Question 1

Which FTSE All-World UCITS ETF is best?

Accepted Answer

No single fund is best for every investor. Most long-term European investors shortlist a large share class tracking the headline FTSE All-World Index, with a low ongoing charge, in a currency and on an exchange their broker supports, and then choose accumulating or distributing to suit their tax position. The table above lists every qualifying share class in the Grovcap database so you can apply your own filter.

Question 2

Which FTSE All-World ETF is cheapest?

Accepted Answer

The lowest published TER in the eligible set is shown in the summary statistics and in the Lowest cost card. Because providers reprice regularly, that figure is read from the database rather than written into the article, and it should be treated as a tiebreaker rather than the whole decision.

Question 3

Which FTSE All-World ETF is the largest?

Accepted Answer

The Largest fund card shows the highest provider-reported fund size in the eligible set, with the currency the provider reported it in. Fund sizes are published on different dates by different providers, so treat close figures as broadly similar rather than precisely ranked.

Question 4

Which is best for beginners?

Accepted Answer

A large, physically replicated, accumulating share class tracking the standard FTSE All-World Index involves the fewest moving parts: one fund covering developed and emerging markets, no dividend admin, and no swap counterparty to assess. That is the rule behind the Best for beginners card.

Question 5

Which is best for long-term investing?

Accepted Answer

For a buy-and-hold horizon, prioritise a fund large enough that closure is unlikely, a low and stable tracking difference, and a share class you will not later need to switch out of. An avoidable taxable switch can cost more than several years of fee savings.

Question 6

Is VWCE the same as VWRA?

Accepted Answer

They are two listings of the same Vanguard FTSE All-World accumulating share class under the same ISIN, quoted in different currencies and on different exchanges. The ticker differs; the fund does not.

Question 7

Is VWRL the accumulating or distributing version?

Accepted Answer

VWRL is a distributing listing of the Vanguard FTSE All-World ETF; VWCE and VWRA are accumulating. Always confirm by ISIN rather than ticker, because tickers are exchange-specific.

Question 8

Should I switch from one FTSE All-World ETF to another?

Accepted Answer

Switching realises spreads, commissions and, in many countries, a taxable event. A small TER saving rarely justifies it. Switching usually makes sense when a fund is closing or merging, or no longer fits your account structure.

Question 9

What does the FTSE All-World Index include?

Accepted Answer

Large- and mid-cap listed companies across developed and emerging markets, weighted by free-float market capitalisation. Small caps are excluded from the standard index; FTSE Global All Cap extends coverage to them.

Question 10

Does FTSE All-World include emerging markets?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Unlike MSCI World, which is developed markets only, FTSE All-World covers both developed and emerging markets in a single index, at their free-float market weights.

Question 11

How many countries does FTSE All-World cover?

Accepted Answer

It covers the developed and emerging country list maintained by FTSE Russell, which is reviewed periodically and can change. Because the count is not stored in the Grovcap database, this page does not quote a fixed number; check current FTSE Russell index documentation for the live figure.

Question 12

Why is the US weight so large?

Accepted Answer

The index is weighted by free-float market value, and US-listed companies make up the largest share of global capitalisation. The weight is an outcome of market prices, not a policy choice, and it moves as markets move.

Question 13

Is one FTSE All-World ETF enough on its own?

Accepted Answer

It is the closest thing to a single-fund global equity allocation available in UCITS form: developed plus emerging markets, large and mid caps, rebalanced inside the fund. It still excludes standard small caps and holds no bonds.

Question 14

What is the difference between FTSE All-World and MSCI World?

Accepted Answer

FTSE All-World covers developed and emerging markets. MSCI World is developed markets only. Our IWDA vs VWCE guide works through what that difference means in practice.

Question 15

What is the difference between FTSE All-World and MSCI ACWI?

Accepted Answer

Both cover developed and emerging markets; they differ in provider methodology, country classification and constituent counts. In practice their long-run returns have been broadly similar, and the fund-level differences usually matter more than the index choice.

Question 16

Should I choose accumulating or distributing?

Accepted Answer

Accumulating reinvests dividends inside the fund; distributing pays them to your brokerage account. Mechanically accumulating avoids reinvestment friction; which is preferable often depends on how your country taxes fund income, so it is a personal rather than a universal answer.

Question 17

Is physical replication safer than synthetic replication?

Accepted Answer

Physical funds hold index constituents; synthetic funds contract with a counterparty for the index return, which introduces counterparty exposure alongside collateral arrangements. Neither is automatically better, but most retail investors default to physical because it has fewer moving parts.

Question 18

Does domicile matter?

Accepted Answer

It affects withholding tax on underlying dividends, the documents your broker provides, and how the fund is treated in your local tax return. Irish and Luxembourg domiciles dominate the UCITS market; the domicile of every share class is shown in the table.

Question 19

Does trading in EUR remove currency risk?

Accepted Answer

No. Buying a euro-quoted line of a fund whose holdings are priced in dollars, yen, pounds and emerging-market currencies does not remove exposure to those currencies. Only an explicitly hedged share class changes the currency exposure.

Question 20

What does currency hedging do?

Accepted Answer

A hedged share class uses forward contracts to neutralise most of the movement between the index currencies and the hedge currency. It costs money to run and introduces hedging drag, so it is generally aimed at shorter horizons or home-currency liabilities.

Question 21

Can a FTSE All-World UCITS ETF close?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Smaller funds are occasionally merged or liquidated, which is why fund size appears in the comparison table and in the selection rules.

Question 22

Does a 0.01% TER difference matter?

Accepted Answer

On a 10,000 euro holding it is one euro a year. Tracking difference, bid-ask spreads and broker commissions routinely exceed that, so use TER as a tiebreaker rather than the deciding factor.

Question 23

Does fund size matter?

Accepted Answer

Size reduces the risk of closure and merger and generally attracts more market makers, which tends to narrow spreads. Beyond a few hundred million in assets the marginal benefit of extra size is small.

Question 24

Which broker offers FTSE All-World ETFs?

Accepted Answer

Grovcap does not rank brokers and does not hold broker product lists, so this page names none. Compare per-order commissions, currency conversion charges, savings-plan coverage for the exact ISIN, and custody fees available to you.

Question 25

Is a savings plan more important than TER?

Accepted Answer

For small recurring orders, often yes. A fixed per-order fee on a small monthly amount is a much larger percentage cost than a few basis points of ongoing charge. Savings-plan availability is not part of the Grovcap dataset, so check it with your broker.

Question 26

What is tracking difference and why does it matter more than TER?

Accepted Answer

Tracking difference is the realised gap between fund return and index return over a period. It bundles the ongoing charge with withholding tax, securities lending income, cash drag and internal trading costs, so it reflects what the fund actually cost you.

Question 27

Is an all-world ETF cheaper than holding developed and emerging funds separately?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily in TER terms, but it avoids two sets of trading costs and the discipline problem of rebalancing. A separate-fund approach gives you control over the emerging-market weight instead.

Question 28

Are the figures on this page live?

Accepted Answer

They are read from the Grovcap ETF database each time the page loads and update when provider data is re-imported. Where a provider has not published a value, the page shows it as unavailable rather than estimating it.

		Benchmark		Dividends	Replication	Domicile			Currency
Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc \| Invesco UKIE000716YHJ7	Invesco	FTSE All-World Index	0.15%	Accumulating	Physical	Ireland	4.6bn USD	2023	USD
Xtrackers FTSE All-World UCITS ETF 1CIE000L6ZMMC4	Xtrackers	FTSE All-World Index	0.07%	Accumulating	Physical	Ireland	69m EUR	2026	USD
Xtrackers FTSE All-World ex US UCITS ETF 1CIE000YKHGYN2	Xtrackers	FTSE All-World ex US Index	0.15%	Accumulating	Physical	Ireland	44m EUR	2026	USD
iShares FTSE All World UCITS ETFFTAW · IE00097WZHZ9	iShares	FTSE All-World Index (Net)	0.12%	Accumulating	Not currently available	Ireland	29m USD	2026	USD
Amundi Ftse All World Gdpweighted UCITS ETF ACCWGDP GY · IE000KCKFHE8	Amundi	Not currently available	0.30%	Accumulating	Not currently available	Ireland	19m USD	Not currently available	USD
Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Dist \| Invesco UKIE0000QLH0G6	Invesco	FTSE All-World Index	0.15%	Distributing	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2023	USD
Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (USD) DistributingVWRD · IE00B3RBWM25	Vanguard	Not currently available	0.19%	Distributing	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2012	USD
Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (USD) AccumulatingVWRP · IE00BK5BQT80	Vanguard	Not currently available	0.19%	Accumulating	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2019	USD
Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF EUR PfHdg Acc \| Invesco UKIE0006VDD4K1	Invesco	FTSE All-World Index	0.20%	Accumulating	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2023	EUR
Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF CHF PfHdg Acc \| Invesco UKIE000SHR0UX9	Invesco	FTSE All-World Index	0.20%	Accumulating	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2024	CHF
Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF GBP PfHdg Dist \| Invesco UKIE000UJC4MR1	Invesco	FTSE All-World Index	0.20%	Distributing	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2023	GBX
Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF (USD) DistributingVHYD · IE00B8GKDB10	Vanguard	FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index	0.29%	Distributing	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2013	USD
Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield UCITS ETF (USD) AccumulatingVHYG · IE00BK5BR626	Vanguard	FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index	0.29%	Accumulating	Physical	Ireland	Not currently available	2019	USD

Best FTSE All-World UCITS ETFs

Straight answers first

Every FTSE All-World UCITS ETF

Featured comparisons

Best by category

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Xtrackers FTSE All-World UCITS ETF 1C

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Dist | Invesco UK

Xtrackers FTSE All-World UCITS ETF 1C

Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (USD) Distributing (VWRD)

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Decision helper

What is the FTSE All-World Index?

FTSE All-World vs MSCI World and MSCI ACWI

Why UCITS ETFs?

Accumulating vs distributing

Physical vs synthetic replication

TER, tracking difference, spreads and execution

Fund size, closure risk and one-fund portfolios

Trading currency vs underlying currency exposure

Retail investor questions

Continue researching

Disclaimer

Best FTSE All-World UCITS ETFs

Straight answers first

Which FTSE All-World UCITS ETF is best?

Which FTSE All-World ETF is cheapest?

Which is the largest?

Which has the longest track record?

Which is best for beginners?

Which is best for monthly investing?

Which is best for long-term investing?

Is VWCE the same as VWRA?

Is VWRL the same fund as VWCE?

Should I choose IWDA or VWCE?

Does a FTSE All-World ETF include emerging markets?

Does TER matter?

Does fund size matter?

Is physical replication better than synthetic replication?

Should I choose accumulating or distributing?

Every FTSE All-World UCITS ETF

Featured comparisons

Best by category

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Xtrackers FTSE All-World UCITS ETF 1C

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Dist | Invesco UK

Xtrackers FTSE All-World UCITS ETF 1C

Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF (USD) Distributing (VWRD)

Invesco FTSE All-World UCITS ETF Acc | Invesco UK

Decision helper

What is the FTSE All-World Index?

FTSE All-World vs MSCI World and MSCI ACWI

Why UCITS ETFs?

Accumulating vs distributing

Physical vs synthetic replication

TER, tracking difference, spreads and execution

Fund size, closure risk and one-fund portfolios

Trading currency vs underlying currency exposure

Retail investor questions

Choosing a FTSE All-World ETF8

Index coverage7

Structure and mechanics6

Costs and practical investing7

Continue researching

Disclaimer