VGLT vs VTIP ETF Comparison

Compare VGLT and VTIP across fund costs, diversification, holdings, performance, income, risk and current AlgovestIQ evidence.

Market data as of Sep 5, 2026 market close· Fund characteristics as of Sep 5, 2026
VGLT
Vanguard
vs
VTIP
Vanguard
VGLT
Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF
Issuer
Vanguard
Fund type
Government Bond
Index
-
Inception
2009-11-19
VTIP
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF
Issuer
Vanguard
Fund type
Government Bond
Index
-
Inception
2012-10-12

What is the main difference between VGLT and VTIP?

VGLT is Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF, while VTIP is Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF. VGLT is tied to Government Bond; VTIP is tied to Government Bond. VGLT is broader by holdings count, with 69 positions versus 21 for VTIP. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has VTIP ahead on AIQ Score, 56 versus 48.

Expense ratio
VGLT
0.03%
VTIP
0.03%
Lower annual fund cost
Holdings
VGLT
69
VTIP
21
Broader reported basketVGLT
Annualized volatility
VGLT
8.7%
VTIP
2.7%
Lower realized volatilityVTIP
MetricVGLTVTIPType
Expense ratio0.03%0.03%Fund
Assets under management$14.8B$71.2BFund
Holdings6921Fund
Average volume2,662,6832,381,032Fund
Underlying exposureGovernment BondGovernment BondFund
Annualized volatility8.7%2.7%Risk
Max drawdown-10.3%-2.7%Risk
Beta0.160.00Risk
Sharpe ratio-0.97-2.08Risk
Sortino ratio-1.54-1.77Risk
AIQ Score48/10056/100AlgovestIQ
AIQ Edge Score3/106/10AlgovestIQ
Momentum41/10057/100AlgovestIQ
Risk Resilience56/10072/100AlgovestIQ

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF vs Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF

Data as of Sep 5, 2026· market close· Fixed Income — Government· Coverage 50/66 fields· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 5/10

VTIP leads

VTIP leads by 8 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Risk Resilience.

Fragile: 3 of 4 evidence groups support VTIP, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 3 of 4Comparison trend: Stable
VGLT

Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF

AIQ Score
48/100
AIQ Edge Score
3/10
VTIP

Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF

Leads
AIQ Score
56/100
AIQ Edge Score
6/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors VTIP over VGLT, 56 versus 48 as of Sep 5, 2026. VTIP's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and risk resilience. VTIP also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VTIP today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. VTIP lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 8 points over 30 sessions.

Compare Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.

Compare VGLT and VTIP against another ticker

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AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

VGLT advantage
0
VTIP advantage
  • Momentum25%41 vs 57
    VTIP +16
  • Risk Resilience15%56 vs 72
    VTIP +16
  • Quality30%63 vs 68
    VTIP +5
  • Value30%36 vs 36
    Even

3 of 4 evidence groups favor VTIP. VTIP’s edge is concentrated in momentum and risk resilience.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-03, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-02.

VGLT+1 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +4

No new signals fired.

VTIP+4 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +18

No new signals fired.

VTIP's lead widened by 3 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — VGLT and VTIP both carry a full feed there.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

VTIP

VTIP on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value at 30% each.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

Even

The two are level on Value.

Momentum

VTIP

VTIP on the Momentum factor, by 16 points.

Lower downside

VTIP

VTIP on Risk Resilience, by 16 points.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

Fund facts, side by side

Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.

MeasureVGLTVTIPWhy it matters
Expense ratio0.03%0.03%Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold.
Assets under management$14.8B$71.2BLarger funds generally carry tighter spreads.
Holdings6921More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns.
Average volume2,662,6832,381,032Liquidity — matters most if you trade size.
Annualized volatility8.7%2.7%Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure.
Max drawdown-10.3%-2.7%The worst peak-to-trough loss on record for the fund.
Sharpe ratio-0.97-2.08Return per unit of risk. Higher is better.
Beta0.160.00Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio.

Where the exposure actually sits

Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.

Cash & Others100.0% vs
VGLTVTIP

Weighted holdings overlap is not available for this pair. Sector exposure above is a related but different measure — it says how much of each fund sits in the same parts of the market, not how much of the same securities they hold.

ETF comparison questions

Short answers to the fund-specific questions behind this comparison.

Which ETF is more diversified, VGLT or VTIP?

VGLT currently has more reported holdings, with 69 positions versus 21.

Which has the lower expense ratio?

The current fund profile does not show a lower-cost winner.

Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?

The current dataset does not show a higher-yield winner.

Which ETF has been more volatile?

VGLT has the higher annualized volatility in the current risk snapshot.

Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?

VTIP has the less severe max drawdown in the current risk snapshot.

Which ETF has the stronger current AlgovestIQ evidence?

VTIP currently leads on supporting AlgovestIQ evidence, 56 to 48.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

3 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VTIP. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreVTIP48 vs 56
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationEvenValue 36 vs 36
TechnicalsVTIPPrice vs 50-day -1.4% vs 0%; vs 200-day -4.4% vs -0.4%
Risk ResilienceVTIPRisk Resilience 56 vs 72
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of VGLT and VTIP and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is moderate at 8 points.
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on VTIP.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 22 Sep 3

VTIP lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 8 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 22VGLT leads above the line · VTIP leads belowSep 3
Today
VTIP +8
48 vs 56
7 sessions ago
VTIP +2
50 vs 52
30 sessions ago
VTIP +8
47 vs 55
90 sessions ago
VGLT +1
54 vs 53

The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Jul 2 when VTIP moved ahead of VGLT.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

VGLTConflicted

1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

  • Death Cross Active bearish, trend, long horizon (3.02%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • 52-Week Low Proximity bearish, risk, long horizon (0.9%)
VTIPConflicted

1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

  • Death Cross Active bearish, trend, long horizon (0.39%)
  • 52-Week High Proximity bullish, risk, long horizon (2.0%)
  • 52-Week Low Proximity bearish, risk, long horizon (0.7%)

VTIP leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

VGLTConfirmed strength

Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.15%, AIQ +1 points).

VTIPNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.01%, AIQ +4 points).

What would flip this result

A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.

  1. 1VGLT closes the Momentum gap — currently 16 points behind, the largest single contributor to VTIP's edge.
  2. 2VGLT's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
  3. 3VTIP's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 3 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — the composite weights Quality and Value at 30% each, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Technicals

VTIP has the stronger structure
MetricVGLTVTIP
RSI (14)49.751.8
ADX (14)15.518
Price vs 50-day-1.4%0%
Price vs 200-day-4.4%-0.4%
Volatility (1M, annualized)9.6%1.5%

Risk

VTIP is the more resilient
MetricVGLTVTIP
Beta0.160
Sharpe ratio-0.97-2.08
Sortino ratio-1.54-1.77
Max drawdown-10.3%-2.7%
Current drawdown-9.7%-2%
Annualized volatility8.7%2.7%
Value at risk (95%)-0.9%-0.1%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, VGLT or VTIP?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, VTIP is the stronger of the two as of Sep 5, 2026, scoring 56 against VGLT's 48. The edge comes from momentum and risk resilience. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.

Is VGLT or VTIP the better buy right now?

VTIP carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 5, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. Treat the lead as provisional.

Why does the AIQ Score favor VTIP over VGLT?

The composite weights Quality at 30%, Value at 30%, Momentum at 25% and Risk Resilience at 15%. VTIP leads Momentum by 16 points; VTIP leads Risk Resilience by 16 points; VTIP leads Quality by 5 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which is better value, VGLT or VTIP?

Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, VGLT or VTIP?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, VGLT or VTIP?

VTIP on the Momentum factor, by 16 points. Momentum carries 25% of the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, VGLT or VTIP?

VTIP is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. VTIP on Risk Resilience, by 16 points. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is VGLT more profitable than VTIP?

Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.

Is VTIP's lead over VGLT getting stronger or weaker?

VTIP lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 8 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-04-22 and 2026-09-03. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-07-02, when VTIP moved ahead of VGLT.

What would change the VGLT vs VTIP verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: VGLT closes the Momentum gap — currently 16 points behind, the largest single contributor to VTIP's edge; VGLT's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; VTIP's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 3 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — the composite weights Quality and Value at 30% each, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

What do the current signals say about VGLT and VTIP?

VGLT: 1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. VTIP: 1 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on VGLT is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On VTIP it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).

Compare VGLT and VTIP with others

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.