Vanguard 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. Vanguard has 22 products in this catalog and Xtrackers has 22, overlapping in 7 categories. Xtrackers offers the cheapest fund in 3 of those 7 categories.
Vanguard
- Products
- 22
- Lowest TER
- 0.07%
- Average TER
- 0.16%
- Categories
- 9
Xtrackers
- Products
- 22
- Lowest TER
- 0.07%
- Average TER
- 0.21%
- Categories
- 11
Which one is cheaper, and where
Xtrackers offers the cheapest fund in 3 of the 7 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 | Vanguard | Xtrackers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable | Vanguard ESG Global All CapFTSE Global All Cap Choice0.24% | Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets ESGMSCI Emerging Markets ESG0.18% | €6/year per €10,000 |
| Emerging | Vanguard FTSE Emerging MarketsFTSE Emerging0.22% | Xtrackers MSCI Emerging MarketsMSCI Emerging Markets0.18% | €4/year per €10,000 |
| Global | Vanguard FTSE Developed WorldFTSE Developed0.12% | Xtrackers FTSE All-WorldFTSE All-World0.15% | €3/year per €10,000 |
| Japan | Vanguard FTSE JapanFTSE Japan0.15% | Xtrackers MSCI JapanMSCI Japan0.12% | €3/year per €10,000 |
| USA | Vanguard S&P 500S&P 5000.07% | Xtrackers S&P 500S&P 5000.07% | Same cost |
| Europe | Vanguard FTSE 100FTSE 1000.09% | Xtrackers DAXDAX 400.09% | Same cost |
| Fixed income | Vanguard Global Aggregate Bond EUR-HBloomberg Global Aggregate Float Adjusted0.10% | Xtrackers II EUR Overnight Rate Swap€STR (money market)0.10% | Same cost |
What each one covers
Only at Vanguard
Only at Xtrackers
Structural differences
Vanguard
- Accumulating
- 55%
- Physical replication
- 100%
- Are ETFs
- 68%
- Domicile
- Ireland
Xtrackers
- Accumulating
- 86%
- Physical replication
- 91%
- Are ETFs
- 86%
- Domicile
- Ireland, Luxembourg, Germany, Jersey
Other provider comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Is Vanguard or Xtrackers cheaper?+
Xtrackers offers the cheapest fund in 3 of the 7 categories both cover, against 1 for Vanguard. 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 Vanguard and Xtrackers biggest?+
In sustainable (ESG) criteria: Vanguard ESG Global All Cap charges 0.24% against 0.18% for Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets ESG. On €10,000 invested that is a €6.00 difference every year, in favour of Xtrackers.
Which one has the wider range?+
Xtrackers, with 22 products against 22. Coverage is not identical either: Vanguard covers high-dividend companies, small-cap companies where Xtrackers does not; Xtrackers covers gold, the technology sector, a specific thematic sector, listed real estate where Vanguard does not.
Are there structural differences beyond fees?+
Yes. Vanguard's products in this catalog are 55% accumulating and 100% physically replicated, domiciled in Ireland. 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.