Top 10 Vanguard ETFs in Australia to watch in 2026

Vanguard's ETFs are index funds, each designed to track a specific market benchmark rather than relying on a manager to select individual securities. The ten funds in this list cover different asset classes – Australian equities, international shares, bonds and listed property – with management fees running from 0.03% for Vanguard Morningstar US Total Market Shs Idx ETF ($VTS) to 0.27% for Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF ($VDHG).

How we built this list: We selected these funds based on their industry or investment category. Prices are updated daily, and the list and supporting content are reviewed roughly every quarter. All data is sourced from Stake. This list isn't a recommendation and isn't ordered by suitability.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Source: Stake market data. Figures in A$. Data updated as of 10 August 2026.

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1. Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF ($VAS)

Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (VAS) share price over the last year: started at A$109.52, ended at A$114.38, a change of +4.4%. Range over the period: high A$114.74, low A$104.44. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $114.38 · Daily: -0.3% · AUM: $25.43B · MER: 0.07%

The S&P/ASX 300 Index covers 300 of Australia's listed companies, and Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF ($VAS) is designed to track its return before fees, expenses, and tax. The fund aims to hold most of the securities in that index, with individual weightings allowed to vary slightly from the benchmark. It may also hold securities recently removed from the index or expected to join it – a practical consideration as the index is rebalanced over time.

Because the approach is passive, the fund's composition follows the index rather than active manager decisions. That means the sector and company mix shifts as the index itself changes, rather than reflecting any single manager's view of the market.

2. Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF ($VGS)

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (VGS) share price over the last year: started at A$146.17, ended at A$163.59, a change of +11.9%. Range over the period: high A$163.68, low A$139.46. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $163.59 · Daily: 0.3% · AUM: $16.88B · MER: 0.18%

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF ($VGS) aims to track the MSCI World ex-Australia Index, which covers large and mid-cap companies across developed markets outside Australia. The index reaches across multiple sectors, so the portfolio isn't concentrated in any single industry. $VGS holds or is exposed to most of the securities in the index, though individual weightings can shift slightly from those of the benchmark from time to time.

Returns are measured in Australian dollars before fees, expenses and tax are accounted for. The fund reinvests net dividends rather than distributing them in cash, so income stays inside the fund rather than flowing out to investors. For anyone looking at how $VGS sits alongside the other funds in this article, its index mandate and developed-market focus are the defining structural features.

3. Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF ($VHY)

Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF (VHY) share price over the last year: started at A$76.36, ended at A$86.54, a change of +13.3%. Range over the period: high A$87.31, low A$76.01. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $86.54 · Daily: -0.8% · AUM: $7.67B · MER: 0.25%

Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield ETF ($VHY) aims to track the FTSE Australia High Dividend Yield Index, which is made up of ASX-listed companies forecast to pay higher dividends than their peers. The index draws its constituents from the FTSE Australia 200 – a broad market-cap-weighted index of ordinary and preferred shares – but filters for above-average dividend yield. A-REITs are excluded entirely, so the portfolio tilts toward dividend-paying industrials and financials rather than listed property.

The fund holds companies selected for forecast dividend income rather than market size alone, which shapes its sector mix differently to a broad market index. The MER is 0.25%.

4. Vanguard MSCI Index International Shs (Hedged) ETF ($VGAD)

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shs (Hedged) ETF (VGAD) share price over the last year: started at A$111.21, ended at A$133.18, a change of +19.8%. Range over the period: high A$133.18, low A$110.98. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $133.18 · Daily: 0.8% · AUM: $7.35B · MER: 0.22%

Vanguard MSCI Index International Shs (Hedged) ETF ($VGAD) aims to track the MSCI World ex-Australia Index, with net dividends reinvested. The fund is currency-hedged into Australian dollars. It's designed to build that exposure through the Vanguard International Shares Index Fund, combined with foreign exchange forwards and other derivatives. Where needed, $VGAD may also hold the index's underlying securities directly, with individual weightings able to vary from the benchmark over time.

5. Vanguard Global Aggregate Bond Index (Hedged) ETF ($VBND)

Vanguard Global Aggregate Bond Index (Hedged) ETF (VBND) share price over the last year: started at A$42.28, ended at A$39.33, a change of −7.0%. Range over the period: high A$43.05, low A$39.05. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $39.33 · Daily: 0.2% · AUM: $4.42B · MER: 0.20%

Vanguard Global Aggregate Bond Index (Hedged) ETF ($VBND) holds investment grade bonds from issuers across the globe – government, government-related, corporate and securitised fixed rate bonds. The fund aims to track the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Float-Adjusted and Scaled Index, with returns hedged into Australian dollars. Holdings are sized by market value, so larger bond issuances carry more weight in the index. The index is rules-based, meaning selection and weighting follow a defined methodology rather than manager discretion.

6. Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF ($VDHG)

Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF (VDHG) share price over the last year: started at A$71.80, ended at A$78.03, a change of +8.7%. Range over the period: high A$78.03, low A$70.06. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $78.03 · Daily: 0.1% · AUM: $3.99B · MER: 0.27%

A fund-of-funds structure sits at the heart of Vanguard Diversified High Growth Index ETF ($VDHG). Rather than holding individual securities directly, $VDHG invests in a range of underlying Vanguard funds, each tracking its own index. The fund aims to track the weighted average return of those underlying indices, weighted according to a Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) – a target mix across asset classes set by Vanguard. The MER is 0.27%.

7. Vanguard Australian Fixed Interest Index ETF ($VAF)

Vanguard Australian Fixed Interest Index ETF (VAF) share price over the last year: started at A$46.49, ended at A$45.38, a change of −2.4%. Range over the period: high A$46.95, low A$44.85. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $45.38 · Daily: 0.09% · AUM: $3.70B · MER: 0.10%

Vanguard Australian Fixed Interest Index ETF ($VAF) aims to track the Bloomberg AusBond Composite 0+ Year Index, a benchmark that covers the Australian investment-grade bond market. The fund holds a mix of fixed and floating rate securities, constructed to keep the portfolio's risk profile consistent with that of the index.

Unlike the equity funds elsewhere in this list, $VAF focuses entirely on debt securities rather than company shares, giving the portfolio exposure to a different asset class altogether.

8. Vanguard Australian Property Securities Index ETF ($VAP)

Vanguard Australian Property Securities Index ETF (VAP) share price over the last year: started at A$102.80, ended at A$93.44, a change of −9.1%. Range over the period: high A$106.85, low A$83.01. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $93.44 · Daily: -0.9% · AUM: $3.07B · MER: 0.23%

Vanguard Australian Property Securities Index ETF ($VAP) aims to track the S&P/ASX 300 A-REIT Index, a sector sub-index of the broader S&P/ASX 300. The index covers Australian real estate investment trusts (A-REITs) and mortgage REITs listed within that benchmark.

A-REITs are companies that own and typically operate income-producing real estate – think shopping centres, office towers, logistics facilities and similar assets. Because $VAP holds these trusts rather than physical property, the portfolio's value moves with listed market prices, which can shift independently of underlying property valuations.

9. Vanguard Morningstar US Total Market Shs Idx ETF ($VTS)

Vanguard Morningstar US Total Market Shs Idx ETF (VTS) share price over the last year: started at A$480.69, ended at A$541.10, a change of +12.6%. Range over the period: high A$542.62, low A$456.29. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $541.10 · Daily: 0.3% · MER: 0.03%

Vanguard Morningstar US Total Market Shs Idx ETF ($VTS) aims to track the CRSP US Total Market Index, which is designed to represent approximately 100% of the investable U.S. share market. That means the fund covers large, mid, small and micro cap companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ – not just the household names at the top.

Rather than holding every single security in the index, $VTS uses a sampling approach. The underlying fund holds a broadly diversified collection of securities intended to approximate the full index across key characteristics. The MER sits at 0.03%.

10. Vanguard All-World ex-US Shares Index ETF ($VEU)

Vanguard All-World ex-US Shares Index ETF (VEU) share price over the last year: started at A$105.35, ended at A$120.46, a change of +14.3%. Range over the period: high A$121.50, low A$104.01. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: $120.46 · Daily: 0.1% · MER: 0.04%

Vanguard All-World ex-US Shares Index ETF ($VEU) is designed to track the FTSE All-World ex US Index, a float-adjusted, market-capitalisation-weighted index covering equity markets outside the United States. The index holds approximately 2,426 stocks across 46 countries, drawing from both developed and emerging markets.

The fund's construction is straightforward: weight each stock by its market capitalisation, exclude U.S.-listed companies, and aim to mirror what the index delivers. That approach keeps the MER at 0.04%, with no active stock selection involved.

Common questions

How can I invest in Vanguard ETFs in Australia?

Every fund in this list trades on the ASX under its own ticker, so you can buy them through any share trading platform with ASX access. Each ETF is priced and traded like an individual share – you search the ticker, enter the number of units, and place an order during market hours.

What are the key risks of Vanguard ETFs?

Equity ETFs carry market risk – the fund's value falls when the underlying shares do, and index funds hold whatever the index holds regardless of conditions. For funds with unhedged international exposure, movements between the Australian dollar and the currencies of the underlying holdings affect the fund's AUD-denominated return in both directions. Bond funds carry interest rate sensitivity: when rates rise, bond prices typically fall, which flows through to the fund's value. Because all these funds track an index, there's no active management to reduce exposure when specific sectors or markets decline.

What's the difference between a hedged and an unhedged international ETF?

An unhedged international fund converts its returns to AUD at the prevailing exchange rate, so movements between the Australian dollar and the currencies of the underlying holdings directly affect the fund's AUD return. A hedged fund uses financial instruments to reduce the impact of those currency movements on the fund's AUD return. On this list, $VGS is unhedged; $VGAD tracks the same MSCI World ex-Australia index but with currency exposure hedged into Australian dollars, at a slightly higher MER (0.22% versus 0.18%).

How do single-asset ETFs differ from a multi-asset fund like $VDHG?

Most ETFs in this list focus on one asset class – Australian shares, international shares, bonds, or property. $VDHG holds other Vanguard funds across multiple asset classes and geographies within a single fund structure. The asset mix is set by Vanguard's strategic allocation rather than by the individual investor, so the weighting between shares, bonds and Australian versus international exposure is fixed within the product itself.

Disclaimer

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. When you invest, your capital is at risk. You should consider your own investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making an investment decision. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may receive back less than your original investment. As always, do your own research and consider seeking appropriate financial advice before investing.

This is not personal financial advice nor a recommendation to invest in the securities listed. Any advice provided by Stake is of general nature only and does not take into account your specific circumstances. Trading and volume data from the Stake investing platform is for reference purposes only, the investment choices of others may not be appropriate for your needs and is not a reliable indicator of performance.

Please refer to hellostake.com/pricing for the fees that apply. When you trade securities priced in another currency, currency conversion fees may apply and movements in the exchange rate may affect your returns.

Stake Desk

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This article combines AI and human review from our analysts to bring you accurate, informative investing content at speed. For questions or suggestions, contact stakedesk@stake.com.au.