ETF Versus

SCHD vs VXUS

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF vs Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SCHD Schwab

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.46%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $83.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 3.46% Since: Oct 20, 2011
VXUS Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (VXUS) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international stocks across both developed and emerging markets. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.93%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $129.4B ER: 0.05% Yield: 2.93% Since: Jan 26, 2011

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.05% vs 0.06%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, VXUS has significantly outperformed with a 25.3% return vs 9.5%. Income investors may prefer SCHD for its higher yield (3.5% vs 2.9%).

Key Metrics

Metric SCHD VXUS
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 3.5% 2.9%
Fund Family Schwab Vanguard
Category US Dividend International Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 83 96 109 122 135 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHD +23.3%
VXUS +21.4%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHD VXUS Difference
1 Month -4.24% -5.33% +1.09%
3 Months +10.03% +1.92% +8.11%
6 Months +11.31% +4.49% +6.82%
YTD +10.03% +1.92% +8.11%
1 Year +9.47% +25.26% -15.79%
3 Years +24.43% +40.28% -15.85%
5 Years +23.27% +21.42% +1.85%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHD Fees VXUS Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $100 $20
$10.000 20 years $515 $430 $85
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $1.388 $275
$50.000 10 years $598 $499 $99
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $6.941 $1.377
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $13.882 $2.754

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHD VXUS
Annualized Volatility 14.6% 15.9%
Max Drawdown -18.9% -32.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.05 0.04

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHD VXUS
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.06 $2.29
Dividend Yield 3.46% 2.93%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

SCHD Top Holdings

NameWeight
Chevron CorporationCVX4.66%
ConocoPhillipsCOP4.33%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK4.08%
Verizon Communications Inc.VZ4.03%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO3.98%
Texas Instruments IncorporatedTXN3.86%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP3.83%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.78%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.78%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG3.70%

VXUS Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/23303.43%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059301.59%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.29%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07000.92%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006600.91%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L0.76%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99880.73%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.73%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.73%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VXUS if...

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

Choose SCHD if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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