%	1.05%	1.03%	0.88%	0.93%	0.73%	0.90%	2.77%	3.83%	2.67%	3.55%
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF	1.17%	1.12%	1.27%	1.44%	1.66%	1.21%	1.42%	1.78%	2.04%	1.71%	1.92%	1.98%

Drawdowns

VOX vs. VTI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VOX drawdown since its inception was -57.18%, roughly equal to the maximum VTI drawdown of -55.45%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VOX and VTI.

Drawdown Indicators

	VOX	VTI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-57.18%	-55.45%	-1.73%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.56%	-12.30%	-1.26%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-46.76%	-25.36%	-21.40%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.76%	-35.00%	-11.76%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.03%	-6.25%	-3.78%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.99%	-8.08%	-3.91%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.64%	2.58%	+1.06%

Volatility

VOX vs. VTI - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX) has a higher volatility of 6.40% compared to Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) at 5.45%. This indicates that VOX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VTI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VOX	VTI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.40%	5.45%	+0.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.80%	9.73%	+2.07%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.34%	19.01%	+1.33%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.19%	17.42%	+3.77%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.87%	18.29%	+2.58%