VXUS vs EFA Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
VXUS (Vanguard Total International Stock ETF) and EFA (iShares MSCI EAFE ETF) are both international equity ETFs but with very different scopes and costs — VXUS covers the entire world ex-U.S. (both developed and emerging markets, ~7,500 stocks) at 0.07%, while EFA covers only developed market equities in Europe, Australasia, and Far East (~800 large/mid-cap stocks) at 0.32%. For buy-and-hold investors wanting comprehensive international exposure at minimum cost, VXUS is generally the superior choice; EFA serves investors specifically seeking developed market only exposure or those with institutional benchmark requirements.
VXUS vs EFA is comprehensive global ex-U.S. market at minimal cost (Vanguard's VXUS capturing both developed and emerging market international equities in 7,500 holdings across 46 countries at 0.07% for complete global diversification) versus developed-only international benchmark ETF with institutional liquidity (iShares EFA tracking MSCI EAFE's 21 developed market countries at higher cost as the universal institutional developed market benchmark) — comprehensive and cheap versus developed-only and institutionally liquid.
VXUS holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. VXUS has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+13.53% vs +13.50% for EFA).
- Want comprehensive global ex-U.S. equity exposure in a single ETF — VXUS's combination of developed and emerging markets captures the full international opportunity set that EFA misses by excluding China, India, Taiwan, and other emerging economies
- Value Vanguard's cost leadership at 0.07% as a key differentiator versus EFA's 0.32% — over 20-30 years, the compounding cost difference is significant for long-term buy-and-hold investors
- Use the three-fund portfolio (VTI + VXUS + BND) where VXUS naturally pairs with VTI for a complete global equity allocation
- Specifically want developed market international exposure without emerging market volatility and governance risk — EFA's MSCI EAFE provides stable international diversification in mature markets with stronger regulatory frameworks
- Need developed market institutional benchmark exposure — EFA tracks the MSCI EAFE, the universal international developed market benchmark; institutional investors managing against EAFE-benchmarked mandates use EFA for implementation
- Want to separately control their developed and emerging market allocations — using EFA + EEM (or VWO for emerging) allows explicit control over the developed/emerging split versus VXUS's market-cap-weighted blend
| Metric | VXUS | EFA |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 24.9 | 24.9 |
| Latest closei | $82.59 | $103.70 |
| 1M returni | -3.32% | -0.25% |
| 3M returni | -2.68% | -2.19% |
| 6M returni | +1.05% | +4.61% |
| 1Y returni | +13.53% | +13.50% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | VXUS | EFA |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.61K (+16.1%) started 2025-11-03 | $11.74K (+17.4%) started 2025-11-03 |
| 5Y ago | $17.24K (+72.4%) started 2021-11-03 | $17.6K (+76.0%) started 2021-11-03 |
| 10Y ago | $33.85K (+238.5%) started 2016-11-03 | $34.27K (+242.7%) started 2016-11-03 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | VXUS | EFA |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.05% | 0.32% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $649.29B | $76.7B |
| Dividend yieldi | 2.34% | 3.24% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 15.60 | 17.15 |
| Betai | 0.80 | 0.80 |
| 52-week change | 13.53% | 13.50% |
| Metric | VXUS | EFA |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +13.53% | +13.50% |
| 6M returni | +1.05% | +4.61% |
| 3M returni | -2.68% | -2.19% |
| 1M returni | -3.32% | -0.25% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.55 | 0.60 |
| Betai | 0.80 | 0.80 |
| Dividend yieldi | 2.34% | 3.24% |
| 5Y CAGR | +7.90% | +8.23% |
Over the past year, VXUS and EFA have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.96), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | VXUS | EFA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +13.21% | +13.46% |
| CAGRi | +13.26% | +13.51% | |
| Volatilityi | 17.22% | 15.90% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.55 | 0.60 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.79 | 0.88 | |
| Max drawdowni | 11.27% | 11.42% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.41% | 4.70% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 2.39% | 2.37% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 3.47% | 3.43% | |
| Max daily dropi | 3.73% | 3.11% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 6.96% | 6.74% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +46.24% | +48.47% |
| CAGRi | +7.90% | +8.23% | |
| Volatilityi | 16.39% | 16.61% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.27 | 0.29 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.39 | 0.42 | |
| Max drawdowni | 28.86% | 29.27% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.41% | 4.70% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.05% | 6.20% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.79% | 8.98% | |
| Max daily dropi | 6.11% | 6.60% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 10.82% | 10.86% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +141.81% | +143.75% |
| CAGRi | +9.24% | +9.32% | |
| Volatilityi | 17.03% | 17.00% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.34 | 0.35 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.47 | 0.48 | |
| Max drawdowni | 35.97% | 34.19% | |
| Current drawdowni | 6.41% | 4.70% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 7.12% | 6.22% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.89% | 8.92% | |
| Max daily dropi | 11.13% | 10.99% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 20.06% | 20.42% |
| Category | VXUS | EFA |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares | iShares MSCI EAFE ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.05% | 0.32% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $649.29B | $76.7B |
| Dividend yieldi | 2.34% | 3.24% |
- Complete ex-U.S. global market in one fund — VXUS's ~7,500 holdings across 46 countries provide exposure to every publicly traded market outside the U.S.; a single ETF captures international diversification benefits without needing separate developed and emerging market allocations
- Emerging market inclusion adds growth exposure — VXUS includes China, India, Taiwan, Brazil, and other emerging markets that represent approximately 25% of global market cap outside the U.S.; emerging market companies may benefit from faster economic growth than developed markets
- 0.07% expense ratio among the lowest for international ETFs — Vanguard's cost leadership extends to international; comprehensive global exposure at 0.07% beats the category average meaningfully
- Developed-market-only focus eliminates emerging market volatility — EFA's exclusion of emerging markets provides international diversification without the additional volatility, political risk, and governance uncertainty of EM exposure; suitable for investors who want stable international diversification
- Deep liquidity as the most actively traded international ETF — EFA is one of the world's most liquid ETFs with hundreds of billions in daily trading volume; institutional traders and hedge funds use EFA extensively for developed market hedging and tactical allocation
- MSCI EAFE is the universal developed market benchmark — most international equity institutional mandates, pension fund allocations, and performance benchmarks are measured against the MSCI EAFE; EFA provides pure benchmark exposure for institutional users
- Currency risk — all international investments carry currency risk; VXUS's non-U.S. holdings generate returns in local currencies (yen, euro, yuan) that must be converted to USD; dollar strengthening reduces VXUS returns in USD terms
- Emerging market volatility and governance risk — VXUS's emerging market component includes countries with higher political risk, currency instability, and corporate governance concerns (China's regulatory actions, Taiwan geopolitical risk, Brazil political volatility)
- Higher tracking difference versus simpler domestic ETFs — managing 7,500+ international stocks across 46 countries with different market hours and settlement systems creates slightly more operational complexity than domestic ETFs
- Excludes fast-growing emerging markets — by design, EFA misses China, India, Taiwan, and other growing emerging economies; investors using EFA for all international exposure may underweight the global economy's higher-growth markets
- Higher expense ratio than VXUS at 0.32% — EFA's 0.32% expense ratio is meaningfully higher than VXUS's 0.07%; over 20+ year holding periods, this cost difference compounds significantly against EFA
- Japan concentration risk — Japan is EFA's largest country weight at ~24%; Japan's decades of economic stagnation, demographic decline, and structural challenges mean heavy EFA exposure includes significant Japan exposure that may not reflect desired international diversification
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