iShares vs UBS
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 UBS has 6, overlapping in 6 categories. iShares offers the cheapest fund in 5 of those 6 categories.
iShares
- Products
- 64
- Lowest TER
- 0.07%
- Average TER
- 0.40%
- Categories
- 13
UBS
- Products
- 6
- Lowest TER
- 0.10%
- Average TER
- 0.17%
- Categories
- 6
Which one is cheaper, and where
iShares offers the cheapest fund in 5 of the 6 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 | UBS | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed income | iShares Core € Govt BondBloomberg Euro Treasury0.07% | UBS Bloomberg Barclays TIPS 10+Bloomberg US Treasury Inflation Linked Bond 10+0.20% | €13/year per €10,000 |
| Gold | iShares Physical Gold ETCPhysical gold (spot price)0.12% | UBS GoldPhysical gold (spot price)0.23% | €11/year per €10,000 |
| Europe | iShares Core FTSE 100FTSE 1000.07% | UBS Core MSCI EMUMSCI EMU0.18% | €11/year per €10,000 |
| Global | iShares Core MSCI WorldMSCI World0.20% | UBS MSCI WorldMSCI World0.14% | €6/year per €10,000 |
| USA | iShares Core S&P 500S&P 5000.07% | UBS MSCI USAMSCI USA0.10% | €3/year per €10,000 |
| Emerging | iShares Core MSCI EM IMIMSCI Emerging Markets IMI0.18% | UBS MSCI Emerging MarketsMSCI Emerging Markets0.19% | €1/year per €10,000 |
What each one covers
Only at UBS
—
Structural differences
iShares
- Accumulating
- 41%
- Physical replication
- 100%
- Are ETFs
- 97%
- Domicile
- Ireland, Germany
UBS
- Accumulating
- 67%
- Physical replication
- 100%
- Are ETFs
- 83%
- Domicile
- Luxembourg, Switzerland
Other provider comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Is iShares or UBS cheaper?+
iShares offers the cheapest fund in 5 of the 6 categories both cover, against 1 for UBS. 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 UBS biggest?+
In fixed income: iShares Core € Govt Bond charges 0.07% against 0.20% for UBS Bloomberg Barclays TIPS 10+. On €10,000 invested that is a €13.00 difference every year, in favour of iShares.
Which one has the wider range?+
iShares, with 64 products against 6. Coverage is not identical either: iShares covers the technology sector, the Japanese market, sustainable (ESG) criteria, listed real estate, small-cap companies, a specific thematic sector, high-dividend companies where UBS 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. UBS's are 67% accumulating and 100% physical, domiciled in Luxembourg, Switzerland. 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.