ETF Versus

SCHF vs SPDW

Schwab International Equity ETF vs State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SCHF Schwab

Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.14%. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: $61.8B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.14% Since: Nov 3, 2009
SPDW SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.04%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $38.2B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.04% Since: Apr 20, 2007

Quick Verdict

Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (39.8% vs 39.9%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHF SPDW
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 3.1% 3.0%
Fund Family Schwab SPDR
Category International Developed International Developed

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 85 100 115 130 145 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SCHF +35.8%
SPDW +33.0%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHF SPDW Difference
1 Month +2.99% +2.75% +0.24%
3 Months +4.48% +4.27% +0.21%
6 Months +12.43% +12.72% -0.29%
YTD +7.31% +7.12% +0.19%
1 Year +39.79% +39.87% -0.08%
3 Years +48.69% +48.69% +0.00%
5 Years +35.83% +32.96% +2.87%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHF Fees SPDW Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $60 $0
$10,000 20 years $258 $258 $0
$10,000 30 years $835 $835 $0
$50,000 10 years $299 $299 $0
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $4,176 $0
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $8,352 $0

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHF SPDW
Annualized Volatility 16.4% 16.4%
Max Drawdown -31.4% -33.0%
Sharpe Ratio 0.18 0.16

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHF SPDW
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.82 $1.47
Dividend Yield 3.14% 3.05%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

7 of top 9 holdings overlap (78% overlap in top holdings)

SCHF Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059302.23%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.93%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.18%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.13%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.10%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.07%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL0.99%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.94%
Royal Bank of Canada!tsx/RY0.85%

SPDW Top Holdings

NameWeight
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!lon/SMSN2.13%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.71%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006601.19%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN0.99%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.97%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.93%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP0.87%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL0.83%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN0.81%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72030.81%

Which One Should You Choose?

Either works if...

you just need broad international developed exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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