BND vs VTBNX
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF vs Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund Institutional Shares
Which is better, BND or VTBNX?
Intermediate Term Bond against Long Term High Quality.
VTBNX has a lower expense ratio. The two have moved almost in lockstep, correlation 0.99.
MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | BND | VTBNX |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.03% | 0.02%Best |
| AUM | $163.3B | $207.3B |
| Dividend Yield | 4.04% | 4.16% |
| Holdings | 16,300 | 15,871 |
| YTD Price Return | -5.54% | -5.41% |
| 1Y Price Return | -5.99% | -5.80% |
| 3Y Price Return (annualized) | +0.67% | +0.37% |
| 5Y Price Return (annualized) | -3.95% | -3.97% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 6.4%Tie | 6.4%Tie |
| Max Drawdown | -20.8%Tie | -20.8%Tie |
| Fund Family | Vanguard (US) | Vanguard (US) |
| Category | Fixed Income | Fixed Income |
| Style | Intermediate Term Bond | Long Term High Quality |
| Inception | Apr 3, 2007 | Feb 17, 2009 |
Not shown on this pair: $10,000 over 5 years, Top 10 Weight.
A price return is not the return of a fund that pays its income out. The coupon or distribution never appears in the price, so the return rows carry no winner here. BND currently yields 4.04% and VTBNX 4.16%.
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Oct 4, 2021 to Oct 1, 2026 (5 years).
BND vs VTBNX Performance
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) is an ETF from Vanguard (US) and Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund Institutional Shares (VTBNX) is a mutual fund from Vanguard (US). Over the past year BND's price moved -5.99% and VTBNX's -5.80%, before the income each one paid out.
Over three years, BND compounded at +0.67% per year against +0.37% for VTBNX; over five years the annualized figures are -3.95% and -3.97% respectively.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
BND and VTBNX have been equally volatile, both at 6.4% annualized.
The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -20.8% for BND and -20.8% for VTBNX. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.99. They move almost in lockstep, so holding both mostly duplicates the same exposure.
Fees and Cost Over Time
BND charges 0.03% per year while VTBNX charges 0.02%. On a $10,000 position that is $3 vs $2 annually, a gap of $1 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, BND currently yields 4.04% against 4.16% for VTBNX.
Structure and taxes
VTBNX is a mutual fund and BND is an ETF. A mutual fund prices once a day at net asset value and may carry a purchase minimum. An ETF trades through the day at whatever the market pays for it.
In a taxable account the difference that usually matters is distributions. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely has to sell holdings and rarely passes a capital gain to the people who held it; a mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can distribute a realised gain at year end to everyone still in the fund, whether or not they sold anything themselves. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. Both are descriptions of how the two wrappers work, not a recommendation.
Tax-loss harvesting works on either wrapper.
Holdings Overlap
We hold position weights for 12,775 holdings in BND and 12,623 in VTBNX, totalling 65.9% and 61.9% of the two funds. Neither is a share of a fund we can divide by, so no overlap percentage is shown here. Within what we can see, 10,511 positions appear in both.
The two holdings books were reported 62 days apart, BND as of Aug 31, 2026 and VTBNX as of Jun 30, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.
10,511 positions in common, counted across the 12,775 positions we hold weights for in BND and 12,623 in VTBNX, against full books of 16,300 and 15,871.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in BND | Weight in VTBNX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| T 3.5 01/31/28Us Treasury N/B 3.375 01/31/2028 | 0.47% | 0.38% | 0.09% |
| T 4.625 02/15/35Us T-Note 4.625% 02/15/35 | 0.41% | 0.36% | 0.05% |
| T 4.375 05/15/34United States Treasury Note/Bondus Treasury N/B | 0.41% | 0.35% | 0.06% |
| T 4.25 11/15/34Us Treas Nts 4.25% 11/15/34 | 0.41% | 0.35% | 0.06% |
| T 4.25 08/15/35United States Treasury Note/Bond 4.25% 08/15/2035 | 0.38% | 0.37% | 0.01% |
| T 3.875 08/15/34Us Treas Nts 3.875% 08/15/34 | 0.41% | 0.33% | 0.08% |
| T 4 02/15/34United States Treasury 4.00% 15-Feb-2034 | 0.40% | 0.33% | 0.07% |
| T 4.25 05/15/35Us Treas Nts 4.25% 05/15/35 | 0.36% | 0.37% | 0.01% |
| T 4.5 11/15/33United States Treasury Note/Bond 4.50% 11/15/2033 | 0.38% | 0.34% | 0.04% |
| T 4 02/28/30Us Treasury 4.0% | 0.35% | 0.33% | 0.02% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of BND and VTBNX you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, BND or VTBNX?
BND has an expense ratio of 0.03% while VTBNX charges 0.02%. VTBNX is the cheaper option, by $1 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which is riskier, BND or VTBNX?
BND and VTBNX have been equally volatile, both at 6.4% annualized. Worst drawdown: BND -20.8% vs VTBNX -20.8%.
Should I hold both BND and VTBNX?
BND and VTBNX have a monthly-return correlation of 0.99, so they move almost identically. What is left to separate them is the fee and the index each one tracks. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which pays a higher dividend, BND or VTBNX?
BND yields 4.04% while VTBNX yields 4.16%, so VTBNX currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is it better to hold VTBNX or BND in a taxable account?
BND is an ETF and VTBNX is a mutual fund. An ETF can meet redemptions in kind, so it rarely distributes a capital gain to the people holding it. A mutual fund that sells holdings to meet redemptions can pass a realised gain to every holder at year end. In a tax-deferred account that difference largely disappears. This is information, not a recommendation.
Is VTBNX better than BND?
VTBNX has a lower expense ratio. The two have moved almost in lockstep, correlation 0.99. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.