AVUV vs AVDV: Which Should You Pick?
AVUV or AVDV? U.S. vs international small-cap value from Avantis. Same method, different geography. Why they complement rather than compete, with an overlap tool.
AVUV and AVDV run the same Avantis playbook, small-cap value with a profitability screen, in two different places: AVUV owns U.S. small caps, AVDV owns developed international small caps. For a globally diversified investor they are complements, not rivals.
Quick answer
If you want a value tilt only on your U.S. sleeve, hold AVUV. If you want the tilt to be global, hold both: AVUV for U.S. small-cap value and AVDV for the international version. This is rarely an either-or. The real question is how big a tilt you want and whether you will hold it through years of tracking error against the total market.
| AVUV | AVDV | |
|---|---|---|
| Geography | United States | Developed markets ex-US (Japan, UK, Canada, Australia) |
| Benchmark | Russell 2000 Value (reference) | MSCI World ex USA Small Cap (reference) |
| Expense ratio | 0.25% | 0.36% |
| Focus | Small-cap value | Small-cap value |
| Method | Book-to-price + profitability screen | Same method, different region |
| Main extra risk | U.S. small-value tracking error | Currency + country + small-value tracking error |
| Cheaper near-substitute | VBR 0.05% (broader, more index-like) | DISV 0.42% (Dimensional) |
| Role | Tilts the U.S. equity sleeve | Tilts the international equity sleeve |
Avantis fund documents. Expense ratios as of the funds' latest prospectuses.
How much overlap is the tilt really adding?
A small-cap value tilt only helps if it actually changes your portfolio. This tool shows how much a tilt sleeve overlaps your existing core and how much factor exposure it adds, so you can size it deliberately rather than by feel.
How much AVUV and AVDV do you actually own?
AVGV holds AVUV and AVDV inside it, so some of your small-cap value tilt is already there before you buy a share of either one directly. Enter your holdings to see your true exposure, your blended fee, and whether you are stacking the tilt without realizing it.
Total portfolio, used to convert the weights below into dollars.
Fund-of-funds: ~18% of it is AVUV, ~9% is AVDV, ~10% is AVES.
Held directly, on top of anything inside AVGV.
Held directly, on top of anything inside AVGV.
Effective U.S. small value
11.8%
$59,100 total: $50,000 direct + $9,100 inside AVGV.
Effective intl small value
8.9%
$44,600 total: $40,000 direct + $4,600 inside AVGV.
Blended fee on the tilt
0.28%
Across $140,000 in AVUV, AVDV, and AVGV. Total small value tilt: 20.7% of the portfolio.
You hold AVGV and direct AVUV/AVDV together.
Of your $50,000 in AVGV, $9,100 is already AVUV and $4,600 is already AVDV (plus $5,200 of AVES emerging-markets value). That is fine if you want a heavier small value tilt on purpose. It is a problem only if you thought the direct holdings were separate exposure. They stack.
Direct holdings vs what is already inside AVGV
Educational tool, not investment advice or a forecast. AVGV sleeve weights are from its published holdings as of June 11, 2026 (AVUV ~18%, AVDV ~9%, AVES ~10%) and change over time; expense ratios are as of January 1, 2026. AVES inside AVGV is emerging-markets value across all market caps, not small-cap value, so it is shown as context rather than counted in the small value tilt.
Who should pick which
Hold AVUV if you
- Want a value tilt on U.S. equity only.
- Keep international exposure in a broad total-market fund.
- Prefer the lower 0.25% expense ratio.
Add AVDV if you
- Want the tilt to be global, not U.S.-only.
- Already hold AVUV and want symmetry abroad.
- Accept currency and country risk for the diversification.
The full reasoning
For the deeper case, including why a global value tilt is more defensible than a U.S.-only one and how to size it against your core, read AVUV vs AVDV: U.S. vs International Small-Cap Value ETFs.
Want to see how this fits your whole portfolio?
Summitward turns portfolio, tax, and life-planning tradeoffs into decisions you can act on, including overlap, concentration, and tax-location analysis across your accounts.