ETF Versus

SHV vs VGSH

iShares 0–1 Year Treasury Bond ETF vs Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SHV

iShares 0–1 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHV) 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 0.15%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.99%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $20.9B ER: 0.15% Yield: 3.99% Since: Jan 5, 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 0.15% expense ratio, saving you approximately $238 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 SHV VGSH
Expense Ratio 0.15% 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
SHV -0.4%
VGSH -5.1%

Performance Comparison

Period SHV VGSH Difference
1 Month -0.02% -0.65% +0.63%
3 Months -0.08% -0.70% +0.62%
6 Months -0.11% -0.65% +0.54%
YTD -0.08% -0.70% +0.62%
1 Year -0.02% -0.29% +0.27%
3 Years -0.02% -0.17% +0.15%
5 Years -0.39% -5.11% +4.72%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SHV Fees VGSH Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $298 $60 $238
$10.000 20 years $1.278 $258 $1.020
$10.000 30 years $4.109 $835 $3.274
$50.000 10 years $1.490 $299 $1.190
$50.000 30 years $20.547 $4.176 $16.371
$100.000 30 years $41.094 $8.352 $32.742

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SHV VGSH
Annualized Volatility 1.1% 2.1%
Max Drawdown -0.7% -7.0%
Sharpe Ratio -4.26 -2.59

Dividend Comparison

Metric SHV VGSH
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.39 $2.31
Dividend Yield 3.99% 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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