As of 2025, Vanguard’s exchange-traded fund (ETF) lineup has grown to a robust 88 offerings, making it one of the largest ETF providers by assets under management.
Most still adhere to Vanguard’s index-tracking roots — 78 out of the 88 ETFs follow benchmark indexes, with expense ratios as low as 0.03%. Even within this category, there’s remarkable variety.
Investors can choose from broad-market U.S. ETFs, international ETFs, sector-specific ETFs and specialized options targeting high-yield or dividend-growth stocks, value stocks, small- and mid-cap stocks, and a range of bonds.
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In recent years, however, Vanguard has steadily expanded its presence in active management. These ETFs don’t aim to track an index but instead rely on the expertise and proprietary strategies of portfolio managers to potentially outperform their benchmarks.
Vanguard’s active lineup has long included factor ETFs — those focusing on specific investment strategies like quality, momentum or minimum volatility. More recently, this has expanded to include a growing array of actively managed bond ETFs.
Yet, in true Vanguard fashion, expense ratios for these actively managed funds remain refreshingly low, starting at just 0.1% — a rarity in the world of active management.
“Overall, Vanguard is highly regarded among professional investors and financial experts, primarily due to its extensive array of offerings,” says Sean August, CEO of the August Wealth Management Group. “The company is renowned for cost-effectiveness, flexibility, transparency and a client-centric approach.”
Here are 10 of the best Vanguard ETFs to buy today:
ETF | Expense ratio |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (ticker: VOO) | 0.03% |
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) | 0.03% |
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) | 0.08% |
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) | 0.07% |
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) | 0.03% |
Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX) | 0.07% |
Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW) | 0.05% |
Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF (VFMF) | 0.18% |
Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) | 0.13% |
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) | 0.09% |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)
“Benefits unique to ETFs include lower investment minimums, real-time pricing and tax efficiencies due to the creation process and the ability to defer capital gains,” says Lauren Wybar, senior wealth advisor at Vanguard. “ETFs offer diversification, low costs and the ability to trade shares during the trading day.”
Unlike its mutual fund counterpart, the Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX), VOO’s minimum required investment is the price of a single share. Currently, that sits at around $534 versus $3,000 for VFIAX. It is also slightly cheaper than VFIAX, with a 0.03% expense ratio, or $3 in annual fees for a $10,000 investment.
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI)
John Bogle, the late founder and chairman of Vanguard, famously advocated for “buying the haystack.” By owning the entire U.S. stock market, investors have the highest chance of capturing the small percentage of winning stocks that drive overall returns. The Vanguard ETF to use for this role is VTI.
VTI tracks the CRSP U.S. Total Market Index, a benchmark of over 3,600 small-, mid- and large-cap equities spanning all 11 stock market sectors. Because it is market-cap weighted, the overall composition and top holdings of this ETF are similar to VOO. VTI also charges a low 0.03% expense ratio.
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS)
The international counterpart to VTI is VXUS. This ETF tracks the FTSE Global All Cap ex U.S. Index, which spans over 8,500 equities listed outside of the U.S. market. It’s a simple and affordable way to gain exposure to international stocks without the hassle of currency conversion.
VXUS is designed to be a core portfolio holding. Unlike some international ETFs, it contains both developed and emerging-market countries. Thus, in addition to Japan, the UK, Canada and Switzerland, the ETF includes country such as China, India and Taiwan.
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT)
Vanguard’s most diversified equity ETF is arguably VT. This ETF tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index, which basically combines the main components of VTI and VXUS. The result is a portfolio of over 9,700 market-cap-weighted U.S., international developed and emerging-market equities.
The best use for VT is as the core equity allocation in an investment portfolio. By holding VT, investors can reap the returns of the global stock market, giving them a solid baseline for performance. All this comes at a 0.07% expense ratio.
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)
Vanguard’s ETF offerings don’t end at just equities. As noted earlier, the firm also has a robust fixed-income presence. Its flagship bond ETF is BND, which tracks the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index for a 0.03% expense ratio and commands $121.8 billion in assets.
“One hundred percent of Vanguard’s bond index funds are tracking within strict internal tolerances through risk-controlled optimization and disciplined trading strategies, and over 80% of funds earned back a portion of their expense ratio,” says Perryne Desai, senior manager for investment product strategy at Vanguard.
[SEE: 9 of the Best Bond ETFs to Buy Now.]
Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX)
BND’s bond exposure spans thousands of U.S.-domiciled Treasurys, mortgage-backed securities and investment-grade corporate bonds. However, it lacks international exposure. To complement BND, investors can buy BNDX, which is basically the bond equivalent of VXUS.
This ETF tracks the Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD Float Adjusted RIC Capped Index, which contains both government and corporate-issued bonds from developed and emerging-market countries, hedged against currency fluctuations. It charges a 0.07% expense ratio.
Vanguard Total World Bond ETF (BNDW)
BND is the bond equivalent to VTI, while BNDX serves the same role for VXUS. If you want a bond ETF to complement VT, consider BNDW. This ETF holds both BND and BNDX to replicate the Bloomberg Global Aggregate ex-USD Float Adjusted RIC Capped Index, giving it exposure to over 18,000 bonds.
“BNDW can serve as a single investment solution for clients seeking a globally diversified, low-cost bond portfolio, ensuring their investment strategy benefits from the ballast against equity risk,” Desai explains. The ETF charges a 0.05% expense ratio, including all underlying ETF fees from BND and BNDX.
Vanguard U.S. Multifactor ETF (VFMF)
Investors interested in potentially beating the market can use an actively managed Vanguard ETF like VFMF. This ETF uses a proprietary quantitative model to screen out volatile stocks before weighting the remainder based on momentum, quality and value. It currently has over 500 holdings.
The best use for VFMF is likely a satellite allocation. For example, an investor could use VT as the core of their equity allocation to gain exposure to the broader market cheaply. Then, adding VFMF could help outperform. VFMF is also affordable for an actively managed ETF, with a 0.18% expense ratio.
Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ)
Vanguard’s ETF lineup also spans a series of 11 sector-specific ETFs. These ETFs can help investors overweight sectors they believe will outperform. For example, if you’re bullish on the prospects for U.S. real estate, adding VNQ to your portfolio could be a good way to express that thesis.
This ETF tracks the MSCI U.S. Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index. It holds a portfolio of 150-plus real estate investment trusts (REITs) spanning residential, health care, hospitality, office, warehouse, storage and telecom subsectors. VNQ charges a 0.13% expense ratio.
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV)
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) conscious investors can find suitable ETF picks from Vanguard’s lineup, too. Consider ESGV, which tracks the FTSE U.S. All Cap Choice Index. This ETF screens out controversial companies involved in industries such as oil and gas, tobacco, alcohol and gambling.
But ESG experts suggest shopping around before buying an ETF like ESGV. “There’s nothing inherently wrong with ESGV if you’re happy with owning a less-bad, large-cap domestic fund,” says Peter Krull, partner and director of sustainable investing at Earth Equity Advisors. “But if you’re looking for a sustainable and responsible fund that includes companies working on solutions, you can do better.”
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10 of the Best Vanguard ETFs to Buy for 2025 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/14/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.