ETF Versus

BIL vs VGSH

State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF vs Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

BIL

State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.14%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.02%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $49.6B ER: 0.14% Yield: 4.02% Since: May 25, 2007

Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares (VGSH) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to short-duration U.S. Treasury bonds with low interest rate risk. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.93%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $28.9B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.93% Since: Nov 19, 2009

Quick Verdict

VGSH is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.14% expense ratio, saving you approximately $218 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (-0.0% vs -0.3%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric BIL VGSH
Expense Ratio 0.14% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 4.0% 3.9%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Short-Term Treasury US Short-Term Treasury

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

90 93 96 99 102 105 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
BIL -0.1%
VGSH -5.1%

Performance Comparison

Period BIL VGSH Difference
1 Month +0.01% -0.65% +0.66%
3 Months -0.02% -0.70% +0.68%
6 Months -0.10% -0.65% +0.55%
YTD -0.02% -0.70% +0.68%
1 Year -0.03% -0.29% +0.26%
3 Years -0.08% -0.17% +0.09%
5 Years -0.11% -5.11% +5.00%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period BIL Fees VGSH Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $278 $60 $218
$10.000 20 years $1.194 $258 $935
$10.000 30 years $3.841 $835 $3.005
$50.000 10 years $1.391 $299 $1.092
$50.000 30 years $19.203 $4.176 $15.027
$100.000 30 years $38.406 $8.352 $30.054

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric BIL VGSH
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 2.1%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -7.0%
Sharpe Ratio -4.15 -2.59

Dividend Comparison

Metric BIL VGSH
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.67 $2.31
Dividend Yield 4.02% 3.96%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VGSH if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Either works if...

you just need broad us short-term treasury exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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