ETF comparisons › All-in-one
⚖️ ETF COMPARISON

VDHG vs VDGR: which is better for you?

VDHG (Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF) and VDGR (Vanguard Diversified Growth Index ETF) compared: exact overlap, fees, returns, money flowing in, trend, and which suits who.

· Updated 4 November 2026
THE SHORT ANSWER

VDHG and VDGR overlap by about 76%: owning both mostly doubles up. They charge the same fee (0.27% a year). VDHG is the bigger fund ($4.1b vs $1.6b). The same Vanguard building blocks in different mixes: VDHG is about 90% shares, VDGR about 70% shares and 30% bonds.

📅 As at 30 September 2026: fees, size, flows and returns from the TMX Australia funds report; overlap from published holdings as at 30 September 2026.

VDHG

Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF

VDHG is an all-in-one ETF that holds about 90% shares (Australian and global) and 10% bonds, rebalanced for you.

VDGR

Vanguard Diversified Growth Index ETF

VDGR is an all-in-one ETF that holds about 70% shares and 30% bonds, rebalanced for you.

VDHG vs VDGR side by side

Green marks the cheaper, bigger or better-performing fund on each line. Past returns are not a reliable guide to the future.

VDHGVDGR
IssuerVanguardVanguard
IndexA mix of Vanguard index funds (about 90% shares, 10% bonds)A mix of Vanguard index funds (about 70% shares, 30% bonds)
Fee (a year)0.27%0.27%
Size$4.1b$1.6b
Net money in, September+$59m+$33m
1-year return+7.5%+5.6%
5-year return+45%+33%
Listed20172017
DistributionsQuarterlyQuarterly
Top 10 holdings39% of fund56% of fund
Trend nowBaseBase

How much do VDHG and VDGR overlap?

About 76% of their holdings are the same, by weight: high overlap, so owning both mostly doubles up.

The biggest companies they both own

CompanyVDHGVDGR
BHP Group LtdMaterials5.2%3.8%
Commonwealth Bank of AustraliaFinancials4.3%3.1%
NVIDIA CorpInformation Technology3.3%2.4%
Apple IncInformation Technology3.0%2.2%
Microsoft CorpInformation Technology2.2%1.6%
Alphabet (Google)Communication Services2.2%1.6%
National Australia Bank LtdFinancials2.1%1.5%
Westpac Banking CorpFinancials2.0%1.5%
ANZ Group Holdings LtdFinancials2.0%1.4%
Amazon.com IncConsumer Discretionary1.5%1.1%

Only in VDHG

  1. No holdings above 0.5%: the differences are all small positions.

Only in VDGR

  1. No holdings above 0.5%: the differences are all small positions.

Sectors and countries

VDHGVDGR

Sectors

Bonds & cash
13%
37%
Financials
21%
15%
Information Technology
19%
14%
Materials
12%
9%
Health Care
7%
5%
Consumer Discretionary
7%
5%
Industrials
6%
4%
Communication Services
6%
4%

Countries

Australia
43%
31%
United States
35%
26%
Bonds
13%
37%
Japan
2%
1%
Taiwan
1%
1%
United Kingdom
1%
1%
Canada
1%
1%

Trend: base, uptrend or downtrend?

Past year of prices, shaded by trend stage. The dashed line is the 200-day exponential average. As at 4 November 2026. How base and trend works.

VDHG BaseBase since September 2026Oct 25Now
VDGR BaseBase since September 2026Oct 25Now

VDHG or VDGR: which suits who?

Choose VDHG if…You have a long time horizon and can ride out bigger falls.
Choose VDGR if…You want smaller swings, for example if you are closer to retirement.
Should you own both?Usually there’s little point. With 76% overlap, owning both mostly doubles up on the same companies. Pick one.

Where either fits depends on the rest of your portfolio: whether it’s your core or a satellite. See core and satellite investing and our full profiles of VDHG and VDGR.

Check VDHG and VDGR against your own ETFs
See the exact overlap with everything you hold, plus the trend of each ETF, in our free calculator.
Open the overlap calculator →

More comparisons

VDHG vs VDGR FAQs

Is VDHG or VDGR better?

Neither is better for everyone. The same Vanguard building blocks in different mixes: VDHG is about 90% shares, VDGR about 70% shares and 30% bonds. Choose VDHG if you have a long time horizon and can ride out bigger falls. Choose VDGR if you want smaller swings, for example if you are closer to retirement.

What is the difference between VDHG and VDGR?

VDHG and VDGR overlap by about 76%: owning both mostly doubles up. They charge the same fee (0.27% a year). VDHG is the bigger fund ($4.1b vs $1.6b). The same Vanguard building blocks in different mixes: VDHG is about 90% shares, VDGR about 70% shares and 30% bonds.

Should I own both VDHG and VDGR?

Usually there’s little point. With 76% overlap, owning both mostly doubles up on the same companies. Pick one.

Which is cheaper, VDHG or VDGR?

They charge the same fee (0.27% a year). Fees are taken from the fund’s returns, not charged separately.

Fees, size, flows and returns: TMX Australia Funds Report to 30 September 2026; returns are total returns and the 5-year figure is cumulative. Overlap, sectors and countries are based on each fund’s published holdings, scaled to the part of each fund we can see. Trend stages are a technical indicator based on 10, 20, 50 and 200-day exponential moving averages; they describe the past, not the future. General information only, not a recommendation to buy or sell VDHG or VDGR. Consider the PDS and TMD, and your own circumstances, before investing.

Knowing what to buy is one half. Knowing when is the other.

Get our weekly ETF research, model portfolios, Market Health-O-Meter and live Q&A free for 30 days.

Start my free 30-day trial →