ETF Versus

SCHA vs SPY

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-02

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2009-11-03
SPY

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. Launched in 1993, the fund has a 33-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 1993-01-29

Quick Verdict

Over the past year, SCHA has significantly outperformed with a 23.1% return vs 16.1%.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHA SPY
Expense Ratio N/A N/A
Dividend Yield N/A N/A
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Small Cap US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 95 115 135 155 175 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHA +15.6%
SPY +61.2%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHA SPY Difference
1 Month -2.75% -3.69% +0.94%
3 Months +1.91% -4.09% +6.00%
6 Months +3.60% -2.44% +6.04%
YTD +1.91% -4.09% +6.00%
1 Year +23.11% +16.07% +7.04%
3 Years +40.06% +59.45% -19.39%
5 Years +15.59% +61.25% -45.66%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHA Fees SPY Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $0 $0 $0
$10,000 20 years $0 $0 $0
$10,000 30 years $0 $0 $0
$50,000 10 years $0 $0 $0
$50,000 30 years $0 $0 $0
$100,000 30 years $0 $0 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHA SPY
Annualized Volatility 22.0% 17.1%
Max Drawdown -31.6% -25.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.04 0.38

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHA SPY
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.34 $7.38
Dividend Yield 1.16% 1.13%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHA if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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