βš”οΈ Head to head

QUAL vs VLUE: Which ETF Is Better?

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

VLUE comes out ahead on 5 of 9 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 feeToo close to call
QUAL
0.40%
VLUE
0.40%
🏦Bigger fundQUAL wins
QUAL
$9.2bn
VLUE
$643m

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

πŸ“ˆ1-year returnVLUE wins
QUAL
+10.1%
VLUE
+46.8%
πŸ“Š3-year returnVLUE wins
QUAL
+16.1% a yr
VLUE
+25.5% a yr
🏁5-year returnVLUE wins
QUAL
+11.4% a yr
VLUE
+16.5% a yr
βš–οΈCheaper to tradeQUAL wins
QUAL
0.04%
VLUE
0.08%

A tighter gap between the buy and sell price.

QUAL vs VLUE side by side

QUAL leads on 4, VLUE on 5QUALVanEck MSCI International Quality ETFVLUEVanEck MSCI International Value ETF
The basics
Index trackedMSCI World ex Australia Quality IndexMSCI World ex Australia Enhanced Value Top 250 Select Index
Fund managerVanEckVanEck
Asset classInternational sharesInternational shares
ListedOct 2014Mar 2021
Cost and size
MERyearly fee, lower is better0.40%0.40%
AUMfund size$9.2bnβœ“$643m
Net flows (Sep)new money in, last month$195mβœ“$39m
Bid/ask spreadtrading cost, lower is better0.04%βœ“0.08%
Total returns
1 month+2.9%βœ“+0.5%
1 year+10.1%+46.8%βœ“
3 years p.a.+16.1%+25.5%βœ“
5 years p.a.+11.4%+16.5%βœ“
$10,000 invested
1 year ago$11,006$14,682βœ“
5 years ago$17,148$21,479βœ“

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

QUAL vs VLUE 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 $21,479 in VLUE. That is $4,331 more in VLUE.

QUALVLUE$10,000 invested
$0k$8k$15k$22k$30k$11.0k$14.7k1 year agoVLUE +$3,676$15.7k$19.7k3 years agoVLUE +$4,092$17.1k$21.5k5 years agoVLUE +$4,331

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 and VLUE charge the same fee, so fees make no difference between them.

QUAL charges 0.40% a yearVLUE charges 0.40% a year
🧾 Fees paid on $100,000Saving
5 years
QUAL
βˆ’$2,602
VLUE
βˆ’$2,602
Same cost
10 years
QUAL
βˆ’$7,231
VLUE
βˆ’$7,231
Same cost
20 years
QUAL
βˆ’$27,927
VLUE
βˆ’$27,927
Same cost

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 VLUE overlap

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

21 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 VLUE
0.52%2.50%
0.45%1.73%
0.45%1.68%
0.40%0.69%
0.37%0.53%
0.24%0.50%
0.13%0.20%
0.11%0.13%
0.11%0.46%
0.10%0.26%
0.09%0.31%
0.09%0.78%

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.

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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 VLUE?

It depends on what you need. On our numbers QUAL wins on 4 measures and VLUE on 5. QUAL is the larger fund at $9.2bn vs $643m. VLUE has the better 1-year return: +46.8% vs +10.1%. VLUE has the better 3-year return: +25.5% a year vs +16.1%.

Which is cheaper, QUAL or VLUE?

QUAL charges 0.40% a year and VLUE charges 0.40% a year.

Can I hold both QUAL and VLUE?

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

More comparisons

VGS vs QUALQUAL vs MOATQUAL vs QHALQUAL vs QSMLQUAL vs QHSMQUAL vs VESGQUAL vs IJPQUAL vs QLTYQUAL vs IVEQUAL vs L1IFQUAL vs QMIXQUAL vs WCMQQUAL vs MSTRVVLU vs VLUEDGVA vs VLUEVLUE vs HVLU

Add more ETFs to this comparison β†’

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