ETF Versus

SCHG vs VUG

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SCHG Schwab

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $46.7B ER: 0.04% Yield: 0.43% Since: Dec 11, 2009
VUG Vanguard

Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF Shares (VUG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.45%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $179.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 0.45% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.03% vs 0.04%), so fees are not a differentiator here. VUG has edged ahead over the past year (18.0% vs 16.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric SCHG VUG
Expense Ratio 0.04% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 0.4% 0.5%
Fund Family Schwab Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Growth US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 100 125 150 175 200 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHG +75.0%
VUG +66.0%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHG VUG Difference
1 Month -4.57% -4.47% -0.10%
3 Months -9.51% -9.18% -0.33%
6 Months -8.35% -8.28% -0.07%
YTD -9.51% -9.18% -0.33%
1 Year +16.52% +18.01% -1.49%
3 Years +80.24% +77.18% +3.06%
5 Years +74.98% +66.01% +8.97%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHG Fees VUG Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $80 $60 $20
$10.000 20 years $344 $258 $86
$10.000 30 years $1.112 $835 $277
$50.000 10 years $399 $299 $100
$50.000 30 years $5.560 $4.176 $1.385
$100.000 30 years $11.121 $8.352 $2.769

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHG VUG
Annualized Volatility 22.3% 22.2%
Max Drawdown -35.0% -36.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.41 0.37

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHG VUG
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.13 $1.99
Dividend Yield 0.43% 0.45%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

9 of top 9 holdings overlap (100% overlap in top holdings)

SCHG Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA11.56%
Apple Inc.AAPL10.37%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT7.52%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN5.53%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.05%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.81%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.63%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.37%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.85%

VUG Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL12.23%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT9.15%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG4.49%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META4.44%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.41%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.95%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.58%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.82%

Which One Should You Choose?

Either works if...

you just need broad us large cap growth exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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