βš”οΈ Head to head

QUAL vs IJP: Which ETF Is Better?

A side-by-side comparison of fees, size, returns and holdings, using data to 30 September 2026.

QUAL comes out ahead on 6 of 10 measures. Which matters most depends on you.

They are quite different funds. Only 4% of their portfolios overlap, so this is a choice between two different strategies, not just two providers.

The short answer

πŸ’ΈLower feeQUAL wins
QUAL
0.40%
IJP
0.50%

Worth about $6,677 on $100,000 over 20 years.

🏦Bigger fundQUAL wins
QUAL
$9.2bn
IJP
$1.6bn

Bigger funds usually trade more cheaply and are less likely to close.

πŸ“ˆ1-year returnIJP wins
QUAL
+10.1%
IJP
+19.3%
πŸ“Š3-year returnIJP wins
QUAL
+16.1% a yr
IJP
+17.0% a yr
🏁5-year returnQUAL wins
QUAL
+11.4% a yr
IJP
+9.2% a yr
βš–οΈCheaper to tradeQUAL wins
QUAL
0.04%
IJP
0.06%

A tighter gap between the buy and sell price.

QUAL vs IJP side by side

QUAL leads on 6, IJP on 4QUALVanEck MSCI International Quality ETFIJPiShares MSCI Japan ETF
The basics
Index trackedMSCI World ex Australia Quality IndexMSCI Japan Index
Fund managerVanEckiShares
Asset classInternational sharesInternational shares
ListedOct 2014Oct 2007
Cost and size
MERyearly fee, lower is better0.40%βœ“0.50%
AUMfund size$9.2bnβœ“$1.6bn
Net flows (Sep)new money in, last month$195mβœ“$0.0m
Bid/ask spreadtrading cost, lower is better0.04%βœ“0.06%
Total returns
1 month+2.9%+4.7%βœ“
1 year+10.1%+19.3%βœ“
3 years p.a.+16.1%+17.0%βœ“
5 years p.a.+11.4%βœ“+9.2%
$10,000 invested
1 year ago$11,006$11,930βœ“
5 years ago$17,148βœ“$15,504

βœ“ marks the better figure on each measure. Returns include distributions, to 30 September 2026.

QUAL vs IJP price chart

Both ETFs on one chart as % change. Use the 1D to All buttons to change the period. Price only, so it leaves out distributions Β· TradingView

πŸ“ˆ Growth

What $10,000 invested is worth now

$10,000 put into QUAL 5 years ago is worth $17,148 today, against $15,504 in IJP. That is $1,644 more in QUAL.

QUALIJP$10,000 invested
$0k$5k$10k$15k$20k$11.0k$11.9k1 year agoIJP +$924$15.7k$16.0k3 years agoIJP +$347$17.1k$15.5k5 years agoQUAL +$1,644

Total returns to 30 September 2026, with distributions reinvested, before tax and brokerage. The price chart above leaves out distributions, so it can look worse. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

πŸ’Έ Cost

What the fees cost you

QUAL's lower fee leaves about $6,677 more in your pocket over 20 years.

QUAL charges 0.40% a yearIJP charges 0.50% a year
🧾 Fees paid on $100,000Saving
5 years
QUAL
βˆ’$2,602
IJP
βˆ’$3,247
You keep$644more with QUAL
10 years
QUAL
βˆ’$7,231
IJP
βˆ’$9,001
You keep$1,770more with QUAL
20 years
QUAL
βˆ’$27,927
IJP
βˆ’$34,604
You keep$6,677more with QUAL

Total fees paid on a $100,000 investment, assuming a 7% a year return before fees. Illustration only: it ignores tax, brokerage and differences in returns.

QUAL and IJP overlap

4%portfolio overlap (low: they are quite different underneath)

30 companies appear in both funds. Overlap is the share of the portfolio that is the same in both, counting the smaller weight of each shared company.

Biggest shared holdings% of QUAL% of IJP
0.63%3.13%
0.53%3.13%
0.42%2.60%
0.29%1.91%
0.25%1.69%
0.24%1.80%
0.19%1.08%
0.15%1.11%
0.11%0.77%
0.11%0.73%
0.09%0.56%
0.09%0.53%

Add more ETFs and see the overlap in Compare ETFs β†’

Best-endeavours estimate. Built from each issuer's published holdings, which may be weeks or months old, may cover only part of a fund (some publish only their top 10) and are matched by company name. Figures may be incomplete or inaccurate. Check the issuer's website and PDS before relying on them. General information only.

Free PDF report

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  • Every holding of each ETF: the top 50 companies, with sectors and countries
  • Exactly which companies they share, and how much of each
  • Fees in dollars over 10, 20 and 30 years
  • Every metric side by side, including the index each tracks
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Joshua Stega
etfadviserExchange traded fund specialist adviser Β· 20 years’ experience
Keep in touch with the marketsWeekly ETF research, the Market Health-O-Meter and our model portfolio.Try it free for 30 days β†’

FAQs

Which is better, QUAL or IJP?

It depends on what you need. On our numbers QUAL wins on 6 measures and IJP on 4. QUAL is cheaper, with a management fee of 0.40% vs 0.50%. On $100,000 over 20 years that difference is worth about $6,677. QUAL is the larger fund at $9.2bn vs $1.6bn. IJP has the better 1-year return: +19.3% vs +10.1%.

Which is cheaper, QUAL or IJP?

QUAL charges 0.40% a year and IJP charges 0.50% a year.

Can I hold both QUAL and IJP?

You can, but check how much they overlap. QUAL is a international shares fund and IJP is a international shares fund.

More comparisons

VGS vs QUALQUAL vs MOATQUAL vs QHALQUAL vs QSMLQUAL vs QHSMQUAL vs VESGQUAL vs QLTYQUAL vs VLUEQUAL vs IVEQUAL vs L1IFQUAL vs QMIXQUAL vs WCMQQUAL vs MSTRVGS vs IJPVGAD vs IJP

Add more ETFs to this comparison β†’

General information only, not a recommendation. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.