ETF vs. Index Fund Comparison Calculator

ETF vs. Index Fund Comparison Tool

Compare an ETF and an Index Fund based on costs and features. Data entry is manual.

ETF Details

ETF Name:

Expense Ratio (%):

Est. Annual Brokerage/Other Costs (% of Investment):

Index Fund Details

Index Fund Name:

Expense Ratio (%):

(Transaction costs for direct plan index funds are often minimal beyond the expense ratio. Enter if specific platform charges apply, otherwise assume 0 for this field.)

Est. Annual Other Costs (% of Investment):

Common Investment Parameters

Lump Sum Investment Amount (₹):

₹

Investment Horizon (Years):

Expected Annual Gross Return of Index (%):

Projected Cost Impact Analysis

Metric	ETF	Index Fund
Initial Investment (₹)	₹0.00	₹0.00
Net Annual Return (%)	0.00%	0.00%
Projected Future Value (₹)	₹0.00	₹0.00
Total Growth (₹)	₹0.00	₹0.00
Impact of Expense Ratio (₹)	₹0.00	₹0.00
Impact of Transaction Costs (₹)	₹0.00	₹0.00
Total Estimated Costs (₹)	₹0.00	₹0.00
Difference in Final Value (ETF - Index Fund) (₹)	₹0.00

General Feature Comparison

Feature	Exchange Traded Fund (ETF)	Index Mutual Fund
Trading Mechanism	Traded on stock exchanges like shares throughout the trading day at market prices.	Bought/sold (subscribed/redeemed) from the Asset Management Company (AMC) at the end-of-day Net Asset Value (NAV).
DEMAT Account	Required for holding and trading.	Not always mandatory if investing directly with AMC or via certain platforms (though increasingly held in DEMAT form).
Ease of SIP	Possible via brokers, but might involve buying whole units or specific broker mechanisms. Can be less straightforward than MF SIPs.	Very easy and common. AMCs and platforms offer flexible SIP options.
Price vs. NAV	Market price can deviate from the underlying NAV due to supply/demand dynamics (trade at premium/discount).	Transactions always happen at the NAV.
Liquidity	Depends on trading volume on the exchange. Popular ETFs are highly liquid; others may have wider bid-ask spreads.	Provided by the AMC. Generally high for open-ended funds.
Expense Ratio Trend	Often very low, especially for broad market index ETFs.	Direct plans have lower expense ratios than regular plans. Can be competitive with ETFs, but sometimes slightly higher.
Transaction Costs	Brokerage charges, Securities Transaction Tax (STT on sell for equity, buy/sell for some others), DP charges, exchange transaction charges may apply per trade.	Direct plans typically have no entry/exit loads (or low exit loads for short periods) and no brokerage. Regular plans include distributor commission in expense ratio.
Minimum Investment	Price of one unit of the ETF.	Defined by the fund house, often starting from ₹100/₹500/₹1000 for SIPs or a lump sum.