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DFAS vs VB

Dimensional US Small Cap ETF

DFASBNYSE Arca

Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF

VBANYSE Arca

Overlap

Expense ratio

VB −0.23pt a year

DFAS0.26%VB0.03%

Avg volume · 30D

VB 1.01×the volume

DFAS496KVB499K

5Y return · a year

DFAS +0.9pt

DFAS+7.3%VB+6.4%

DFAS vs VB Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+42.4%DFAS+36.2%VB

Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. DFAS +42.4%. VB +36.2%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−20%0%20%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026
Expense ratio
DFAS 0.26%
VB 0.03%, better
Fund size
DFAS $34.4B
VB $176B
1Y total return
DFAS +18.5%, better
VB +15.3%
Yield (12M)
DFAS 1.01%
VB 1.26%, better
Holdings
DFAS 2100
VB 1305
Avg volume (30D)
DFAS 496K sh
VB 499K sh, better
NAV per share
DFAS $79.57
VB $290.35
52W range

ETF.net Grade

DFAS: Cost 34, Risk 63, Mission 100, Tradability 69, Holdings 80, Durability 74. VB: Cost 91, Risk 63, Mission 86, Tradability 57, Holdings 59, Durability 91.
Pillar letters and Scores for DFAS, VB, with each pillar’s weight
PillarDFASVB
Cost30% weightD34A91Higher
Mission25% weightA100HigherA86
Risk15% weightB63B63
Tradability15% weightB69HigherB57
Holdings10% weightA80HigherB59
Durability5% weightA74A91Higher

Rank among US Small-Cap funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. DFAS and VB are both graded against the same 16 US Small-Cap funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

US Small-Cap⁠

Category · 16 funds
See all 16 ›

VB ranks 2nd and DFAS 7th of 16 funds in the US Small-Cap Category.

  1. Rank 1ASCHASchwab U.S. Small-Cap ETFScore 81
  2. Rank 2AVBVanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETFScore 77
  3. Rank 3ABKSEBNY Mellon US Small Cap Core Equity ETFScore 72
  4. Rank 6BIWMiShares Russell 2000 ETFScore 68
  5. Rank 7BDFASDimensional US Small Cap ETFScore 66
  6. Rank 8BRSSLGlobal X Russell 2000 ETFScore 65

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

DFASBDimensional US Small Cap ETF

VBAVanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF

In short

DFAS No data

VB Vanguard's small-cap workhorse: roughly 1,400 smaller US companies for three basis points. The CRSP index behind it shifts stocks between size bands in two half steps instead of one jump, which holds turnover down. Trading since 2004.

Stated mandate

DFAS No data

VB The fund seeks to track the CRSP US Small Cap Index, which measures the investment performance of small U.S. companies. It uses an indexing approach and generally replicates the index by holding its securities in approximately their index weights.

Why people hold it

DFAS No data

  • VB Three basis points a year, against a small-cap category median near 0.25%. Cost is the one edge in indexing you actually keep.
  • About 1,400 stocks held at roughly their index weights, so no single small-cap story carries the fund.vanguard.com
  • Its CRSP benchmark migrates a stock between size segments in two 50% packets instead of one move, a design built to cut turnover.crsp.com
  • Running since 2004, actively traded, and one of the strongest implementations in its 20-fund small-cap peer group.

Worth knowing

DFAS No data

  • VB Small companies move harder in both directions than large-cap benchmarks, and this is full, unhedged exposure to that.
  • Benchmarks disagree on where small cap starts. VB follows CRSP, while IWM and VTWO track the Russell 2000, so holdings and results can drift apart.
  • US companies only, and distributions land quarterly rather than monthly.

Full DFAS profile⁠

Full VB profile⁠

DFAS vs VB Holdings

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

DFAS vs VB Cost

Overpaying DFAS vs VB

$4,720

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • DFAS 0.26%

    $5,358

  • VB 0.03%

    $638

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • DFAS 0.26%
  • VB 0.03%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2K$4K$6K051015202530DFAS $5,358VB $638

Year by year

YearDFASVBOverpaying
10$473$55$418
20$1,838$216$1,622
30$5,358$638$4,720

Expense ratio

  • 0.26%DFAS
  • 0.03%VB, cheaper
  • Middle half of US Small-Cap funds
  • Median 0.20%

VB cheapest of 16 funds

DFAS 11th cheapest of 16 funds

DFAS vs VB Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
DFAS 1.01%
VB 1.26%, better
Payout (12M)
DFAS $0.81
VB $3.65
Last payment
DFAS $0.20
VB $0.85
Ex-dividend
DFAS Sep 22, 2026
VB Sep 28, 2026
Paid on
DFAS Sep 24, 2026
VB Sep 30, 2026
Frequency
DFAS Quarterly
VB Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

DFASQuarterly · 22 paymentsAll DFAS payments⁠
One bar per payment. 22 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Jun 22, 2021 $0.08; Sep 21, 2021 $0.13; Dec 16, 2021 $1.51; Mar 22, 2022 $0.08; Jun 22, 2022 $0.14; Sep 20, 2022 $0.13; Dec 20, 2022 $0.18; Mar 21, 2023 $0.10; Jun 21, 2023 $0.16; Sep 19, 2023 $0.16; Dec 19, 2023 $0.17; Mar 19, 2024 $0.10; Jun 18, 2024 $0.17; Sep 17, 2024 $0.16; Dec 17, 2024 $0.18; Mar 25, 2025 $0.13; Jun 24, 2025 $0.17; Sep 23, 2025 $0.19; Dec 16, 2025 $0.20; Mar 24, 2026 $0.17; Jun 23, 2026 $0.24; Sep 22, 2026 $0.20. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$12017202020232026YTD
VBQuarterly · 40 paymentsAll VB payments⁠
One bar per payment. 40 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Mar 24, 2017 $0.42; Jun 21, 2017 $0.26; Sep 20, 2017 $0.53; Dec 21, 2017 $0.78; Mar 22, 2018 $0.46; Jun 22, 2018 $0.38; Sep 28, 2018 $0.65; Dec 24, 2018 $0.72; Mar 28, 2019 $0.48; Jun 27, 2019 $0.48; Sep 16, 2019 $0.45; Dec 24, 2019 $0.89; Mar 10, 2020 $0.47; Jun 25, 2020 $0.32; Sep 25, 2020 $0.54; Dec 24, 2020 $0.89; Mar 25, 2021 $0.56; Jun 24, 2021 $0.56; Sep 24, 2021 $0.59; Dec 27, 2021 $1.09; Mar 23, 2022 $0.56; Jun 23, 2022 $0.59; Sep 23, 2022 $0.67; Dec 15, 2022 $0.09; Dec 22, 2022 $1.01; Mar 23, 2023 $0.75; Jun 23, 2023 $0.76; Sep 21, 2023 $0.74; Dec 21, 2023 $1.08; Mar 22, 2024 $0.68; Jun 28, 2024 $0.85; Sep 27, 2024 $0.70; Dec 23, 2024 $0.90; Mar 27, 2025 $0.92; Jun 30, 2025 $0.79; Sep 29, 2025 $0.81; Dec 22, 2025 $0.93; Mar 27, 2026 $0.98; Jun 26, 2026 $0.89; Sep 28, 2026 $0.85. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$12017202020232026YTD

DFAS vs VB Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

  • DFAS
  • VB
Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 30, 2026. Worst fall: VB −28.2% · Jun 2022. Use the arrow keys to read each point.−25%−20%−15%−10%−5%0%Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 2026

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
DFAS 17.1%VB 16.4%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
DFAS 0.81VB 0.89, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
DFAS −26.1%, betterVB −28.2%
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
DFAS 1.03VB 1.07

DFAS and VB in the news

All news⁠

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