iShares vs L&G
Both providers track indices, so neither "performs" better than the other — what separates them is cost, range and which markets they actually cover. iShares has 64 products in this catalog and L&G has 7, overlapping in 3 categories. iShares offers the cheapest fund in 3 of those 3 categories.
iShares
- Products
- 64
- Lowest TER
- 0.07%
- Average TER
- 0.40%
- Categories
- 13
L&G
- Products
- 7
- Lowest TER
- 0.49%
- Average TER
- 0.53%
- Categories
- 3
Which one is cheaper, and where
iShares offers the cheapest fund in 3 of the 3 categories both cover.
The cheapest fund from each, category by category
Each provider’s lowest-fee product within every shared category, head to head. The index each one tracks is shown too, because two funds in the same category do not always track the same thing.
| Category | iShares | L&G | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | iShares Physical Gold ETCPhysical gold (spot price)0.12% | L&G Gold MiningSTOXX Global Gold Miners0.55% | €43/year per €10,000 |
| Technology | iShares Nasdaq 100Nasdaq-1000.33% | L&G Artificial IntelligenceROBO Global Artificial Intelligence0.49% | €16/year per €10,000 |
| Thematic | iShares Automation & RoboticsiSTOXX FactSet Automation & Robotics0.40% | L&G Battery Value-ChainSolactive Battery Value-Chain0.49% | €9/year per €10,000 |
What each one covers
Only at L&G
—
Structural differences
iShares
- Accumulating
- 41%
- Physical replication
- 100%
- Are ETFs
- 97%
- Domicile
- Ireland, Germany
L&G
- Accumulating
- 100%
- Physical replication
- 100%
- Are ETFs
- 100%
- Domicile
- Ireland
Other provider comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Is iShares or L&G cheaper?+
iShares offers the cheapest fund in 3 of the 3 categories both cover, against 0 for L&G. But "cheaper overall" is the wrong question: what matters is which is cheaper in the category you are actually buying.
Where is the difference between iShares and L&G biggest?+
In gold: iShares Physical Gold ETC charges 0.12% against 0.55% for L&G Gold Mining. On €10,000 invested that is a €43.00 difference every year, in favour of iShares.
Which one has the wider range?+
iShares, with 64 products against 7. Coverage is not identical either: iShares covers global equities, the US market, emerging markets, European equities, the Japanese market, sustainable (ESG) criteria, fixed income, listed real estate, small-cap companies, high-dividend companies where L&G does not.
Are there structural differences beyond fees?+
Yes. iShares's products in this catalog are 41% accumulating and 100% physically replicated, domiciled in Ireland, Germany. L&G's are 100% accumulating and 100% physical, domiciled in Ireland. For a Spanish investor the accumulating/distributing split matters for tax, and domicile matters for dividend withholding.
Does this comparison look at past performance?+
No, deliberately. Two funds tracking the same index deliver almost identical returns before fees, so comparing their past returns tells you about the index, not about the provider. The fee is the part the provider actually controls, and the only one you know for certain the day you invest.
Cost and coverage comparison computed over this site’s catalog, which is a sample and not each provider’s full product range. Returns are not compared: two funds tracking the same index perform almost identically before fees, so past performance tells you about the index, not the provider. Educational content, not a recommendation.