ETF Comparison

IEFA vs IXUS: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Data updated August 19, 2026

Best for

IEFAInvestors who want higher current income (3.16% vs 2.55% for IXUS).
IXUSInvestors who want broad equity exposure.

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Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Total returns

IEFA has lagged IXUS over the trailing twelve months, posting a 20.96% total return against 25.24%. The picture flips over 10 years, though — IEFA has compounded at 9.44% a year, ahead of IXUS at 9.41%. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
Symbol	YTD	1Y	3Y	5Y	10Y	Since Oct 2012	Volatility	Sharpe	Sortino	Max drawdown
IEFA	13.01%	20.96%	19.25%	9.27%	9.44%	8.52%	15.3%	0.86	1.27	-13.8%
IXUS	14.65%	25.24%	20.65%	9.46%	9.41%	7.96%	15.5%	0.93	1.35	-13.7%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date, split-adjusted, as of August 19, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative; longer windows are annualized. “Since Oct 2012” measures every fund from October 22, 2012 — the youngest fund's first trading day — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
Metric	IEFA	IXUS
Full name	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF
Issuer	iShares	iShares
Last Close	$99.88 as of August 19, 2026	$96.53 as of August 19, 2026
Distribution yield	3.16%	2.55%
Distribution Safety Score™	81	98
Expense ratio	0.07%	0.07%
AUM	$196B	$60.9B
Distribution frequency	Semi-Annual	Semi-Annual
Underlying index	MSCI EAFE IMI Index	MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI Index
Objective	Provide exposure to the fund's underlying index or strategy per issuer materials.	Provide exposure to the fund's underlying index or strategy per issuer materials.
Asset class	Equity	Equity
Inception date	10/18/2012	10/18/2012
Beta	0.89	0.93
Last dividend	$1.5780	$1.2330
Ex-dividend date	06/15/2026	06/15/2026

Bottom lineChoose IEFA if you want higher current income (3.16% vs 2.55% for IXUS). Choose IXUS if you want broad equity exposure.

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iShares

ETFs473

Total AUM$4710B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

iShares is one of the largest ETF providers globally, known for offering a broad, diversified lineup of exchange-traded funds across multiple asset classes and investment strategies. The company operates 215 funds spanning 15 distinct families, including popular offerings in dividend income, covered call strategies, bonds, equities, ESG-focused investments, and factor-based approaches, with widely-held tickers like AGG (bond), ACWI (global equity), and AOA (allocation). iShares is characterized by its comprehensive fund ecosystem that serves both core portfolio holdings and specialized investment strategies, making it a prominent player for investors seeking both traditional and alternative income-generating ETF solutions.

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Quick verdict

IEFA (iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF) and IXUS (iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF) are both semi-annual-pay dividend ETFs, but they take different approaches.

IEFA offers the higher yield at 3.16% vs 2.55% for IXUS. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.

They track different benchmarks: IEFA is linked to MSCI EAFE IMI Index while IXUS tracks MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI Index, which means their performance drivers differ.

IEFA is the larger fund by assets ($196B), which generally means tighter spreads and better liquidity.

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Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, IEFA would generate roughly $26.33/month, while IXUS would produce $21.25/month, at current distribution rates. Both pay semi-annual distributions.

IEFA yield3.16%

IXUS yield2.55%

Monthly diff on $10K$5.08

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, IEFA would cost approximately $70 in fees vs $70 for IXUS (simplified, not compounded). Both charge the same expense ratio.

IEFA ER0.07%

IXUS ER0.07%

Strategy & risk

IEFA tracks MSCI EAFE IMI Index with an index approach, while IXUS tracks MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI Index with an index approach. Beta is 0.89 for IEFA and 0.93 for IXUS — effectively similar market sensitivity.

IEFA beta0.89

IXUS beta0.93

Fund details

IEFA is managed by iShares (launched 10/18/2012) with $196B in assets. IXUS is managed by iShares (launched 10/18/2012) with $60.9B in assets.

IEFA AUM$196B

IXUS AUM$60.9B

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Frequently asked questions

What is the current distribution yield for IEFA and IXUS?

IEFA currently distributes 3.16% and IXUS 2.55%, based on fund data updated August 2026. Distribution yield moves with both the payout and the share price, so check the as-of date before relying on either figure.

Is IEFA or IXUS better for dividend income?

It depends on your goals. IEFA currently offers the higher distribution yield, which means more income per dollar invested. However, a lower-yield fund may offer better total return or lower volatility. Consider your time horizon and risk tolerance.

What is the difference between IEFA and IXUS?

IEFA (iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF) tracks MSCI EAFE IMI Index with an index approach, while IXUS (iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF) tracks MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI Index with an index approach. They are issued by iShares and iShares respectively.

Can I hold both IEFA and IXUS?

Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.

Is IEFA or IXUS safer?

By Dividend Vision's Distribution Safety Score — a rules-based 0–100 estimate of how resilient a distribution looks, where higher is safer — IXUS scores 98, IEFA scores 81, so IXUS's payout currently looks the more resilient of the two. No score makes an investment risk-free — treat this as a screening signal, not a guarantee.

Which has lower fees, IEFA or IXUS?

IEFA and IXUS both charge the same expense ratio of 0.07%, so neither is cheaper on fees — pick based on yield, strategy, or underlying index instead.

How much income does $10,000 in IEFA vs IXUS generate?

At current rates, $10,000 in IEFA would generate roughly $26.33 per month ($316.00 annually). The same in IXUS would produce about $21.25 per month ($255.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, IEFA or IXUS?

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IEFA vs IXUS — at a glance

Generated August 15, 2026.

Overview

IEFA and IXUS are both iShares core international equity ETFs with identical expense ratios and inception dates, but they track different universes. IEFA follows the MSCI EAFE IMI Index, which covers developed markets in Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. IXUS follows the MSCI ACWI ex USA IMI Index, which adds emerging markets to that developed-market base. The key distinction is geographic scope: IEFA excludes emerging markets entirely, while IXUS includes them alongside developed international exposure.

How they differ

IXUS's broader mandate—adding emerging markets—is the fundamental difference. IEFA's $194B in AUM versus IXUS's $59.9B reflects the larger investor appetite for developed-market-only international exposure. Both charge 0.07% in expenses and pay distributions semi-annually, so fees are a wash. IEFA yields 3.12% versus IXUS at 2.52%, a meaningful gap likely reflecting the higher dividend payout ratios in developed markets relative to the emerging-market weighting in IXUS. IEFA's beta of 0.89 is slightly lower than IXUS's 0.93, suggesting modestly lower volatility relative to the broader market, though both move less than the overall equity market.

Who each is best for

IEFA: Fits investors seeking pure developed-market international diversification who want to avoid emerging-market currency and political risk, or those who already hold emerging-market exposure elsewhere and prefer not to overlap.

IXUS: Designed for investors who view emerging markets as a core part of global diversification and want a single holding covering all non-US markets, including both developed and frontier economies.

Key risks to know

Emerging-market omission in IEFA: Concentration in developed-market economies means exposure to slower growth trends and aging demographics in Japan, Germany, and other mature economies. IXUS captures upside from faster-growing Asian and Latin American markets, but investors in IEFA forego that potential entirely.

Emerging-market currency and political volatility in IXUS: The emerging-market component introduces foreign exchange headwinds and sovereign-risk exposure absent from IEFA. Currency fluctuations can amplify or dampen returns unpredictably.

Geographic and sector overlap: Both funds may concentrate in similar developed-market sectors (financials, industrials, consumer) and regions (Europe, UK, Japan). Holdings overlap is likely substantial, so the funds are more similar in practice than their index definitions suggest.

Interest-rate sensitivity: Both track equity indexes and carry similar duration risk to broad market interest-rate moves, though the higher dividend yield in IEFA may cushion bond-market strength somewhat.

Bottom line

If you want the simplicity of developed markets only and prioritize yield, IEFA's higher distribution rate and lower complexity stand out. If you're building a global portfolio and want emerging-market participation in a single core holding, IXUS's broader reach fits that goal—though at a lower current yield. Both offer rock-bottom costs and liquidity; the choice hinges on whether emerging markets belong in your strategy elsewhere or should live here.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

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