⚖️ SCHD vs SCHG Comparison · Free & No Signup

SCHD vs SCHG: Two Schwab Funds That Move in Opposite Weather

Same issuer, near-identical fees, and almost nothing else in common. SCHD screens for dividend history and quality; SCHG buys the companies reinvesting everything instead of paying it out. Whichever one is winning tells you what kind of market you are in.

💰 SCHG is cheaper 🔬 Compare top 10 holdings → 💡 Plain-English verdict
🤝 BFF Take
Neither Wins Outright; They Lead in Different Market Regimes

SCHD (Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF) holds about 100 companies at 0.06%, selected by requiring ten consecutive years of dividends and then ranking survivors on fundamental quality measures such as cash flow to debt and return on equity. It yields roughly 3.5% and carries a beta near 0.80. SCHG (Schwab US Large-Cap Growth ETF) holds about 250 companies at 0.04%, tracking a Dow Jones large-cap growth index, yields roughly 0.4%, and carries a beta near 1.15. The dividend screen pushes SCHD toward mature, cash-generating businesses and away from megacap technology, which is precisely the sector driving SCHG. That is why SCHG has outperformed over the recent windows shown here and why the relationship inverts when growth stocks fall out of favour. These funds are not competitors so much as two different bets on which kind of company gets rewarded next. Investors wanting neither bet generally hold a total-market fund instead. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

📋 Quick Takeaways
💵SCHD yields around 3.5% and SCHG around 0.4%, so the income difference is the starting point, not a detail
🔍SCHD screens 100 names on a ten-year dividend record plus quality; SCHG holds 250 large-cap growth companies
🌦️SCHD's beta near 0.80 against SCHG's near 1.15 means they lead in opposite conditions by design
📊 Data-Based Take: SCHG has the lower fee

Whether the lower-cost fund suits your situation depends on your existing holdings, account type, tax situation, and how you use each fund. This is a cost comparison, not a personalized recommendation.

Both funds trade commission-free at every major brokerage. How the major brokerages compare →

✓ Reviewed by a CFA® Charterholder · Data as of Aug 9, 2026 · Educational only, not financial advice
SCHD
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
Expense Ratio
0.06%
1-Year Return
+24.9%
AUM
$104.2B
Holdings
100
SCHG
Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
Expense Ratio
0.04% ✓
1-Year Return
+14.7%
AUM
$60.0B
Holdings
250

📋 SCHD vs SCHG: Key Facts Side by Side

Metric SCHD SCHG
Fund Name Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
Issuer Schwab Schwab
Tracks Index Dow Jones US Dividend 100 Dow Jones US Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.04% ✓
Cost per $10K/yr $6.00 $4.00
AUM $104.2B $60.0B
Holdings 100 250
Inception 2011 2009
1-Year Return +24.85% +14.71%
3-Year Return +15.04% +24.02%
5-Year Return +9.57% +13.76%
Dividend Yield 3.13% 0.39%
Holdings Overlap See holdings overlap →
Avg Bid-Ask Spread 0.01% 0.01%

Expense ratio, AUM, and returns updated Aug 9, 2026 from ETF BFF database. Returns are annualised. Not investment advice.

📊 SCHD vs SCHG: Annualised Returns

Annualised returns (trailing, price-based). Past performance does not guarantee future results.

🎯 Which Fund Fits Which Investor?

Often fits investors who...
SCHD
  • want regular dividend income from quality dividend payers
Often fits investors who...
SCHG
  • want the lowest fees: saves ~$2/yr per $10K vs SCHD
  • want broader diversification (250 holdings vs 100)
  • want tech-heavy large-cap growth exposure via Dow Jones US Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market

💰 What the Fee Difference Actually Costs

Adjust the numbers for your situation. This models each fund's expense ratio compounding against your balance over time.

Assumes a constant annual return reinvested, with each fund's expense ratio deducted yearly. Illustrative only; actual returns vary. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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❓ SCHD vs SCHG: Frequently Asked Questions

They select companies on opposite criteria. SCHD requires ten consecutive years of dividend payments and then ranks candidates on fundamental quality, ending with roughly 100 mature businesses yielding about 3.5%. SCHG tracks a large-cap growth index of roughly 250 companies, many of which pay little or nothing because they reinvest earnings into expansion, and yields about 0.4%. One buys companies returning cash to shareholders; the other buys companies keeping it.
Yes, and the pairing is coherent because their overlap is limited. SCHD's dividend screen excludes most of the megacap technology names that dominate SCHG, so holding both gives you exposure across two styles rather than doubling up. The combination lands somewhere near a broad market fund with a quality tilt, at a blended fee near 0.05%. Whether that beats simply holding a total-market fund depends on the weights you choose and how consistently you rebalance.
Large-cap growth, particularly technology, has led US markets since roughly 2010, and SCHG holds exactly that segment while SCHD's dividend screen largely excludes it. The performance gap over the windows shown here is the direct result of that sector composition rather than of the screening methods being better or worse. Value and dividend strategies led during other periods, including the early 2000s, and SCHD outperformed in 2022 when growth stocks fell hardest. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Its roughly 3.5% yield and beta near 0.80 make it a common holding for investors prioritising income and lower volatility, and the ten-year dividend requirement filters out companies with short or unreliable payment histories. Two caveats matter. Dividends are not guaranteed and can be cut in a downturn, and in a taxable account the higher distributions create a yearly tax bill whether you want the income or not. The dividend ETF guide covers how these funds are taxed and where they fit.
No, and the difference is the exchange rather than the strategy. QQQ holds the largest 100 non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq specifically, which is a listing venue rather than a growth screen. SCHG pulls large-cap growth companies from the whole US market regardless of where they list, so it holds more names, around 250, and includes NYSE-listed growth companies QQQ structurally cannot own. SCHG also charges 0.04% against QQQ's 0.20%.

New to ETF investing? See answers to the most common ETF questions →

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📚 Deep Dive Guide

Dividend ETFs: How the Major Screens Actually Differ →

📄 SCHD & SCHG Fact Sheets

SCHD Fact Sheet→ SCHG Fact Sheet→
ℹ️ Data shown is for educational purposes and may not reflect the most current figures. Returns are trailing price-based and exclude dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. ETF BFF is not a licensed financial advisor. This is not personalized financial advice.