iShares vs Xtrackers
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 Xtrackers has 22, overlapping in 11 categories. iShares offers the cheapest fund in 5 of those 11 categories.
iShares
- Products
- 64
- Lowest TER
- 0.07%
- Average TER
- 0.40%
- Categories
- 13
Xtrackers
- Products
- 22
- Lowest TER
- 0.07%
- Average TER
- 0.21%
- Categories
- 11
Which one is cheaper, and where
iShares offers the cheapest fund in 5 of the 11 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 | Xtrackers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thematic | iShares Automation & RoboticsiSTOXX FactSet Automation & Robotics0.40% | Xtrackers MSCI World Information TechnologyMSCI World Information Technology0.25% | €15/year per €10,000 |
| Real estate | iShares STOXX Europe 600 Real EstateSTOXX Europe 600 Real Estate0.46% | Xtrackers FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Real EstateFTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Real Estate0.60% | €14/year per €10,000 |
| Global | iShares Core MSCI WorldMSCI World0.20% | Xtrackers FTSE All-WorldFTSE All-World0.15% | €5/year per €10,000 |
| Japan | iShares Core MSCI Japan IMIMSCI Japan IMI0.15% | Xtrackers MSCI JapanMSCI Japan0.12% | €3/year per €10,000 |
| Fixed income | iShares Core € Govt BondBloomberg Euro Treasury0.07% | Xtrackers II EUR Overnight Rate Swap€STR (money market)0.10% | €3/year per €10,000 |
| Gold | iShares Physical Gold ETCPhysical gold (spot price)0.12% | Xtrackers Physical Gold ETCPhysical gold (spot price)0.15% | €3/year per €10,000 |
| Sustainable | iShares MSCI World SRIMSCI World SRI Select Reduced Fossil Fuel0.20% | Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets ESGMSCI Emerging Markets ESG0.18% | €2/year per €10,000 |
| Europe | iShares Core FTSE 100FTSE 1000.07% | Xtrackers DAXDAX 400.09% | €2/year per €10,000 |
| Technology | iShares Nasdaq 100Nasdaq-1000.33% | Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big DataNasdaq Global Artificial Intelligence and Big Data0.35% | €2/year per €10,000 |
| USA | iShares Core S&P 500S&P 5000.07% | Xtrackers S&P 500S&P 5000.07% | Same cost |
| Emerging | iShares Core MSCI EM IMIMSCI Emerging Markets IMI0.18% | Xtrackers MSCI Emerging MarketsMSCI Emerging Markets0.18% | Same cost |
What each one covers
Only at iShares
Only at Xtrackers
—
Structural differences
iShares
- Accumulating
- 41%
- Physical replication
- 100%
- Are ETFs
- 97%
- Domicile
- Ireland, Germany
Xtrackers
- Accumulating
- 86%
- Physical replication
- 91%
- Are ETFs
- 86%
- Domicile
- Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, Jersey
Other provider comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Is iShares or Xtrackers cheaper?+
iShares offers the cheapest fund in 5 of the 11 categories both cover, against 4 for Xtrackers. 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 Xtrackers biggest?+
In a specific thematic sector: iShares Automation & Robotics charges 0.40% against 0.25% for Xtrackers MSCI World Information Technology. On €10,000 invested that is a €15.00 difference every year, in favour of Xtrackers.
Which one has the wider range?+
iShares, with 64 products against 22. Coverage is not identical either: iShares covers small-cap companies, high-dividend companies where Xtrackers 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. Xtrackers's are 86% accumulating and 91% physical, domiciled in Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, Jersey. 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.