ETF Versus

EFA vs SCHD

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF vs Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

EFA iShares

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.32%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.18%. Launched in 2001, the fund has a 25-year track record.

AUM: $75.4B ER: 0.32% Yield: 3.18% Since: Aug 14, 2001
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 3.44%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $86.0B ER: 0.06% Yield: 3.44% Since: Oct 20, 2011

Quick Verdict

SCHD is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.32% expense ratio, saving you approximately $512 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, EFA has significantly outperformed with a 32.6% return vs 22.8%.

Key Metrics

Metric EFA SCHD
Expense Ratio 0.32% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 3.2% 3.4%
Fund Family iShares Schwab
Category International Developed US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 84 98 112 126 140 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
EFA +31.7%
SCHD +23.5%

Performance Comparison

Period EFA SCHD Difference
1 Month +3.15% -1.10% +4.25%
3 Months +2.73% +7.58% -4.85%
6 Months +9.84% +15.13% -5.29%
YTD +5.24% +10.57% -5.33%
1 Year +32.56% +22.79% +9.77%
3 Years +41.58% +25.07% +16.51%
5 Years +31.67% +23.53% +8.14%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EFA Fees SCHD Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $631 $120 $512
$10,000 20 years $2,686 $515 $2,171
$10,000 30 years $8,571 $1,664 $6,907
$50,000 10 years $3,156 $598 $2,558
$50,000 30 years $42,854 $8,318 $34,535
$100,000 30 years $85,707 $16,637 $69,070

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric EFA SCHD
Annualized Volatility 16.7% 14.6%
Max Drawdown -32.4% -18.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.14 0.06

Dividend Comparison

Metric EFA SCHD
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.25 $1.06
Dividend Yield 3.18% 3.44%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

EFA Top Holdings

NameWeight
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML2.54%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.47%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.42%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.35%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP1.29%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL1.20%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN1.19%
Commonwealth Bank of Australia!asx/CBA0.98%
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft!etr/SIE0.95%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83060.95%

SCHD Top Holdings

NameWeight
Chevron CorporationCVX4.41%
ConocoPhillipsCOP4.28%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK4.15%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO4.08%
Texas Instruments IncorporatedTXN4.07%
UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedUNH3.98%
Verizon Communications Inc.VZ3.96%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP3.95%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.73%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.73%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHD if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose EFA if...

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

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