VWO vs EEM: which was the better investment?
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF against iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from Mar 10, 2005 to Aug 28, 2026.
Set up your comparison
What are you comparing?
Pick one investment — or add several to build a portfolio.
Compare against
The benchmark your investment has to beat.
Time & money
When the money goes in, and how much.
Leave empty for earliest
Leave empty for today
0 for a one-time investment
Daily total-return data — dividends reinvested. Monthly additions buy on the first trading day.
Track your entire portfolio in one free Google Sheet
Enter your trades once and values update automatically. We'll send it straight to your inbox.
Related comparisons
Browse all match-ups on the comparison hub, build your own in the Compare Investments tool, or check a single asset's exact-date returns with the Investment Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Did VWO beat EEM?
It was effectively a tie over the full overlap period (Mar 10, 2005 to Aug 28, 2026): $10,000 grew to $42,475 in VWO and $42,699 in EEM, a difference of under 2%.
What would $10,000 in VWO be worth today?
$10,000 invested in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) on Mar 10, 2005 would be worth about $42,475 as of Aug 28, 2026, a total return of 324.8% (7.0% per year). The same $10,000 in EEM would be worth $42,699.
Which was riskier — VWO or EEM?
VWO swung with an annualized volatility of 26.1% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -67.7%; EEM ran at 27.7% volatility with a -66.4% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.19 for VWO vs 0.18 for EEM.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering Mar 10, 2005 through Aug 28, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with VWO vs EEM. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.