ETF Versus

IWM vs SCHA

iShares Russell 2000 ETF vs Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

IWM iShares

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.19%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.97%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $72.8B ER: 0.19% Yield: 0.97% Since: May 22, 2000
SCHA Schwab

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF (SCHA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.11%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $20.9B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.11% Since: Nov 3, 2009

Quick Verdict

SCHA is significantly cheaper at 0.04% vs 0.19% expense ratio, saving you approximately $297 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (43.7% vs 43.7%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric IWM SCHA
Expense Ratio 0.19% 0.04%
Dividend Yield 1.0% 1.1%
Fund Family iShares Schwab
Category US Small Cap US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 81 92 103 114 125 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IWM +17.8%
SCHA +21.7%

Performance Comparison

Period IWM SCHA Difference
1 Month +3.30% +4.21% -0.91%
3 Months -0.12% +1.72% -1.84%
6 Months +6.86% +10.44% -3.58%
YTD +4.99% +6.53% -1.54%
1 Year +43.74% +43.70% +0.04%
3 Years +47.45% +47.64% -0.19%
5 Years +17.80% +21.71% -3.91%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IWM Fees SCHA Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $377 $80 $297
$10,000 20 years $1,613 $344 $1,269
$10,000 30 years $5,178 $1,112 $4,065
$50,000 10 years $1,884 $399 $1,485
$50,000 30 years $25,888 $5,560 $20,327
$100,000 30 years $51,776 $11,121 $40,655

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IWM SCHA
Annualized Volatility 22.6% 22.0%
Max Drawdown -33.1% -31.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.08

Dividend Comparison

Metric IWM SCHA
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.54 $0.34
Dividend Yield 0.97% 1.11%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

2 of top 10 holdings overlap (20% overlap in top holdings)

IWM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Bloom Energy CorporationBE1.04%
FabrinetFN0.71%
COEUR MINING INCCDE.NE0.65%
Credo Technology Group Holding LtdCRDO0.58%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.55%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.54%
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.AEIS0.45%
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.KTOS0.44%
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc.STRL0.41%
Hecla Mining CompanyHL0.40%

SCHA Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK2.51%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.39%
ATI Inc.ATI0.48%
Coeur Mining, Inc.CDE0.47%
Revolution Medicines, Inc.RVMD0.42%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.40%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.39%
MKS Inc.MKSI0.38%
MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.MTSI0.37%
Rocket Companies, Inc.RKT0.34%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHA 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 small cap exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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